Great points about moisture control and labeling—I learned the hard way about humidity when some of our emergency supplies got moldy. Now I use silica gel packs (the reusable kind) and rotate them out every couple months. As for critters, yep, mice can squeeze through surprisingly tiny gaps. I sealed ours with steel wool and caulk—eco-friendly silicone works great. Haven't seen any furry visitors since, thankfully...
Good call on the steel wool—I swear by it too. Had a mouse problem in our basement pantry last year, and sealing gaps with steel wool plus silicone caulk did wonders. Another thing I found helpful was elevating supplies off the floor on simple wooden pallets or shelves—keeps airflow going and makes it harder for pests to hide out. Curious if anyone's tried battery-powered humidity sensors to monitor moisture levels remotely? Seems handy but I'm wondering how reliable they actually are...
Steel wool plus silicone is definitely the way to go—I've used it plenty of times and rarely had issues afterward. Elevating stuff off the ground is smart too, though I've found plastic shelving easier to keep clean than wood pallets (less moisture absorption, fewer hiding spots). About those battery-powered humidity sensors... I've installed a few for clients. They're decent, but accuracy can vary a bit depending on brand and placement. Good enough for general monitoring, but I wouldn't rely on them for precision readings.
Plastic shelving is definitely a good call—way easier to wipe down and less likely to warp over time. For humidity sensors, placement really matters...try keeping them away from corners or vents for better accuracy. Glad your shelter passed inspection, that's always a relief!
"Plastic shelving is definitely a good call—way easier to wipe down and less likely to warp over time."
Totally agree on plastic shelves, though I gotta admit, I went with metal ones in mine...figured they'd hold heavier stuff better. But now I'm dealing with some rust spots from humidity, so maybe plastic would've been smarter, haha. Good tip on sensor placement too, corners always seem to mess up readings. Glad your inspection went smoothly, that's gotta feel good.
