Equipment storage advice

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I recently purchased a second home in NH. I am in the process of moving some food stores and equipment to the house. I have two storage location options and I am not sure what I should put where.

Basement – outdoor access only, I am been tracking the Temp and Humidity over the last few months. The basement has the most space and the least amount of foot traffic but the High humidity in the summer months worries me. I will be adding a dehumidifier in the spring but relying on power and that device worries me a little

68.5-53.1 degrees F

92.5-50.4 % humidity

Garage and room above the garage – No temp control so the high and low temps will go with the season.

The items I am not sure of storing location are

Long term food
short term food
Ammo and few guns

Am I better off dealing with the bigger temp swings in the garage or fighting the humidity in the basement?
 
How often will you be dropping in on this home to check things out?

Food stores should be good with stable cool temp as long as you can seal them well. 5-gal plastic, vacuum sealed bags, desiccant packs, and metal cans will cover most needs. I'd be most worried about rodents. Set up some plastic shelves with glass and metal on the bottom, anything plastic on upper levels. I used these and these in my basement. Saw mouse signs on the bottom shelves but they only got onto upper shelves if touching the fieldstone wall.

If you'll have wifi you can also set a monitor to alert you if the dehumidifier fails and things get sticky.
 
I plan on being up here a few times a month in the winter and most of the summer.

I use the same shelves, good call on the glass and metal -most of the long term storage are 5 gal plastic buckets, with vac sealed or mylar bags in them. I do have a quarterly exterminator that comes out and keeps the rodents at bay but all it takes is a few days of them getting into my stuff to ruin it.
 
I recently purchased a second home in NH. I am in the process of moving some food stores and equipment to the house. I have two storage location options and I am not sure what I should put where.

Basement – outdoor access only, I am been tracking the Temp and Humidity over the last few months. The basement has the most space and the least amount of foot traffic but the High humidity in the summer months worries me. I will be adding a dehumidifier in the spring but relying on power and that device worries me a little

68.5-53.1 degrees F

92.5-50.4 % humidity

Garage and room above the garage – No temp control so the high and low temps will go with the season.

The items I am not sure of storing location are

Long term food
short term food
Ammo and few guns

Am I better off dealing with the bigger temp swings in the garage or fighting the humidity in the basement?

My answer is 'it depends'

Long term food in buckets, metal or glass can be in the basement
Short term foods...depending on how much, leave them in the kitchen
Ammo and guns....humidity is a bigger problem than heat or cold...so upstairs. While there's no storage requirement in NH, you way want to hide or secure the firearms.

Congrats on your new house.

Despite the exterminator, set glue traps where you store food, and you can see how effective they are.\

I rarely get a NH visit where's there's not at least one in a trap. I have (counting in head) at least a dozen out on any given day.
 
I’d like to revive this thread.

Im wanting to put together a cache stored, hidden somewhere else on my property or maybe even off property. It will most likely be stored indoors but not heated or humidity controlled. I’m just thinking I want to do something like a Plano waterproof locking case or something of the sort. Storage of food reserves, medical, maybe 1-2 firearms and some ammo. Is this something that’s feasible? If I vacuum sealed any food items, which would probably just be MRE’s, and made sure it was locked with desiccant packets.

ive never stored anything in an uncontrolled environment before and not sure how changes in temp, humidity etc would affect contents. Rodents etc.
 
I’d like to revive this thread.

Im wanting to put together a cache stored, hidden somewhere else on my property or maybe even off property. It will most likely be stored indoors but not heated or humidity controlled. I’m just thinking I want to do something like a Plano waterproof locking case or something of the sort. Storage of food reserves, medical, maybe 1-2 firearms and some ammo. Is this something that’s feasible? If I vacuum sealed any food items, which would probably just be MRE’s, and made sure it was locked with desiccant packets.

ive never stored anything in an uncontrolled environment before and not sure how changes in temp, humidity etc would affect contents. Rodents etc.
Bury it.

Unless you have a regular, and frequent presence, if it's stored where it can be found, it will be.
 
Any advice on a good, structurally sound case...box...container...anything? I see you can make capsules out of PVC. Just wanted something with more volume.
 
I'd forget the plastic buckets if you suspect mice, voles, chipmunks, or squirrels anywhere in the county. I keep some cracked corn to feed wild turkeys, and little rodents chew right through Lowe's buckets. Tractor Supply sells galvanized buckets with locking lids. Or you could put 5-gallon buckets and other containers inside steel drums. Check craigslist--I've seen them for around $20.

I'd store in the basement. Winter air (when you're not around) is drier than summer, when you'll be around to open those bulkhead doors to allow circulation. If your foodstuffs are sealed, I'm guessing humidity in the basement will be less a problem than temperature swings in the garage. Garage might be okay for guns and ammo but I'd avoid using the loft unless the garage was heavily shaded.
 
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