Skyrim: Where to store items? (Complete guide)


Update: I’ve added a new section designed to help you get the most out of storing and organizing your items in Skyrim. I have also updated the conclusion and added a “What Next” section. Thank you for spending time on CareerGamers. Honestly, every second you are here is massively appreciated. All the very best, and stay safe. Nick.

A few days ago, a friend, who was skulking through shadows as a thief on his first play of Skyrim, snuck into a problem.

They had stolen so many fantastic items that they wanted to keep. But they had no idea where to store all these items in Skyrim.

After all, the player’s carrying capacity is relatively low.

He then turned to me for an answer. This is what I told him:

Skyrim offers a simple system for storing items. You can store items in your inventory or safe/non-safe storage containers. Safe containers can store your items indefinitely, whereas non-safe storage containers can store your items, but there is a chance they will all disappear within a few in-game days. 

Ok, now you have a rough answer of where to store your item in Skyrim. But there is so much more to talk about. In the following sections, I’ll answer the following questions:

  • What is Skyrim’s storage system?
  • What is safe storage?
  • What is unsafe storage?
  • What is the best place to store items? 
  • Tips on how to organize your items in Skyrim

Wait! But before you read on, have you exhausted every quest in Skyrim? Are you tired of the same old dungeons, draugrs, and dragons? It may be time to set sail for new adventures. Discover new quests and mythical lands with our guide to games like Skyrim. Click through to my Games like Skyrim article and discover your next RPG addiction today.

What is Skyrim’s Storage System?

Skyrim is a game that has a lot of items. The player can collect, buy, and find many different items in the game. These items can be weapons, armor, potions, ingredients for potions, books, scrolls, and so on. Managing these items can be difficult because there are so many of them, and they take up space in the inventory.

The Skyrim storage system is a system that allows players to store their items in chests or containers around Skyrim. This system was created to help players manage their inventories more efficiently by storing all their items in one place instead of carrying them everywhere.

The player can store items in chests or containers around Skyrim.

However, there are two types of storage in Skyrim. These are:

  • Safe storage
  • Unsafe storage

I’ll look at these two types of storage in the following two sections.

What is the difference between safe and unsafe storage in Skyrim?

Safe storage in Skyrim is considered any storage you own that does not respawn its contents after a few in-game days.

Whatever loot you drop into a safe storage chest or container will be held in the container indefinitely until removed. Usually, safe storage has to be bought as part of a house in Skyrim. However, there are other ways of getting safe storage in the game other than buying a house.

But what about unsafe storage? What makes it unsafe?

Unsafe storage is a container in Skyrim that you do not own. This can be any container, including chests, bodies, people, or anything else that can be activated to open an inventory screen.

An unsafe container, such as a chest, is considered unsafe because it will delete player-stored items after a few days when t. These items can’t be recovered and are lost.

The reason why unsafe containers delete stored player items is that they respawn their loot every few days. In this respawning process, the container effectively deletes its entire contents, including any extra items that were stored in it by you, and then respawns all the container’s original loot. All your items will be gone.

For example, say you snuck into Dragonreach and stole 10 gold from Jarl Balgruuf’s wardrobes. 

Imagine you then storing a couple of war axes in his wardrobe to lighten your load.

If you slept in-game for 7-10 days and returned to the wardrobe, you’d find your axes gone, and the 10 gold respawned.

So as a summary:

  • Safe storage – you own the storage container, and they do not respawn their original contents and delete your items.
  • Unsafe Storage – You don’t own the storage container. They do respawn their original contents and will delete any stored items.

In the next section, I’ll look at the best places to safely store your items.

Where are the Best Places to Safe Store Items in Skyrim?

In this section, I want to point out a few places where you can safely store your items. This is a partial list, as there are many places where you can safely store items throughout Skyrim.

However, I have listed the best ways, in my opinion, to safely store items.

Bought houses

When of the best ways to have access to essentially unlimited safe storage is to buy houses in all the major strongholds.

Yes, houses can be quite expensive. The house in Whiterun costs 5,000 gold. But once you have bought it, you have it forever, and you can store items in a chest immediately without first furnishing the house.

There are other houses to be bought in all the other holds throughout Skyrim. However, they are more expensive. And they are not really necessary for storage reasons as you can fast travel back to Whiterun whenever you feel the contents of your pockets weighing you down. You can empty them, then fast-travel back to wherever you were.

It’s also worth keeping in mind that all containers in these safe-owned locations (even standard sacks and barrels) can safely be used for storage.

Owning the house in Whiterun has always been my way of storing key items, so I know exactly where to retrieve them.  

Guilds

Usually, if you join a guild such as the Thieves Guild or Dark Brotherhood, you will be given access to an owned ‘home’ within the guild after completing the main quest line. 

This will let you store items safely.

If you’d like to see a full breakdown of all the different types of containers in Skyrim and whether or not they can be safe storage, take a look here.

Can you store Items in your horse’s inventory? 

Sadly, you can’t store items on a horse in the vanilla Skyrim.

Whether you have stolen a horse or bought a horse, it is impossible to open a horse’s inventory screen to take or store items.

However, several mods can be installed to give horses inventory space that you can access and use to store items.

For example, you can download the mod “Horses-Mounts Inventory.” This will immediately give your horse an inventory you can access to store items in. 

You can download the mod for the PC version of Skyrim here.

The mod is also available on Xbox.

Can you store items in a follower’s inventory? 

Yes, you can store items in a follower’s inventory. However, followers are considered unsafe storage for two reasons.

First, if you give them certain items, such as potions, your followers have a habit of using them, especially if in combat.

This is useful if you want your follower to self-administer powerful healing potions, but it’s not so great if you want your follower to store the potion.

Secondly, followers tend to respawn when not following you. This leads to them effectively deleting all items they carry, then repopulating their original items.

So if you give one of your followers a fancy sword and they follow you around, they should hold onto that sword indefinitely. However, if you dismiss your follower and wait a few days, your follower will respawn, and the sword will disappear.

Item Organization Tips in Skyrim: A Guide to Tidying Up Your Dragon Hoard

Ah, the life of a Dragonborn. It’s not all about shouting at dragons and absorbing their souls. Sometimes, it’s about the less glamorous side of adventuring – managing your inventory. Yes, even the mightiest of heroes need to keep their stuff in order. So, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of item organization in Skyrim, or as I like to call it, “How to Tidy Up Your Dragon Hoard.”

1. Categorize Your Containers

Think of your storage like a giant, medieval filing cabinet. Each drawer (or in this case, container) should have a specific purpose. One for weapons, another for armor, a third for potions, and so on. This way, when you’re in a hurry to find that specific enchanted sword or that one potion of healing, you’ll know exactly where to look. It’s like having your very own magical Dewey Decimal System.

2. Prioritize Your Items

Not all loot is created equal. Some items are as precious as a dragon’s egg, while others are as common as mudcrabs on a riverbank. Prioritize your items based on their value, usefulness, and rarity. Keep your most valuable and frequently used items in the most accessible containers. This way, you won’t have to rummage through a mountain of iron daggers just to find your prized Daedric artifact.

3. Use Named Storage

If you’re lucky enough to own a home in Skyrim (or several), take advantage of the named storage options. These are containers like the ‘Wardrobe’ or the ‘Alchemy Satchel.’ Using these can help you remember what you’ve stored where. It’s like having your house-elf who knows where everything is kept.

4. Keep Track of Your Loot

Remember that time you stashed a unique weapon in some random barrel, only to forget where you left it? Yeah, we’ve all been there. Make a habit of noting down where you’ve stored important items. It might seem like a chore, but trust me, it’s better than retracing your steps across half of Skyrim. It’s like dropping breadcrumbs in a forest, except the forest is full of frost trolls and the breadcrumbs are enchanted items.

5. Regularly Clean Out Your Inventory

Finally, remember to regularly clean out your inventory and storage. Sell, disenchant, or simply discard items you no longer need. There’s no point in being a dragon if your hoard is full of junk. Keep your loot pile shiny, valuable, and manageable.

Remember, a well-organized Dragonborn is a successful Dragonborn. So, take these tips to heart and turn your chaotic pile of loot into a well-organized treasure trove. After all, you’re not just any adventurer; you’re the Dragonborn. You’ve got dragons to slay, a world to save, and you definitely don’t have time to lose your keys in a pile of cheese wheels. Happy organizing, fellow adventurers!

Conclusion: Mastering the Art of Storage in Skyrim

In the vast, sprawling world of Skyrim, managing your inventory is as crucial as mastering your shouts. From the depths of the darkest dungeons to the highest peaks of the Throat of the World, you’ll find treasures aplenty. But without a proper storage system, your loot can quickly become a burden rather than a boon.

Let’s recap some of the key points we’ve covered:

  • Understanding Skyrim’s Storage System: Skyrim offers two types of storage – safe and unsafe. Safe storage is any container you own that doesn’t respawn its contents, while unsafe storage is any container you don’t own and respawns its contents, potentially deleting your stored items.
  • Safe vs. Unsafe Storage: Safe storage is typically part of a house you’ve bought, but there are other ways to acquire it. Unsafe storage, on the other hand, can be any container, including chests, bodies, and people.
  • Best Places for Safe Storage: Buying houses in major strongholds provides virtually unlimited safe storage. Joining guilds like the Thieves Guild or Dark Brotherhood also grants access to safe storage.
  • Horse and Follower Storage: Unfortunately, you can’t store items in a horse’s inventory in vanilla Skyrim, but mods can change this. You can store items in a follower’s inventory, but they’re considered unsafe storage.
  • Item Organization Tips: Categorizing your containers, prioritizing your items, using named storage, keeping track of your loot, and regularly cleaning out your inventory can help you manage your items more effectively.

Now that you’ve mastered the art of storage in Skyrim, it’s time to venture forth, Dragonborn. But before you go, let’s look at what’s next.

What’s Next?

As a Dragonborn, you’re always on the move, always learning, always growing. So, what can you do next to enhance your Skyrim experience? Here are some actionable steps:

  1. Practice Safe Storage: Start implementing the storage strategies discussed in this article. Buy a house, join a guild, and start organizing your loot.
  2. Explore Mods: If you’re playing on PC or Xbox, explore mods that can enhance your storage options, like the “Horses-Mounts Inventory” mod.
  3. Experiment with Different Storage Locations: Try storing items in different locations and see what works best for you. Remember, what works for one Dragonborn might not work for another.
  4. Keep a Loot Journal: Start keeping a journal of where you’ve stored important items. It might seem tedious, but it can save you a lot of time in the long run.
  5. Clean Out Your Inventory Regularly: Make it a habit to regularly clean out your inventory. Sell, disenchant, or discard items you no longer need.

Now, go forth, Dragonborn. May your adventures be epic, your loot plentiful, and your storage ever organized. And remember, in the world of Skyrim, even the smallest detail can make the difference between a successful adventurer and a forgotten hero.

What will your next RPG be?

Do you feel like you’ve explored every inch of Skyrim and exhausted every quest available? Are you itching for new lands to conquer and fresh adventures to embark on? Don’t settle for a lacklustre gaming experience – there are countless other games out there that can offer the same thrill and excitement as Skyrim.

Discover your next epic adventure with our guide to games like Skyrim. From mythical creatures to enchanted landscapes, our curated selection of games will transport you to new worlds and challenge your inner hero like never before. So don’t let boredom hold you back – click through to my games like Skyrim guide and unlock a new realm of endless possibilities today.

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Nick Sinclair

Nick Sinclair, a gaming aficionado since the Commodore 64 era, studied Creative Computer Games Design in university before founding his own gaming company. Discovering a passion for content creation, Nick now helps gamers squeeze every drop of fun out of their favorite gaming hardware

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