I am once again trying to reduce my volume of stuff. I currently live on a 30 foot racing sailboat and have a 5 x 5 storage unit. I hate living in clutter and would like to end the need to pay rent on the storage space.

I am trying to be guided by the principle that if I have not used it lately [1 year? 2 years?], then I must not need it and should find it a new home. This is remarkably painful.

I am also trying to follow the principle of replacing bulky stuff with functionally equivalent compact, lighter stuff. Candidate new gear is proving remarkably expensive.

And, I am trying to follow the principle that each set of functional gear should be stored as a "kit" within one bag or container. This has meant spending a lot of time thinking of, creating, or shopping for containers.

As a further matter of storage principle, I am labeling most sides of most containers.

Are there principles of storage that I am missing or about which I am in error?

Thoughts?

Thanks.

Am unaware of any principles of storage. Friends with big basements could be helpful.

I do similar with grouping by kit, then I keep a running spreadsheet that is categorized then each category has the container(s) listed and justification as to why I have it and its priority if bugout/evac is needed.

So for example a plumbing kit, I'll list the container and its use and what level its at, this case pretty low.
A BOB/GHB, etc will be listed and at he highest priority.

Get a larger vehicle and use it for storage?

The sailboat is parked, right? Tether a floating 53' intermodal unit to it?

Sue

Great thread!



If you can actually carry that out, then you'd be all set. Try labeling stuff that's, say, five years old and unused. Then, have a disinterested third party come in and take it away, sell it and split the proceeds with you. I need to take my own advice.

I admire organized people who have few things but everything they need. I encourage these people to post here!

The fact that you've got limited space is a good thing. Getting rid of extraneous stuff is more emotional than practical and if you start playing the "what if" game you'll never give anything away. Start with your EDC and work outward from there. I recently went through something similar with various gadget adapters, cables, battery chargers, etc. Talk about a nightmare. I couldn't even remember what some of them were for. Its 2011, we've mapped the human genome but can't standardize the plugs for computers, cell phones, mp3 players, etc? Good luck dweste, I applaud your streamlining efforts.

I think a lot of us are in the same boat as you, so to speak. However, if I lived on something that could sink, I would not mind having dry land storage.

I do applaud you efforts, and I should emulate them...

I am having a particular struggle with two categories of stuff: things of only sentimental value and two CPUs with no-longer-accessible-but-potentially-necessary-records on their hard discs.

I am not likely at this point to ever have kids or family who might be interested in things like childhood, school, or old girlfriend momentos [sp?], but they still seem to tug at my heartstrings a bit.

The computer passwords are long forgotten and I do not know if they could even run; I want to erase / destroy the hard drives some time soon - or maybe just remove and store just the drives.

Your talking about computers, the cpu doesn't have any storage

You can get external drive cases for $<20, pull the drives out and put in the external case, plug into your current computer and wipe them. Give the old computers to someone who can use them.

I'm unaware of any formal principles of storage but a few tips I've gleaned from friends and experience:

Reducing what you have:
If you don't use something in (insert appropriate time limit here) you can likely get along without it.

Pension off unneeded goods, put them up for sale on E-bay or Graig's List. Alternatively take advantage of tax credits by donating to charities and charity organizations. Or find sympathetic people who are just starting out in your areas of interest.

Work with neighbors to share equipment. Does everyone need a lawnmower? Or could you just slip a neighbor with a lawnmower a few dollars to use theirs?

Get familiar with local rental shops and what they carry.

Packing stuff away:
Favor soft-sided luggage and storage containers. They can be stuffed into tighter and odd-shaped spots. And when the contents of a container are in use a duffel bag or sack folds up. Hard cases take up the same space full or empty.

Be careful with vacuum bags. They can save a lot of space by compressing towels, pillows, and sweaters. But if they leak they can destroy shelf systems and containers. Compression sacks, which use banding to remove air, are less likely to decompress at inconvenient times.

Very few tools will correctly wipe hard drives that are connected via USB or FireWire, the two most common external hard drive case connection technologies. Incorrectly wiped drives can still have their data recovered.

One of the best ways to wipe a drive is to download DBAN http://sourceforge.net/projects/dban/files/dban/dban-2.2.6/dban-2.2.6_i586.iso/download, create a CD-ROM from the ISO, and boot the computer from the CD-ROM. Be warned that this will destroy all data on the hard drive. This will work even if the password is forgotten, as long as it's not the BIOS password.

A low-tech method that's sometimes easier is to drive four or five ten penny nails through the platters. Make sure that you start on one of the two largest sides by area, and drive the nails all the way through in several different places. This precludes the re-use of the drive.

The most paranoid method I know is to disassemble the drives and use a grinder or wire brush to remove the thin magnetic coating from the platters.

Don't wipe hard drives.

HDs used to be expensive and the odds of unwiped data being exploited were small. Now HDs are cheap and the odds of unwiped data being exploited are much higher. HDs, even large ones go for a few hundred dollars whereas identity theft can cost you thousands of dollars and months of effort.

HDs are also much larger than they used to be so any wiping program takes much longer. A terabyte drive can take a very long time to wipe. Particularly when you use any of the better multi-pass procedures.

Save yourself time and effort and absolutely remove any chance anyone will find any data left behind by pounding your unwanted HDs discs to rubble. Takes about two minutes with a hammer if you don't disassemble the HD. Once the discs shatter they are essentially impossible to read by conventional means. No need to acid etch or wire brush anything. Disassembly takes another five minutes. As a bonus, once disassembled you get a nifty magnet to play with.

SSDs use an entirely different storage technique and they are both easier to wipe, harder to recover any wiped data from, and there is no need to destroy them to keep the data safe. A good thing because SSDs are still expensive.

Added a few sentences for clarity.

I am trying to find a place to do decent scans to DVD of old pictures, diplomas, certificates, etcetera. Then my resolve to recycle the originals will be put to the test.

Computer-related stuff is about the easiest stuff to organize.

It's harder to organize (get rid of) "macro" things, such as books, musical instruments, art work, board games, momentos, R/C cars, skates, skis, stereos, toys, VHS tapes, CDs, vehicles, etc.

I am simultaneously working on my survival stuff. The large entry area of the place I am house-sitting looks like an equipment bomb wnt off, complete with all my kayak and diving gear.

I look what is in storage and if it duplicates survival stuff in hand, the less well-built, less multi-tasking, bulkier gear goes away - most of the time. Some finds a home in new kits I feel I should add, such as winter camping distinct from 3-season camping [I am in California].

I stare at piles of stuff hoping for inspiration, and often then go get something to eat. Nothing is easy.

Dweste, kit builing is like reading a choose your own adventure Book. Everytime I open one up I get a different ending!

Personal note: most kits, or their sub-kit components, must fit through an 8-inch diameter round kayak hatch and be no longer than 14 inches. Exceptions for arsenal, diving, and severe camping gear, which fit a much larger front hatch.

Trying some vacuum bags. Volume reduction, yes; will the vacuum last, uncertain.

Often consider a vacuum sealer, but budget concerns.

Or you can opt for the Do-it-yourself method. Ziplock freezer bags and a straw. Suck and seal. Or compress and seal without the straw. Some clothing items and the toilet roll in my car kit stayed vacuum sealed for a year that way.

Assembled well over 20 knives, from machetes to specialized folders. Not including several multi-tools that have blades.

Did not think to include kitchen knives, so its back to searching for those in the sailboat "galley" and the ice chest galley "storage locker" onboard.

I will have to answer important questions like, do I really need an oyster knife?

Who the heck bought all these things?

> "Who the heck bought all these things?"

Got a mirror?

Sue

Guilty as charged.