Boise, ID: Top Things to Know About Storage
Competing with College Kids…and the Weather?
When you are thinking of storing your stuff, we’re sure that the last thing that comes to mind is how college students will affect you and the things that you’re storing. Boise has a strong university presence, which means that there are a lot of college students in the vicinity. Boise State University, Idaho State University, Lewis-Clark State College, and the University of Idaho are all in or around Boise. That means that more than 35,000 students are constantly coming in and out of the area, and of course, taking up storage space. College students generally need to store their things over the summer when they’re going back home, so be aware that storage units will be filling up quickly starting early May and will probably empty out around the end of August. This can cause some space issues, especially if you’re in need of climate controlled units because of Boise’s hot summers. However, students are much more likely to take over storage facilities that are closest to their campus, so if you’re not close to any of those schools, this may not be much of an issue for you.
Speaking of hot summers, let’s take a quick look at how Boise’s weather will impact your storage needs. Boise’s summers are really hot, with temperatures going up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and its winters are very cold, with an average temperature of 25 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s also very common for temperatures to get down to zero degrees! This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given that Boise is close to the Rockies. You should not only consider climate controlled units for the summer but also for the winter. In the summer you obviously want to avoid things developing mold or rust because of the heat. In the winter, you would think that there shouldn’t be an issue. However, if you’re storing things like wine in freezing temperatures, there’s a chance that those expensive bottles you have been collecting will explode from the cold. The last thing you want to do the night before New Year’s Eve is sweep up frozen wine-infused shards of glass.
Local Events and Traffic Jams
Boise is actually a pretty mellow city—afterall, it is in Idaho. However, there are some events you might want to look out for and possibly plan around so you don’t hit traffic on your way to your storage unit. Starting in October, you’ll see NBA fans flock to the courts to watch their favorite team, Idaho Stampede, win some games. They play at least once a week at the CenturyLink Arena, which is in the heart of Boise. Before and after game time, the streets are packed, so you want to try to avoid going to your storage unit at that time unless you want to be sucked into the fan club.
In mid-April, when NBA season is over, Boise’s Farmers Markets start to open up every Saturday from 9AM-1PM. Not only is it crowded in downtown around that time (like there isn’t enough traffic in downtown during the weekdays), but these vendors are also using storage units in the area to store their stalls so they do not have to carry them back and forth every week.
Aside from these events, traffic isn’t too bad outside of rush hour. During rush hour, the majority of the traffic is eastbound on the interstate as people are going into Boise for work, and west out of Boise in the evenings. If you strategize a little and plan your trips to your storage unit around a few of these things, you’ll save a lot more time and have a much more pleasant experience. You also can, and probably should, opt for a storage facility that allows for 24 hour access so you can avoid all traffic whatsoever.
Military Members and Storage Safety
There are three major military bases within 40 miles of Boise, and two of them are actually less than ten miles away. Talk about feeling safe in your own town. Military members need a lot of storage space because they’re always on the go. The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and the Idaho Army National Guard are both very close to Boise, and also very close to Victory Self Storage, which is about four miles away from the facilities. Given that the bases are so close and they have a good amount of military members storing at their facility, be sure to take your ID card so you can get a discount. They work with military members pretty often, so they will be able to help and accommodate you with any special needs you may have with your belongings.
Although the military is situated very close to Boise, it still has security concerns just like any other city. Boise is safer than 30% of the cities in the U.S. and has about 4,511 annual property crimes. It’s not a huge number, but given the size of the city, it kind of is. Look around for storage facilities that offer a high level of security, which may include things like surveillance cameras, alarm systems, gated facilities, and on site managers—small things like this can add up pretty quickly.
