Camera & Lens Storage

Snapitjack · May 24, 2014

So I'm going to be putting my gear in a safe, dry place. But I worry; what if a pipe breaks? What if there's significant rain and the roof caves in and water goes everywhere. Okay, so as you can see I'm unrealistically afraid of my gear getting wet and developing the dreaded 'lens fungus'.

I'm thinking freezer bags for each body and lens, but the fear is that I'll be trapping moist air in with the lenses and bodies.

They will be in a dark place, that can't be helped, and they could be there for as long as five months.

Does anyone have any advice or experience with this? Should I get some of those moisture absorbing type packets that come with electronics? Anyone know what they're called? Where to get them (no time to order them online)?

Thanks for any insight.

tirediron · May 24, 2014

Silica gel packets are definitely a good idea, but I wouldn't worry about the bags. Sunlight is the enemy of lens fungus, so if you can take them out and expose them to light once every month or two that would be ideal. As far as buying the silica ("desiccant packs"), Lens & Shutter, Kerrisdale or Michaels might carry it. I seem to remember buying it at Industrial Plastics (on Cloverdale) but that was a number of years ago.

Snapitjack · May 24, 2014

Thanks for that. Made a note.
That's the problem though. I won't be around to expose them to light. Once they're stored that's the last access I'll have to them. So I'm thinking each item in it's own freezer bag, with a silica gel pack in each, suck the air out with a straw and put the items in my lowepro backpack, then all in the storage unit. Does that, in your opinion (and anyone else's who may be reading this) sound good for a five month stretch.

I'll check out those places for the silica packs.

Thanks so much for the feedback.