When you move, you can pack and bring some food with you (depending on the length of the move and what the food actually is).  Here are some tips for packing food and ideas of what to keep and what to discard.

If you are doing a local move and it’s to be completed in the same day, you can take a lot more items with you (even frozen or refrigerated items).  Utilize coolers for refrigerated and frozen items and cover them with ice and they’ll travel fine.  Ideally, if your new residence has the appliances already in it (and turned on) you can put refrigerated and frozen items in coolers, take them in your car and set them up in their rightful place as soon as you can get to your new place. If you are doing an overnight move or long-distance move, frozen items are probably out and refrigerated items are only as good as your ice supply.

When it comes to canned goods, they can be packed in small to medium boxes and are fine for local moves, long distance moves, or for storage as long as temperatures do not get too extreme.  Spices in sealed rigid plastic containers are fine, bags of spices (like a plastic bag of brown sugar) would only work on a local move as a long distance move or storage situation could potentially invite insects or vermin to infest your shipment.  Perishable items like fruit, vegetables or breads in bags, etc are ok for same day local moves too, but anything longer will again invite infestation or lead to spoilage or mold.

Dry goods in sealed foil pouches like rice or potatoes are ok in all applications but any grains in cardboard boxes or bags shouldn’t be shipped long distance or put into storage.  Any questionable item can, however, be sealed in rigid plastic bins to help protect it from harm.  Like cans, tightly sealed jars or bottles are ok to pack as long as boxes are packed tight to avoid rattle.  Any jar, etc that has had the seal broken already is probably better to get rid of so the top doesn’t work its way loose and leak.  Any counter top storage units for flour, sugar, pasta, etc should be emptied because their tops are not secure enough (in most cases).

Remember, before any move it’s a good idea to wean down food as much as possible in the weeks prior to reduce packing and moving time.  This will make your food packing much easier.

As with any packing, use common sense, pack your boxes tightly to the top, don’t mix fragile with heavy items, and don’t leave open-topped containers.   These food packing tips should assist you with getting your edibles to your destination.

PACK ONE ROOM AT A TIME: If you pack a little here and there, it doesn’t look like you are making any progress.  Once you finish a room, you can move on.

MARKING YOUR BOXES: Mark you boxes on 2 sides, near the top right corner.  Put down the room:  MBR: master bedroom, K: kitchen, DR:  dining room, BEDROOM 2:  or name of person in bedroom, FR-family room, B: Basement, G:  Garage, AT:  Attic, CR: Crawlspace.  It also helps to put a brief description of the items inside the box (t-shirts, cd’s, kitchen utensils, etc).  Mark the box if it is fragile.

PURGE BEFORE YOU PACK: There is no reason to move something and then to get rid of it.  Discard or donate anything that you don’t want before you start to pack.

CONTAINER SIZES (AND CONTENTS TO PACK):

The denser the contents=the smaller the box.

Looser the contents=larger the box.

Books, files, dvds, etc should be packed in a book box (1.5 cubic ft).

Accessories, knick knacks, food can be packed in medium cartons (3.0 cubic ft).

Clothing and Lamps are good in large cartons (4.5 cubic ft).

Pillows, comforters, lampshades are good in extra large cartons (6.0 cubic feet)

Dish packs are special double walled boxes for breakables, dishes, glasses, and other breakables, and will be covered in a special kitchen packing section.

Mirrors, pictures, wall hangings, are good in a mirror carton.

VALUABLES and CRITICAL ITEMS TO TAKE WITH YOU:

 Pack one or two boxes with critical and valuable items and take them with you.  Pack and take your own valuables, your mover cannot be liable for them.  Pack medicine or anything critical items, like a checkbook, passport, ID’s, birth certificates, in their own box.  Also a box containing items like remotes, TV’s, or Av’s, phones, laptops, garage openers, keys etc, and other electronics in their own box and put them in your car.  Finally movers don’t generally have authority to haul hazardous material, charcoal lighter, flammables, caustics (like battery acid), ammunitions, etc, these are some of the items to move yourself.  Try to use up all of your refrigerated items before moving day, if not right before the move put refrigerated items in a cooler, do not try to move them in a cardboard box.

HOW TO FILL YOUR BOXES:

Pack your boxes to the top, not bulging over or way under.  Humpback or overstuffed boxes don’t stack well or seal well, under packed boxes when stacked can crush.  Pack items so they reach the top.  If necessary, use newsprint or towels as filler so the boxes don’t have any “rattle” to them.  Seal both the bottom (before you fill) and the top once done with carton sealing tape.

MOVER BOXES:

 Use mover boxes if possible.  All movers, most self storage locations, and special box stores or websites are good sources to use for uniform correct moving boxes.  Some movers have specials on used cartons.  Check with your friends who have moved if they may have boxes left over containers.  Wardrobe cartons are generally loaned and rented by the movers and don’t need to be purchased.

With everything use common sense.  Don’t pack items you need daily, a week before the move, don’t pack heavy items with fragile items.  Leave yourself enough time to do a proper pack job.  Packing on the day of the move slows the process down, is inefficient and ultimately costly.