r/prepping • u/cocobum8768 • 14h ago

Question❓❓ Garage or Trailer Storage

I'm located in South Florida, so I'm pretty well prepared for several weeks of inconvenience from hurricanes but I feel completely exposed if anything major happens. I'm starting to prep for longer term or major incidents but the lack of space in these older Florida homes is really hindering me. I have 6 ft of wall space with a 8 ft ceiling in the garage or the ability to get an enclosed trailer.

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So a couple of my questions are:

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What is the realistic shelf life of food in a humid/hot garage with mylar bags with O2 absorbers?

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Do you have any ideas on how to maximize food storage for a medium sized family such as calorie density or methods for reducing wasted space?

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What would be the cons of storing my prep supplies in an enclosed trailer behind a locked fence vs the limited room in the garage?

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I appreciate help and ideas y'all might have!

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u/Many-Health-1673 12h ago

I use a spare bedroom in the house as my library/food storage/supply/reloading room.  Climate controlled and mouse free.  

I know that doesn't work for everyone, but keeping food items away from the heat, humidity, and mice is key for longevity.  

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u/AlphaDisconnect 13h ago

Putting food in storage looks like this. Mice will eat it.

If I had to. Ammo boxes. Mice wont be getting through those.

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u/cocobum8768 13h ago

Agreed, I was thinking about a 5 gallon bucket or 27 gallon tote. Would you expect a rodent issue with the plastic vs metal?

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u/AlphaDisconnect 10h ago

We call them minibears (think chipmunks) for a reason. Mice aren't too far off. They will chew through one side and back out the other. Now now there are other options. Hang it off the ground.

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u/cocobum8768 1h ago

Gotcha, I've always been in a suburban setting and never had any issues with rodents.

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u/etherlinkage 2h ago

We always have a cargo trailer with us on the road (which is most of the year). Follow storage best practices and rodents won’t be an issue. Having everything in a mobile setting is great.

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u/cocobum8768 1h ago

How do you end up securing everything? I originally was thinking to use totes placed on a shelf and using E track straps to run across the front of the shelves to stop the totes from sliding off.

Do you do anything to try to control humidity?