Where to put my soon to be thawed film?

[Mike Kennedy]

Problems with my basement (water) ment unpluging my freezer.The unit is a second hand beater and might have to get tossed.I've got 6 cans of bulk B&W and various ziplock baggies of color.All 35mm.
The bulk rolls are in their origional cans & boxes,wraped in plastic and dated..Color in their plastic cans & boxes.
Would it be ok to just store them on a cool basement shelf without repackaging?Not an inch of space in the fridge.

 

[jp80874]

What are your needs? How long do you expect to keep the film before you use it? Expiration date? How long has it been frozen? Are you in a safe neighborhood where you can store it in a box outside as long as it stays colder outside than your basement?

John Powers

 

[pauliej]

Do you have any friend(s) who may be able to help you out? Just a thought. I hope this helps you.

Paul

 

[Guillaume Zuili]

How old are they ?
B&W isn't an issue at all and if it's cold outside your color film should be fine for a while.

 

[CBG]

Snowbank. Seriously. Plastic bags, maybe two or three layers deep, and into the snow.

C

 

[copake_ham]

Mike,

If you have the room, for now, just toss them in your regular fridge. Or else, figuring it's still quite cool up there, keep them dry in an unheated space such as an attic or shed etc.

I've often pulled out a roll or two to use and then didn't. I just toss them back in the freezer when I can.

The stuff is NOT like meat or veggies. You can re-freeze it (i.e. lower the ambient storage temp once again down below 0C/32F ).

Regards,
George

-- on tape delay

 

[Mike Kennedy]

All the film is fresh dated.Probably won't be able to refreeze for 2 or 3 months.
Seems like all the folks I know have freezers full of stuff and can't spare the room.We stock up with tons of vegies ,berries,and wild game.

 

[removed account4]

cool basement, i wouldn't worry about it ...

 

[JBrunner]

Bag it all. Put the film in a cooler and set it outside with the lid open for an hour or so. After all is cold, close the cooler lid. This will minimize temp swings while you get things figured out. When on location we always store film in a cooler whether it's hot or cold. Helps keep things even, and changes gradual, and that's half the battle.

 

[Mike Kennedy]

Thanks all.I don't mind tossing the "other" freezer stuff out, but loosing my film would be unforgivable.

 

[sun of sand]

I store all my film and paper out in the winter cold -late fall through april-
That's half a year of free fridge/freezer cold
B&W you could probably store outside all winter then bring inside anywhere and still expect great results for many years
10 years down the line of half room temp/half cold and freezing you'd probably get fog easily dealt with -if Needing to be dealt with at all- and speed loss of maybe a stop?
In other words don't worry about it. Get something out of that winter cold.


A rant
I don't understand how people around here can lose food -during the winter- from a days long power outage
Ummmm ..very cold and snow outside? Pack it and it will last a week even at moderate winter temps. Some lady lost breast milk couldn't add 2+2
People put foodstuffs in the creek not that long ago, damn
People are shocked you can even do such things

 

[Steve Smith]

I don't understand how people around here can lose food -during the winter- from a days long power outage
Ummmm ..very cold and snow outside? Pack it and it will last a week even at moderate winter temps. Some lady lost breast milk couldn't add 2+2
People put foodstuffs in the creek not that long ago, damn
People are shocked you can even do such things

Surely the insulation around a freezer is good enough to protect from lack of power for a day. I once put a fridge/freezer outside during the summer prior to disposing of it. Despite the warm weather, there was still some ice in the freezer compartment a week later.

My great grandfather used to keep his milk on a stone slab under a hedge all year round. seemed to work fine.


Steve.

 

[Mike Wilde]

try the fridge at work?

I had an 'overstock' issue earlier this year, when the freezer actually was full of food, and someone gave me a ton of frozen paper, and at the time winter was hopping up and below 0C.

I put the overstock in the freezer section of my workplace fridge in well wrapped plastic bags. A month or two of eating the frozen foods, and compacting half full boxes of grade 2, and grade 3 paper of the same vendor in different envelopes, and testing and tossing the seriously fogged stuff, and I was able to bring the office stored stuff home.

Maybe see if you can strike a deal with the local convenience store etc, if you don't have acces to a workplace fridge.

 

[Edwardv]

For a temporary fit how about an ice chest with dry ice?