As a member of the military, you know that at any time you can be deployed and will have to prepare to relocate. Planning usually begins immediately.
If you have a family remaining behind, most of your home items will stay intact. If you are relocating on your own, you will need to determine what to put in storage during military deployment.
What Do I Store While On Deployment? – Storage During Military Deployment
Going overseas isn’t like moving to California from the East Coast. You aren’t going to be a permanent resident there, and that will affect what you take and what stays home.
If you know the length of your deployment and it is a substantial move, it makes sense to rent a storage space to keep all of your furniture and belongings in great condition until you return home. The staff at a storage facility will have great deployment tips for you on the right size of space to rent according to what you are storing and what type of storage is best.
They may recommend a climate-controlled storage space. This type of storage unit will prevent humidity and heat from causing damage especially to your furniture. This might cost some extra but will be well worth it when you return home and have all of your belongings move in ready.
It would be a good idea to spend some time decluttering before taking your items to storage.
You can throw things out as well as decide what to take to recycle or to donate. It makes no sense to store items you no longer need or want.
Items that can be stored in a unit include clothing, books, personal items, furniture, decor, electronics and even cars if your unit is large enough. Be sure to ask for a storage guide in order to gauge what size storage unit it would be best for you to lease. You can also ask the staff if they have storage unit military discounts.
When packing, it will be helpful to use coloured labels and tape to mark boxes according to the rooms they will be moved into after deployment. This keeps everything well organized and especially helps if you use a moving company to take your items to your home when you return from overseas.
Be sure to inquire about setting up automatic bill payments with the storage facility. It will give you peace of mind knowing your lease is being paid regularly and all of your belongings are safe in storage.
What Should I Take On Deployment? – Packing for Military Deployment
You can visit your military website for packing tips and what items to pack. Here are a few items that will make military deployment easier and more comfortable over
- Practical items like a mesh shower bag, travel laundry detergent, toiletry items in travels sizes to help with packing.
- Items for sleep comfort will be helpful including extra sheet sets, a good pillow, a mattress pad, and melatonin to aid sleep and a sleep mask.
- Planned items for entertainment like tablets loaded with TV shows, movies and books. This helps when no wi-fi is available.
- Preferred items like snacks from home, favorite seasonings and cards for mailing. Basics may be available at the commissary but it will be comforting to have items from home.
- Special things from home like family photos and other mementos.
In the end, packing for military deployment can be stressful, especially if you are leaving your family or having to leave in a matter of days. Following these deployment tips can make the process easier for leaving and for returning home as well. Thank you for your service!
You may also love to read following articles:
Top 12 Self-Storage Tips You Must Know to Do Storage Work!
Top Reasons Why A Self-Storage Unit Is A Good Idea!
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