The Apache used a kind of basket called a tus to store water. First, a regular basket was woven and then lined on the inside with pine pitch from the pinon pine. Traditionally, in the Apache culture it was the women who made baskets, including the tus.
A cistern is a large tank that is used to store water, such as rainwater, and may even be located underground. This is a method of storing potable water that has been employed for thousands of years. One example of an ancient people using cisterns can be found in the Western Ghats, a mountain range in western India. During the time of the Indus Valley Civilization, cisterns were cut into the rock, which gave tradesmen a source of potable water as they were passing through.
Potable water can be stored in plastic containers like gallon jugs -- ones that have not stored milk or juice -- and soda bottles. The plastic containers are prepared by washing with soap and water, then disinfected with a chlorine bleach solution. Then, the containers must be kept in a dark place that is not humid. If the containers are left in direct sunlight, the plastic could leach into the water and make it taste like plastic.
Modern campers use containers that are classified as "food-grade" to store their potable water. Places such as camping supply stores offer these kinds of containers. Alternately, the campers can choose their own water containers, using the same standard as those in an urban environment.