Storage Units Make Spring Cleaning Easier

A Storage Unit Could Be The Perfect Place To Store Survival Food And Supplies So Your Family Is Prepared For Any Emergency

14 August 2020 by Anni Heikkinen

If you've ever lived in an area that has hurricanes, you know how fast things fly off the grocery shelves when a big storm is coming. Whether you live in hurricane country or not, it's a good idea to have a small stockpile of food and supplies on hand so your family can survive several days in case stores are empty or the power is out. You may not have room in your home to store extra food where it's out of the way so your family doesn't eat it instead of saving it for emergencies. Renting a storage unit is a good solution. Here are tips for storing a food stockpile in a self-storage unit.

Select The Foods To Store

You can't store perishable food in a storage unit, and you likely can't plug in a freezer or refrigerator, so you'll be limited to things in cans, jars, boxes, and bottles. If you store things like sacks of rice, seal them in a metal container so rodents can't get to them. Mice and bugs can get inside boxes, sacks, and even some plastic containers, so choose your packing supplies well.

Your storage facility may not have an issue with pests, but it's a good idea to choose your food and storage methods with the idea that rodents and bugs could be a threat. Food in cans and jars are good for an emergency stockpile since these have liquids, and many don't even have to be heated. You may not eat a lot of canned food, but you may want to explore all the options in canned meat, vegetables, and fruit so you'll have food your whole family will enjoy if you have to eat it, and if not, you can donate it to a food pantry before the food expires.

Consider If You Need Climate Control

Even though canned foods are shelf-stable, they need to be kept safe from extreme temperatures and high humidity. This is one reason why your garage isn't a good place to store survival food. If you need to store food for the long term, you'll need a climate-controlled storage unit. Freezing temperatures may cause the liquid in a can or jar to expand, damage the container, and spoil the food. If the temperature in the unit is too warm, that might affect the food. Even if the food doesn't go bad, the taste or texture could be affected. Plus, a unit that has high humidity could cause the cans to rust. Consider the temperature and humidity conditions over the time period you plan to use the storage unit and then choose a climate-controlled facility if you think it's necessary.

Choose An Accessible Unit

You'll want to rent a storage unit that you can enter by yourself any time you want. One you can park next to is convenient, too, so loading and unloading are easy. A storage facility that locks after hours may not be open to you during an emergency when you need to get your food, so make sure you can get your food whenever you need it.

A storage unit could be an ideal solution for storing enough food to last your family for a few weeks. You can also stockpile toilet paper, grooming supplies, and cleaning products, as well as clothing and seasonal items, so you get full use of your storage unit and make more space in your home.

To learn more, contact a self-storage facility.

Share