Do I need a fireproof/waterproof safe?

Retro_Bunny

yangptangkipperbang wrote: »

Scan it all into your PC. Copy it onto a memory stick/disc and ask someone you trust to keep it for you as a back up to your copy.

My thoughts exactly. Paper is replacable, and more quickly replacable with digital copies.

phill99

Retro_Bunny wrote: »

My thoughts exactly. Paper is replacable, and more quickly replacable with digital copies.

But not if the document or paper concerned doesn't have a digitised format. Old documents, paperwork, letters etc won't be in an electronic format. Letters and documents have been written and exchanged for the last 5000 years. It's only the last 20 years or so where electronic copies have existed.

phill99

yangptangkipperbang wrote: »

Scan it all into your PC. Copy it onto a memory stick/disc and ask someone you trust to keep it for you as a back up to your copy.

And what if they lose it? Or it's melted in a fire at their house? You need a fire safe to put a memory stick in.

I_have_spoken

I understand they need to screwed into the beam

Yep, mine's actually secured to an external solid wall with coach bolts.

DigForVictory

We've a portable firesafe, (which is essentially a lockable custom briefcase) to leave passports, birth certificates etc in. It lives under a bed, out of sight & just reassures us.
IMHO it's heavy enough to discourage a baby from playing with it & anyway it's out of sight.

bob_a_builder

And what if they lose it? Or it's melted in a fire at their house? You need a fire safe to put a memory stick in.

Scan it !

Mutiple companies offer free GB of cloud storage nowadays - store multiple copies in the different 'cloud's

macman

I_have_spoken wrote: »

I have 'laptop safe' into which I put the laptop(doh!) when going away, PC backup disc, iPad, camera plus passport, pass book, share certs, spare keys, emergency £500 etc.

It's not going to stop Raffles, but should be enough to defeat a crackhead/wee ned.

But by doing that you've thoughtfully collated all your vauables into one handy package, should a burglar be able to remove or access it.
I prefer the 'spread it around' appproach, on the basis that most amateur intruders want to be in and out within a couple of minutes. Leave £50 visible on a table, and they'll hopefully grab that and run.

macman

phill99 wrote: »

And what if they lose it? Or it's melted in a fire at their house? You need a fire safe to put a memory stick in.

Nothing of value should ever be kept on a flash drive. They break, fail and are too easily lost. Use optical disks, USB hard drive, or cloud storage.

Retro_Bunny

phill99 wrote: »

But not if the document or paper concerned doesn't have a digitised format. Old documents, paperwork, letters etc won't be in an electronic format. Letters and documents have been written and exchanged for the last 5000 years. It's only the last 20 years or so where electronic copies have existed.

If you read my post fully, I quoted the poster who stated about scanning it to the PC.
Even photographing it in high definition gives you something to go on in event of a loss - you don't have to wait for the company/organisation to digitise it.

Do you sell fireproof safes, as you're shooting down everyone else's suggestions?

suki1964

Digitalising documents is great - but they do also need to be backed up and the media kept up to date. It's not that long ago that we used floppy disks and VHS

We have a fire safe sunk into the floor. We only keep passports, cash etc in it tbh. The house papers I think are on a book case somewhere