Military Baggage

August 24, 2010 8:22 PM

What do military people do when they need to store their various items "somewhere" while they are stationed on a ship, sometimes for years at a time?

My parents have hinted to me before that they would like to use my old room for something else (guest room, for example), and therefore that my stuff is sitting in that closet, as well as downstairs, taking up space. This is a legitimate concern and they have the right to want parts of their house back. I'm also very interested in "being my own person" etc.

While I'm not exactly single, I don't want to simply move everything to my guy's small place for him to store either. I currently live (in another state than him) in a very small military housing apartment style room.

So, where do military folk put things, like seasonal clothing, furniture, books, and other random items of interest while they live in limited space? While they're away on a ship? What ever it is, is it expensive? Is it safe?

(Granted, I'm also being realistic here in understanding that I do have to purge a lot of things for Goodwill, but I definitely have enough items to put -somewhere-.....)

Thank you.

posted by DisreputableDog to Travel & Transportation (12 answers total)

That's fairly easy. Storage Depots! Just find one near your parents house and pay the monthly/annual fee. Cost depends on size and how much you pay ahead of time in some cases (discounts for paying for a whole year or so). You also have variables like if it has A/C cooling and you'll want to store it at a respectable place so that you don't have to worry about water damage/theft. Basically a garage with a big old door with a padlock.
posted by SigMag at 8:35 PM on August 24, 2010

I know very little about the military, but the traditional answer to "where do I put my stuff if I don't have space in my home in which to store it?" is a self-storage rental unit. You can rent whatever size unit you need depending on your budget and the amount of stuff you have, and you can swap stuff in and out as you want to access it. The reputable companies have round-the-clock security, and you can get a climate-controlled unit if any of your stuff is sensitive to temperature or humidity.
posted by decathecting at 8:35 PM on August 24, 2010

JPSSO - the Joint Personal Property Shipping Office stores personal property if an active duty member of the military is deployed & it also assists with military relocations/moves. You can always check with your local JPSSO office on base. They've been extremely helpful when I've needed their services. JPSSO is free.

If your situation falls outside of their scope, you will probably have to rent your own storage unit.
posted by tanuki.gao at 8:59 PM on August 24, 2010

Best answer: My boyfriend stored his excess stuff in a storage unit when he was deployed and gave up his apartment. There was a military discount, so be sure to ask about that if you end up going that route.

Anecdotal data point: a 5x5 space (with a pretty high ceiling) costs ~$75 / month with the military discount, in Anchorage, Alaska. That would definitely be enough to hold a well-packed room.
posted by charmcityblues at 9:11 PM on August 24, 2010

Self storage units are what my shipmates use on long deployments.
posted by QuarterlyProphet at 9:41 PM on August 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

The bulk of my stuff lived in boxes in my parents' basement once I enlisted. Everything I normally had with me on post went into storage while I was deployed.
posted by lullaby at 9:53 PM on August 24, 2010

One thing I will say with storage spaces that you should consider: Anything "soft" like clothing, or bedding or anything of that nature, put it in a near-airtight Rubbermaid tote or something similar. I've heard many horror stories from friends storing items like that for a while and then when the items are retrieved, that have "guests" hitching along with them.
posted by barc0001 at 10:12 PM on August 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

If you use a self-storage unit, be sure they have very reliable contact information for you and also for more than one person who can represent you stateside, in case your bill is overdue. You don't want your stuff to get auctioned off without you knowing about it because your credit card expired.
posted by brain at 10:13 PM on August 24, 2010

If boxing your stuff into well-labelled and tidy boxes and storing it in your parents' basement is an option, that would be much cheaper than even cheap storage. I don't know what the options for the military are but assuming you are not enlisted, I can tell you that "Mom and Dad's basement or garage" is what most people in their 20's and teens do when they are migrating from living at home to their own households.
posted by DarlingBri at 12:23 AM on August 25, 2010

Best answer: Check with MWR at your post. Sometimes they have storage units on-base that cost less than your average commercial unit. If they don't have storage units, they can probably refer you to local places that offer you a military discount or are otherwise military-friendly.
posted by scarnato at 6:24 AM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

Used to have it on the compound. If that arrangement is not available to you, ask your Finance office/S1 about reimbursement for storage costs. That might tell you your budget. Can't remember much, but seems some folks got that.
posted by chinabound at 8:31 AM on August 25, 2010

Response by poster: Thank you folks. I didn't even think to ask MWR, or about military discounts (for museums, yes, many others, no). I appreciate your help.
posted by DisreputableDog at 5:03 PM on September 23, 2010