Let's be honest about Minecraft storage. You start with two chests. Then it's four. Suddenly, you have a "storage room" that’s really just a hallway of 50 mismatched barrels and you can't find your silk touch book to save your life. We've all been there. Most people think the only solution is to dive into the deep end with high-tech mods that require a degree in digital engineering and a nuclear reactor for power.
But they're wrong.
Tom's Simple Storage Mod is the middle ground most players are actually looking for. It doesn't require "channels." It doesn't need power. It basically just takes your existing mess of chests and gives them a single, searchable brain.
The "One Block" Magic of the Inventory Connector
Everything in this mod centers on the Inventory Connector. Think of this block as the conductor of an orchestra. You place it down, and it looks for any chests, barrels, or crates touching it. It then "reads" those inventories and displays every single item inside them through a central screen.
The range is usually about 16 blocks. If you have a wall of 40 chests, you don't need to run wires to every single one. You just need to make sure they're all touching each other or connected via Inventory Trims. Trims are basically "cables" that look like wood or stone, allowing you to bridge the gap between separate piles of chests without it looking like a construction site.
Why this beats the big tech mods
Standard mods like Applied Energistics 2 or Refined Storage are incredible, don't get me wrong. But they are expensive. You need quartz, you need processors, and you absolutely need a constant stream of RF power. If your power dies, you can't even get your pickaxe out of the system.
Tom’s doesn't care about power.
You can set this up on day two of a new world using some iron, a bit of gold, and basic wood. It is the ultimate early-game upgrade that scales well into the late game.
Terminals: The Windows to Your Hoard
Once you have your Connector set up, you need a way to actually see your stuff. This is where the Storage Terminal comes in. You slap it onto your Connector (or a cable attached to it), and boom: a searchable UI.
If you want to be smart about it, skip the basic version and craft the Crafting Terminal. It’s the same thing but with a built-in 3x3 grid. It pulls items directly from your chests while you craft. No more running back and forth because you forgot you needed one more stick for that ladder.
- Place the Inventory Connector.
- Surround it with chests.
- Attach the Crafting Terminal to the front.
- Never manually sort a chest again.
Going Wireless (Without the Headache)
One of the coolest things about Tom's Simple Storage Mod is the wireless capability. You can craft a Wireless Terminal that lets you open your entire base's inventory while you're standing in your wheat field.
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It starts with a 64-block range. That’s usually enough for a standard base, but you can upgrade it. If you set up a Level 1 Beacon near your storage, that range expands. If you go all out with a Level 4 Beacon, you can literally access your storage from across the entire dimension.
There's a catch, though. The chunk where your storage lives must be loaded. If you wander 1,000 blocks away and the chunks at home unload, your wireless remote becomes a paperweight. Use a chunk loader or build your base in the spawn chunks if you want to be truly remote.
Expert Tips for Large Scale Setups
If you're planning a massive warehouse, the simple "touching chests" method might get laggy or messy. Here is how the pros handle it.
Storage Drawers are your best friend.
If you have the Storage Drawers mod installed, Tom’s plays with it perfectly. Instead of connecting to 100 individual chests, connect your Inventory Connector to a Drawer Controller. This allows Tom’s to "see" every drawer in that network through one single connection point. It's much cleaner and way better for your frame rate.
The Filtered Connector.
Sometimes you don't want everything in the same "pool." Maybe you have a mob farm and you want the rotten flesh to stay in one specific chest and never show up in your main crafting terminal. Use a Filtered Inventory Connector. It lets you blacklist or whitelist specific items, keeping your main view from being cluttered with junk.
Cable Management.
Don't just use Trims everywhere. Inventory Cables are cheaper for long distances. If you're running a line from your basement to your second-floor bedroom, use cables. They’re easier to hide behind walls.
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Common Misconceptions
A lot of people think you can't automate with Tom’s. That’s false. The Level Emitter is a hidden gem. It can put out a redstone signal based on how many items are in the system. Want your auto-smelter to stop when you have 1,000 iron ingots? The Level Emitter handles that easily.
It's not "just" a chest mod. It's a logic mod disguised as a simple storage solution.
How to Get Started Right Now
If you're ready to fix your inventory nightmare, here is the most efficient path. First, gather about a stack of iron and a handful of gold. You'll need some redstone too, but not much.
Start by crafting the Inventory Connector. It’s the heart. Then, craft the Crafting Terminal. Don't waste time on the basic one; the crafting grid is worth the extra materials.
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Next, look at your storage. If it's a mess of chests, move them so they are all touching each other in a big cube. Put the Connector on one side. Put the Terminal on the Connector. That’s it. You’re done.
From there, you can look into the Advancing Wireless Terminal or the Inventory Hopper for importing items from your farms. The beauty is that you don't have to do it all at once. You can grow the system as you get more resources.
The next step is to check your version of Minecraft. Tom's is available for both Forge and Fabric, so make sure you download the right one for your modloader. Once it's installed, try connecting it to a Storage Drawer controller—it’s a total game-changer for organizing bulk blocks like cobblestone and dirt.