Fire-resistant document chest

A fire chest is only as good as the standard behind it, and most are sold with a manufacturer’s own claim. This one is UL 72 Class 350: the interior stays below 350°F — the temperature at which paper chars — for thirty minutes at a furnace temperature over 1550°F.

Class 350 protects paper. It does not protect digital media, which needs Class 125; if you are storing drives, put them in the document bags on plate 13 inside the chest, and understand that is a mitigation rather than a rating. Water-resistant seal, key lock, carry handle on the two smaller sizes.

Fitting and care. Keep it closed and latched — the rating assumes a sealed chest and an unlatched lid gives you nothing. Do not store digital media in it: Class 350 protects paper, and drives, cards and tape need Class 125. Put anything sensitive to humidity in a sealed bag inside, because the insulation works by releasing moisture as steam and the interior gets damp during a fire. Keep it on a floor rather than a shelf, and near an exterior wall on the lowest storey if you have a choice. Wipe dry if it sweats in an unheated room.