Tips and Tricks for Space-Saving Storage ?

[Viking Sailor]

If you have draws consider changing to front loading bins. Use the draw fronts as cabinet doors and install a shelve with dividers for max space.

[MarkJ]

We had some folks on the boat the other day and they had an interesting way of saving space..... the squash all their toilet paper rolls so they take less stowage space.


Fortunately Sea Life has ample storage and we are not forced to that extreme!

[David_Old_Jersey]

Lose weight

= Less (acreage of) clothes
= Less food to store

and

= Less Toilet Rolls to store............and possibly a smaller holding tank

That gives me an idea for a thread / poll ..........."How much do you weigh?" ...............to be inclusive maybe in the Women's section?

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Roaring Girl

On vacuum bags, we've found that one way is to get them sort of in the space you want, then vacuum away till they are squidged hard into the space you have - we have sails/ropes/cockpit covers stored that way. And even if when we reopen the locker actually the bag is not a vacuum anymore, the other stuff and bulkheads around it has kept the items small and in place. No explosion.

If it doesn't compress to a smaller size then there is no point in using a vacuum bag.
Removing air so there is less mold/mildew/rust is not part of this thread.

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Lose weight

= Less (acreage of) clothes
= Less food to store

and

= Less Toilet Rolls to store............and possibly a smaller holding tank

That gives me an idea for a thread / poll ..........."How much do you weigh?" ...............to be inclusive maybe in the Women's section?

You're treading into the "Thin Ice Department" if you ask me!

Watching with interest,

[Roaring Girl]

Originally Posted by Therapy

If it doesn't compress to a smaller size then there is no point in using a vacuum bag.
Removing air so there is less mold/mildew/rust is not part of this thread.

It does save space as well! I described the way to get the smaller object into an odd shaped space. If you just vacuum it down to smaller (and harder) while it sits on a bunk or whatever, it may well then not fit in the space you want to get it into. And if it chafes and softens, it doesn't 'explode' which the OP asked about.

[Roaring Girl]

[QUOTE=MarkJ;462568]We had some folks on the boat the other day and they had an interesting way of saving space..... the squash all their toilet paper rolls so they take less stowage space.

Have to admit we do this sometimes: like this season we're spending a lot of time in expensive places so we bought LOTS of toilet paper at 'normal' (Italian!) prices and to avoid being knee deep in the stuff we have indeed squashed the rolls.

If we're near less ruinous places than Sardinia and Corsica it's less of an issue but 84 loo rolls sure occupy a lot of space.

(And the paper goes in little hygeine bags in the bin and ashore so not relevant to the holding tank anyway!)

[lancelot9898]

After living aboard for over 20 years I suggest that no matter how much you have aboard make sure that things are stored in such a manner that it's no big deal to go out for a day sail. I've had friends living aboard in an adjacent slip and it took them forever to secure things for a day sail.

[Waterborn]

In regards to squishing rolls of sh#@ tickets (toilet paper) Don't fret about using them after they are squished down.

After years of backpacking and paddling. The best tip I ever got is on this subject. When going in the bush access to the stuff one handed is useful.
What to do is remove the centre cardboard, pull out the feed from the centre a little, then sqeeze the roll. You now have a kleenx style tp dispenser that can be placed in a ziploc (at your ankles for bush people) or stowed in a handy place beside the head.

Sadly, this is probably my best offering for fellow sailors. All other advice from me will be more useless from here on in.

Cheers

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Waterborn

What to do is remove the centre cardboard, pull out the feed from the centre a little, then sqeeze the roll. You now have a kleenx style tp dispenser that can be placed in a ziploc (at your ankles for bush people) or stowed in a handy place beside the head.

Outstanding idea. Occurs to me I can vacuum pack a roll for my go-bag on deliveries. Thank you very much.

[SaucySailoress]

Ice cream containers. They are the ONLY containers I can find that are robust AND have a good seal.....

[sarafina]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

You're treading into the "Thin Ice Department" if you ask me!

Watching with interest,

Heh. D LIVES to tread that thin ice. It's his life's work. I think he sorta likes it when it cracks under him and he goes in the drink...

oh, and to keep it relevant;

Plastic screw top peanut butter jars make great storage. I just wish they were square. towels all have loops on the sides so they hand over hooks in head to dry. Clothing is stored rolled and in huge zip bags that can squish down into corners. In fact most everything is stowed in soft sided bags of some sort. I haunt thrift shops and have bags in all sizes. old good quality back country back packs with the frames removed are particularly great!

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by sarafina

Plastic screw top peanut butter jars make great storage. I just wish they were square.

The Costco "Kirkland" 2.5 lb mixed nut jars are square. In little over a year, we now have two three foot long shelves full of square nut jars in our garage for misc boat parts.

We like to eat nuts!

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by sarafina

oh, and to keep it relevant;

Ok.

Don't use any toilet paper! (at least not for the reading the paper "events" )

Anyone fitted a.............bum gun?

Very popular in Thailand. and IMO works well. refresh the parts other products don't reach

The more traditional Thai (indoor!) khazi is like this:-



Note the absence of any toilet roll . the red item is a small plastic bowl (aka a "Poop Scoop" ) and used to pour water to wash yer bits - without going into too much detail..............it's a left handed cultural issue and their is a definative knack to pouring water upwards ..........so probably not of use onboard. BTW also used with the western style toilet bowl instead of the squat.

The progession from the above is:-




As you will note still no toilet paper - but (in addition to a western style crapper) is............a Bum Gun. A hose pipe with a nozzle on the end. Water comes out at pressure. Not enough pressure to strip paint, but a direct hit up the bullseye would wake you up in the morning Also a bit of an art to it's use (especially directionally ) - and still a left handed cultural matter - but not so much. and you don't have to learn to pour water uphill.

Both approaches work best in a Wet Room style toilet, i.e. where cleaning is easy, regular and involves a hose / whenever you shower.........so not a no-brainer retrofit for all boats. ...........and possibly not one for the Guest Toilet But can't see any reason why it could not run on seawater, even as an addition to toilet paper - a poor mans bidet

But no toilet rolls to store (for fellas anyway) and to my eyes more hygenic approach - especially in hot weather........

[ardoin]

If you haven't used it in the past year, throw it away! Only exception is spare parts for critical components
Space bags and snap tight containers (when on sale) are great.
Biggest problem I have is finding it afterwards. Working on a database to help with that.
Have fun, living on a boat is great