Hanging Up One's Own Uniform - Best Way to Store?

[Dave]

Well, I've decided to hang up my uniforms one last time and head out into the civilian world. Unfortunately, I'm expecting a pretty good cut in pay which will equate to living in a MUCH smaller place than we live now. As it stands right now, I've got 1/3 of our walk in closet packed with my own personal uniforms from the last decade (and more).

 

I KNOW what the best way is to store the uniforms...heck, I've been a collector LONG before I even joined the military. However, hanging them nicely, and so on, simply isn't practical...and in all reality, I don't care about them that much. However, given that many of them were tailor made for me overseas, I don't want to thrift store them either.

 

My current thought is just to pack them away in storage boxes after folding them nicely and tossing in a handful of cedar balls (I'm allergic to mothballs). Unfortunately, some of the stuff is massively bulky though, like my overcoats, parkas and the like, and they're going to take up the better part of box (each) by themselves!

 

I'm open to thoughts about how best to store one's own uniforms...I'd like to store them as compactly as possible, but without degrading them completely.

 

Thanks for the thoughts!

 

Dave

[cco23i]

Well, I've decided to hang up my uniforms one last time and head out into the civilian world. Unfortunately, I'm expecting a pretty good cut in pay which will equate to living in a MUCH smaller place than we live now. As it stands right now, I've got 1/3 of our walk in closet packed with my own personal uniforms from the last decade (and more).

 

I KNOW what the best way is to store the uniforms...heck, I've been a collector LONG before I even joined the military. However, hanging them nicely, and so on, simply isn't practical...and in all reality, I don't care about them that much. However, given that many of them were tailor made for me overseas, I don't want to thrift store them either.

 

My current thought is just to pack them away in storage boxes after folding them nicely and tossing in a handful of cedar balls (I'm allergic to mothballs). Unfortunately, some of the stuff is massively bulky though, like my overcoats, parkas and the like, and they're going to take up the better part of box (each) by themselves!

 

I'm open to thoughts about how best to store one's own uniforms...I'd like to store them as compactly as possible, but without degrading them completely.

 

Thanks for the thoughts!

 

Dave

 

 

I know your "pain" Dave, ME TOO! I am thinking of getting those "vacume" bags (a few of them) and store my stuff that way.

 

Scott

[kjones5452]

Like Scott said, I don't know anybody thats used em, but that would be the route to go.

[X_redcatcher]

Kind of funny in a way I know how you feel, my stuff is all packed up in bags and then boxed, uniforms, documents medals the whole thing. I don't have one thing that is my own in my man cave, I just don't need to see it. HOWEVER the C47 pilots uniform and the Nürnberg war trails uniform, I can look at them all night long

[Brian Dentino]

Well, I've decided to hang up my uniforms one last time and head out into the civilian world. Unfortunately, I'm expecting a pretty good cut in pay which will equate to living in a MUCH smaller place than we live now. As it stands right now, I've got 1/3 of our walk in closet packed with my own personal uniforms from the last decade (and more).

 

I KNOW what the best way is to store the uniforms...heck, I've been a collector LONG before I even joined the military. However, hanging them nicely, and so on, simply isn't practical...and in all reality, I don't care about them that much. However, given that many of them were tailor made for me overseas, I don't want to thrift store them either.

 

My current thought is just to pack them away in storage boxes after folding them nicely and tossing in a handful of cedar balls (I'm allergic to mothballs). Unfortunately, some of the stuff is massively bulky though, like my overcoats, parkas and the like, and they're going to take up the better part of box (each) by themselves!

 

I'm open to thoughts about how best to store one's own uniforms...I'd like to store them as compactly as possible, but without degrading them completely.

 

Thanks for the thoughts!

 

Dave

 

Dave,

First of all, thank you for your years of service. I wish you all the luck in the world in the civilian workplace. As for your uniforms and such, I would suggest the vacuum bags as well with a couple of cedar balls/disks in each one. These are readily available everywhere, WalMart/Kohls/Bed Bath Beyond, etc. They are very easy to use, will seal up your items VERY well, and reduce the amount of space used as they really do vac up nicely. They would also keep them clean, dust free, and protect them from moisture of any kind.

All the best to you, sir! :salute:

[Bob Hudson]

Those Space Bags do work well for things like parkas and overcoats which don't suffer too much if they get a bit wrinkled in storage (the vacuum seal really puts pressure on things. I think even trousers would do well in the bags. For suit-type coats I'd wonder about deforming say the collars and shoulders. Modern day Navy dress blues though are more flexible than many other types of military dress uniforms so it might work if they were folded correctly before compressing. If you seal things up air tight, moths and other insects should not be a problem and I wouldn't put anything in with them.

[shrapneldude]

Thanks for a good run serving the country!

 

Just stick your uniforms in a duffle bag and toss it under the stairs. That way you can have more room to display your WWI and WWII stuff!

 

Oh, the sickness that is collecting. Most veteran collectors I know haven't seen their own stuff in years, but can reach into a coffee can full of collar disks and pull out the exact one they're looking for.

[American Heritage]

this is some funny discussion because I have often thought it was kind of a shame that I sometimes treasured WW2 uniforms and militaria more than my own service uniforms!!! Interestingly, just last night I dug out my dress blues and service alphas from deep in the back of the closet and they were in great shape. I also just recently displayed my dress white cover and mameluke saber in my glass case. It may get moved somewhere else at any moment if I happen to come across something really cool, however and it needs a home in my glass case!

 

To answer the question, I suppose just hang up the most important uniforms in your closet and just bulk bundle the other stuff in those large plastic vats you find at WalMart and stick it all in the garage and forget about them! Enjoy retirement! Not moving around every 2-3 years gets boring so budget for some trips/vacations!

[Manchu Warrior]

I saved three sets of pressed BDUs that are still in the bags. One set each with the SSI of the three different Infantry divisions I served in. My Class A's are in the living room closet with the winter coats. I do have a CVC helmet that a wore. It helps when your former BC becomes the company supply sergeant. I also have one full duffel bag stuck out in the garage and everything else either my boys scarfed it up and wore it out or it went to the flea market. Oh, and I still have more pairs of boots than one man could ever wear in a life time.

[67Rally]

Dave,

 

How many years of service?

 

I hate to say this...but my uniforms have been hanging in the closet since I came home from my last shift at the Navy Brig (16 years ago) and the signatures on my outprocessing paperwork. I did hang them in some garment bags to keep the moths from eating at my blues and they've stayed nice and held their proper creases. In addition, I still have all of the working uniforms (blues, whites) hanging on hangars in the closet.

 

I gained so much weight over the years that there was no way that I could imagine sporting anything more than a cover. Seven months into my plan and I am nearing the possibility of sporting one of my old uniforms for my kids to see (all three were born well after my service ended).

 

I am glad I kept everything for all these years.

[TJM]

I have been retired for 15+ years. I didn't want to get rid of my things out of principal, but like you, I did not really care too much about them. Moved most of my uniforms out of the closet and put them in the attic in one of those cardboard moving "Wardrobe" boxes then sealed it up with tape. Medals, paper work, shirts, etc. I put in a foot locker, again in the attic. Only check on them once, but they seem to be doing ok. Did keep a BDU trouser and the Cortex jacket out for relic hunting.

[Jonesy]

I needed to find a set of blues to have dry cleaned in case I have to go see the C.O. next week. I rumpled through piles and piles of ww2 stuff buried in my closet and still haven't found a full set of blues.

 

This hobby is a sickness.

[Bluehawk]

Dave

 

I agree that the vacuum bag solution is going to be about the best one, given how you've described the material and your regard for it.

 

- I would avoid placing any chemicals whatsoever inside with them, with the one possible exception of dessicant capsules/packets: http://www.desiccantpackets.com/

 

- If your part of Virginia is a humid sort of place, then I'd be sure to bag them at a time when they had been exposed to the least possible humidity for the longest period of time.

 

Anything on those uniforms when they are closed up will stay on them. Humidity (and mold etc etc etc) is definitely an enemy of long term sealed storage.

[willysmb44]

Funny how we value the uniforms of total strangers far more than our own. When I left active duty I got rid of an entire duplicate set of field gear, including flak vest, K-pot and gas mask (yes, a complete M-40 I wound up with somehow). I got rid of all but two sets of BDUs, but kept my blues and my Class As. Never forget, the most incredible stuff in any of our collections was at some point “worthless army surplus” with no appreciable value to anyone.

The funny thing is that I was recently offered a few hundred clams for all of my uniforms and field gear, from a collector who said, “You were involved with the creation of the first Stryker Brigade. It’d be like getting someone’s stuff who’d been in the first Armored or Paratrooper units back in 1940 when nobody was paying so much for the stuff.” I appreciated his honesty but pointed out it’d be one heck of a long wait before anyone would value it, though, at least a couple of generations I’d imagine. I turned him down, though.

[Dave]

Funny how we value the uniforms of total strangers far more than our own.

 

Yep! It's a sickness!

 

Of course, with my recent experience of having the bullion wings on WW2 attributed Navy pilots uniforms being worth more than the ENTIRE uniform (with wing), I think it's going to be a long, long, long time before my uniforms are worth much of anything at all! (Definitely not in my lifetime!)

 

My wife bought some vacuum bags today...I'll test them out tomorrow and see how it goes!

 

Dave

[kekoaiki]

CONGRATS DAVE!

I too may be hanging up my uniforms and stepping into the world of unknown soon. And just like most of us we have to make great decisions about the stuff we love to enjoy. Today I just purchase vac-paks. In fact they sell the oversize bags that can fit 10 suits or in our case uniforms if that helps. I think I'll be downsizing my collections to focus on what I love the most. and its not a wife don't have one :crying:

Aaron

[sigsaye]

I retired 11 years ago (miss it every day). I tossed everything but my dress blues (still on terminal leave and had to check in elswear, a set of CNT khakis and my dinner dress blues. I also had a set of jumper blues from when I was an SM1 and my dads tailor mades and one each issue dress and undress blue jumpers. It had all been stuffed in assorted boxes and bage over the years, (Dads stuff since '67) moved around the country several times. I recently broke it out and it was all moldey. I brushed doun everything but dads Tailor Mades and they came out OK. The Tailor Mades went into the cleaners in NAS Pensacola (we were down there visiting the son) and they were excited as it had been years since anyone had actually seen anything like that. Some were in awh when I explained what they were, especially the young Sailors standing there getting a short history lesson. Any way, they came out great and are hanging in my closed in the plastic cleaners bag. I should do something with them too,

 

Steve Hesson

[Dave]

I finally got some of the vacuum bags and sealed it all up last night. I left out a couple uniforms that I need to wear for the next few months, but my out-of-season uniforms, the woodland camo (that I haven't worn for ages...) overcoat, raincoat, etc... it all fit into three bags. I was pretty impressed. I think I'll open them up again, put them in a box this time, and then seal them again so they actually fit the box because they're a little oddly shaped. Plus, sealing the box will keep them together if one of the bags decides to start letting in air over time. I think one more bag will take care of the rest...then I get to figure out what to do with all my shoes... LOL

 

Dave