On 8/15/07, Jason T <silent700 at gmail.com> wrote: Mice. -20F isn't so much of a problem as rampant fluctuations or summer heat in a storage barn over 120F. I would be. I store some things in climate-uncontrolled spaces, but never floppies or magtapes. You might consider throwing a humisorb pack in the bag. -ethan

I'd recommend keeping any magnetic media you care about at home. I only wish I'd listen to my own advice (though most is at home). Zane

--- Jason T <silent700 at gmail.com> wrote: Welcome to the club :). You have now officially joined the brotherhood of computer collectors. You say that now, but nature abhors a vacuum. Once that space is cleared, something will take its place. Yeah, and be careful of condensation too. Best to make sure hardware is back to room temperature (and take the covers off and look for moisture) first. I try to avoid storing tapes or disks in storage units for this very reason. I don't know what will happen either, and I'd rather not risk it :). Yeah, I haven't had much problem with humidity here, but it's good practice to wrap important things in plastic first. Keeps bugs and critters out too. I haven't had any problems with storage conditions, I'm in the New England area, so we don't get the humidity like the midwest (I used to live in Indiana, so I know how it is...). I also try only to store things like monitors, spare parts, cabinets, computers and misc hardware - stuff that won't be damaged by heat or cold. Depending on where you live, the humidity could be a real problem. Dessicant packs and plastic wrap might be a good choice, especially if you're packing really important things. Be careful what you store - and remember, you want to _store_ mice(plastic), not attract them(fuzzy). Ohh, me too. Nice, big room, raised floor, big aircons, tons of power, and all hooked up to the magic alien reactor in the corner that generates all the power you'd need. But, reality is what it is. And a little extra space is always nice. Good luck! -Ian

I've had a storage space for way too many years now, and here's some of the problems I face. The changing temperatures and humidity in the air isn't too bad, however the storage units themselves is a different beast. Most of them are concrete floors, and a drafty but mostly sealed metal building. I've not really had problems with any rain/water getting in (they design them with slab higher than street level and on a slope) and the roofs have been fairly good. The problem I get is just the dirt and dust and other crap that falls from the ceiling and generally settles. Anything you want clean, you WILL want to cover with a tarp or sheets. This actually makes the air cool near the ground during the summer, but humid hot to the top. Perfect for metal to attract moisture and rust. I've found monitors near the ground (even raised up on pallets) wet to the touch on the glass, and rust slowly eating away steel parts like screws, and even full chassis. I have even old Macs where the metal cage inside the plastic is rusting. During the winter, things just "freeze" and thaws slowly throughout the spring and even into summer. Causes the moldy books/magazines and musty smell, along with more of the rust and general decomposition. I do not put any magnetic or disk media if I can help it in storage, and I try to get it off the ground or layer "junk" near the ground and put the better stuff on top. Also helps to air out during the spring\fall when it isn't humid yet, and let things normalize. If there are things that will attract moisture, like paper, etc near the ground it will actually get wet and rot. I've had cardboard boxes just mush. If anyone has a solution to the moisture/rust problems, I'd love to know! Mike Jason T wrote:

Jason T wrote: Without actual climate control, humidity may grow mold on your stuff. This might be a factor in choosing what goes in there. Don't put any magnetic media in an uncontrolled storage space. My personal opinion... -- Jim Leonard (trixter at oldskool.org) http://www.oldskool.org/ Help our electronic games project: http://www.mobygames.com/ Or check out some trippy MindCandy at http://www.mindcandydvd.com/ A child borne of the home computer wars: http://trixter.wordpress.com/