Seasonal Storage Swap Calendar

How the Calendar Works

Every state, plus DC, is assigned to one of twelve climate calendars. Each item on the list has two dates per calendar: the month it goes into storage and the month it comes back home. Everything in between is time the item spends in the unit, which is what the shaded bars in the year view show.

The windows are planning estimates built from typical regional weather patterns, not forecasts. A late frost, an early snow, or a trip on the calendar should move a swap by a few weeks, and the plan still holds. If you live at elevation, near the coast, or at the edge of a region, switch the climate calendar in the tool to whichever one matches your weather. A Flagstaff household belongs on the Mountain West calendar, not the desert one, and the North Carolina mountains run closer to the Mid-Atlantic than to Charlotte.

A few items run on events rather than weather. Holiday decor follows the holidays in every region, youth sports gear follows the league season, and ski gear in the South follows your trip dates rather than local snow.

The Four Big Swaps of the Year

Most households do not need to visit a unit every month. Group your items and the year collapses into four trips, give or take, and the calendar above shows exactly which items belong to each one.

Prep Checklist Before Anything Goes Into Storage

The calendar gives a specific prep step for each item. These rules cover everything else.

• Clean it first. Dirt, grass clippings, sunscreen, and food residue do more damage over a few months in a bin than they would in a week at home, and crumbs attract pests.
• Let it dry completely. Cushions, tents, canopies, inflatables, and hoses should be fully dry before they are folded or packed.
• Propane never goes in the unit. Propane tanks, including 1-pound camping canisters, and other compressed flammable gases cannot be stored in any enclosed storage unit. Disconnect the grill tank and keep it at home outdoors: upright, valve closed and capped, out of direct sun, and ideally in a vented propane cabinet at least 10 feet from doors, windows, and air intakes. Our guide to how to store propane tanks safely covers the details.
• Drain the fuel, too. Flammable liquids cannot be stored either. Run mowers, blowers, snow blowers, and generators dry or drain them, and leave gas cans at home. The grill, camp stove, and cookware can all go in once they are disconnected and empty.
• Pull the batteries. Animated props, light timers, remotes, and lanterns can be ruined by a leaking battery over ten months.
• Nothing perishable. Real gourds, dried corn, straw, birdseed, and anything edible attract pests to your unit and your neighbors'.
• Label by season, not only by contents. "Winter holiday: lights and extension cords" is easier to find in November than "lights."
• Keep a list. A photo of each open bin before you close it takes seconds and saves a trip spent searching.

How to Set Up a Unit You Swap Every Season

A unit you visit four times a year needs a different layout from one you fill once and leave. The rule that makes it work: the longer an item stays, the further back it goes.

The year view in the calendar makes this easy to apply. Holiday decor sits in storage for about ten months, so it goes against the back wall. Patio furniture in the Southeast stays for about four, so it lives near the front where it can come out in March without moving anything else. Items that trade places, like coats going in as the patio set comes out, can share the same zone.

• Keep a path to the back. Even a narrow aisle means you can reach the one bin you need without unloading half the unit. The storage unit layout planner builds a layout around an aisle for you.
• Leave room by the door. A few open feet at the front gives you somewhere to set things down during a swap.
• Stand long items on edge. Kayaks, paddleboards, and bikes take far less floor space on their sides along a wall.
• Think about heat, too. Candles, wax figures, vinyl inflatables, and anything with electronics handle a long Southern summer better in a temperature-stable unit, available at locations that offer them.

Do You Actually Need a Unit for Seasonal Storage?

Not always, and it is worth being honest about that. If your busiest month comes down to an artificial tree and a few totes, a closet shelf or a garage rack probably does the job, and a storage unit would be more than you need.

A unit starts to make sense when seasonal gear is costing you space you actually use: the car that no longer fits in the garage, the spare room that has turned into a holding area, or a townhome, apartment, or dorm with no garage at all. Bulky, awkward items like patio sets, kayaks, mowers, and yard displays are where the math tips fastest. Most seasonal loads land in a 5x5 or 5x10.

If you do rent, think about whether you need a unit year-round or only for the off-season. Month-to-month terms mean you can rent for one stretch and move out. But look at your year view before you decide: if holiday decor is in storage for ten months and outdoor gear fills most of the other two, one unit you keep all year is usually simpler than emptying it and renting again.

Seasonal Storage at 10 Federal

This calendar works wherever you store. If one of our facilities is near you, it is built for exactly this kind of storage: frequent, quick trips on your own schedule.

• Rent online in minutes. Choose a unit, sign, and pay online. There is no office visit and no appointment.
• Swap when it suits you. 24/7 gate access at nearly all locations means a swap can happen before work, after dinner, or on a Sunday morning.
• Free lock at move-in. Every new rental comes with a lock.
• Protection plan required at checkout. A protection plan is required with every rental. It is also worth checking what your homeowners or renters policy covers for items in storage.
• Month-to-month terms. Keep your unit as long as you need it, whether that is one season or every season.
• Help when you need it. Our friendly customer support team can answer questions about your unit or account.
• Vehicles and boats: vehicle, RV, and boat storage is available at many of our facilities, so check the location near you. You will need current registration and proof of insurance.
• For businesses: our facilities are fully automated and cannot accept deliveries, so plan to receive seasonal stock at your shop or home and bring it over yourself.

Ask about special deals on available units when you check options near you.