Long Beach, CA Military Storage
Being a part of the military means a lot of movement, and we’re not just talking about your training. You and your family may have to change bases quite often, which can mean high moving costs. Instead of taking your things with you every time you have a temporary move, start putting your things in self storage. It’s a fast, easy way to keep all of your important belongings in one place, and Long Beach has 44 storage facilities that you can choose from. Who says military personnel don’t have options?
Storage by the Beach
If you’re looking to store things like guns in your storage unit, find a unit that’s inland, that allows for gun storage, and is not on the beach. As nice as it would be to take a stroll on the beach every time you’re visiting your unit, we would highly recommend against storing things that can be ruined by the high salt content in the ocean’s air. Long Beach is a coastal city, so you have to be careful about where in the city you’re storing your things. Items made out of metal can easily rust because of the salty air, and having a rusty gun can be dangerous for everyone that’s around it. Don’t let your target practice go to waste because of a faulty gun!
Although there’s little humidity in California, coastal cities can get humid during the summer. Humidity coupled with high temperatures is definitely a recipe for disaster. If you’re storing your things in the city, rent a climate controlled storage unit so you don’t come back to a rocking chair that’s growing mold in all the wrong places.
Securing Your Items
Long Beach has an annual property crime rate of 12,700 crimes. Now, when you’re storing things in a storage facility, you’re usually hoping to keep them safe or out of the way. To protect your things, be sure to consider looking for a facility with high security. Look for facilities that have 24-hour video surveillance, on-site managers, gated and well-lit grounds, security guards, and units with individual alarm systems. Storage facilities are generally good about keeping security standards according to the area in which they’re located, so you should be able to find something with effective security. Again, if you’re looking to store you guns, opt for the facilities that have a lot of security measures. Also, be sure to talk to the facility manager about particular rules for gun storage and whether or not they allow for it in the first place.
A Base with No Space
Guns are not the only things you’ll be storing if you’re based at Camp Pendleton. Camp Pendleton is one of the largest bases in the U.S., with 40 different units and an area of 315 square miles. It’s a marine base and is known for its very intense amphibious training. Most of its trainees and workers live on the base but there’s limited space. There are about 37,000 active duty marines and sailors living on the base; 27% of family members live on the base and 73% live off the base. The population and area are big enough for it to be a city on its own! The base is coming to reach its full capacity, so new people that come to train have to stay in nearby hotels. If there are so many people living on the base that new trainees are living elsewhere, we doubt that you’ll have enough room to keep your extra stuff with you.
If you’re looking for some extra room, consider storing your stuff at Oceanside EZ Storage, which is 10.3 miles away. If this seems kind of far, check out Camp Pendleton Self Storage, which is only 1.9 miles away from the base. This storage facility was actually made specifically for military members and their families, so you won’t feel like you’re leaving your belongings in the hands of strangers.
Access and Payments
Having 24-hour access to your storage unit may not seem like a big deal at first, but it can make your life a lot easier. If you’re late getting home from training, or find that you’re being deployed early the next morning and you need to grab stuff from your storage unit, you can do so without giving it a second thought. As a member of the military, the nature of the job creates a lot of limitations for you so opt for flexibility when you can.
Another important thing to sign up for is online bill pay. This will allow you to make your payments from anywhere in the world. If you’re deployed overseas and don’t have time to make the payments, you don’t have to worry about losing your stuff. The government has made it so that storage facilities cannot auction off the contents of your items if you default on your payments while you’re deployed. Just be sure to make the payments as soon as you get back and you’re good to go.
