Reader Question: Tips for Luggage Storage

Have you posted about suitcase storage?

Not yet, but here we go! Here are my thoughts.

1. If you have a small home, suitcase storage is likely to be a challenge. Suitcases can be stored in closets or under beds - or in garages, basements and attics if humidity, temperature and pests are not an issue. Be cautious with leather luggage, since leather does best at about 50 percent relative humidity and 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, per Saving Stuff. And leather luggage should not be kept in direct sunlight for extended periods of time.

If you travel lightly and have smaller pieces of luggage, storage will be easier than if you travel with large pieces.

2. The best answer will partly depend on how often you use your luggage. The once-a-year vacation traveler has different needs than the every-week business traveler, who will need the luggage to be conveniently located.

3. One standard trick is to nest the suitcases, one inside another; of course, this only works if your luggage is the right size. Other people use their stored luggage to hold out-of-season clothes, or anything else that's used infrequently.

4. If you have the room, and you travel frequently, a folding luggage rack could be useful.

5. If you use the luggage infrequently, you could try this approach: Borrow or rent luggage when needed instead of owning it. As Talley Sue NYC writes, "My in-laws store their large suitcases in one another's houses." Her husband has a large extended family, and family members borrow suitcases from one another as needed.

Flight 001 is currently doing luggage rental out of its New York store located in the West Village; the company doesn't promote the service on its web site, since it's a single-store service.

Anyone else have some good ideas?