Public storage with climate control?

[Terrance Hendrik]

Hi Folks,

Gonna leave the US for a while, are there some reputable climate controlled storage? Also how well is humidity controlled in these storages? I used to put my stuff in friend's garage, but the rain in winter concerns me.

Just need a 5'x5' for an 8" SCT , mount  and some random stuff. 

[John Pierce]

I don't have a specific suggestion, but you might consider looking in or around Reno, its a lot drier there year around, 

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[Mark Scrivener]

Reno will also be a lot less expensive. Here in San Jose I have a small storage unit (climate controlled) that is almost $200/mo.

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[Terrance Hendrik]

yeah, the prices are all over there place. I found a quite cheap "trojan storage" in SW SJC, 18.75  + 13.xx insurance on 3mo+ plan. 

[Akarsh Simha]

I’ve lived in apartments all the time until recently and have always had a storage unit for my telescope(s). Until a few years ago it was always a climate controlled unit. For the last year it was a non-climate drive-up unit which I visited about 2–3 times a month when I was in the country. This isn’t Florida, I don’t think you’ll come back to fungus on your scope even if you go with a non-climate unit.

If you will still use a friend’s garage, just place an automotive incandescent lamp above your telescope to heat it up so it’s always above the dew point.

If you really want a climate controlled unit, there’s essentially two to three companies who sorta have a monopoly on storage and a handful small businesses. Rent on storage units can be reassessed monthly (there is no lease term). All storage vendors will jack up rent on you from time to time, above inflation. I used public storage for several years. In the earlier years my rent increase was fairly slow and I put up with it until it got “too much” and I found a friend with a nice garage. In this more recent experience of the past year, the rent almost doubled (also I think the unit was undervalued at the start). If it’s just a year, your amortized rent might not be so bad — find a place which gives you “two months free” or such. They’re betting you on keeping the unit for more than a couple months. Of course you’ll get cheaper if you go out of the bay as others have advised, and a drier climate will be better on your optics.

I’ve been reasonably satisfied with storage units. They’re not fussy. They just want your money, but won’t harass you if you’re paying them. Move out is easy if you don’t wreck the unit or leave stuff behind that they have to trash. I think they can even prorate your rent. Security has not been an issue for me, but please read your reviews (which will always be about breaches, duh), and check the safety of the location where you’re storing.

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[Ted Hauter]

I had nice wood sheds and now I've got plastic. Wish me luck on set up equipment not covered with nice insulated wood. 

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[Terrance Hendrik]

Thanks for the great detailed information!

But my schedule is quite tight, I just almost blindly picked trojan at campbell. The facility is very new and clean, almost pristine. with a "Storage Protection Plan", $13/mo for $2000, not sure if it's kind of insurance. The bill says "3 Months 60% Off", but not quite sure the detail. Hope I can come back within 3 mo to handle it if the price goes crazy. 

My friend's garage is not in the best shape, when the rained car parks in it, water dripping to the floor, and all sorts of junk everywhere 😅...

Reno, Utah? That's a lil too far for me. Might want to access it from time to time. 

[Akarsh Simha]

Like I said you’d probably be fine for a year. It’s the long-term hoarders like me that pay the price!

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[John Pierce]

On Fri, Jan 2, 2026, 10:32 PM Terrance Hendrik <terrance...@gmail.com> wrote:

...

Reno, Utah? That's a lil too far for me. 

Reno, Nevada....   It's about a 4 hour drive from San Jose.