A method for preparing a cavity loaded with wet radioactive elements for dry storage, the method including: connecting a condensing module, a vacuum module, and a gas circulator module to the cavity so as to form a hermetically sealed closed-loop path that includes the cavity; filling the closed-loop path with a non-reactive gas; circulating the non-reactive gas through the closed-loop path until the condensing module is no longer removing substantial amounts of water from the circulating non-reactive gas, wherein the vacuum module is sealed off from the closed-loop path during the circulating; discontinuing the circulation of the non-reactive gas through the closed-loop path; fluidly coupling the vacuum module to the cavity and fluidly isolating the cavity and the vacuum module; and applying a vacuum pressure to the cavity via the vacuum module so as to create a sub-atmospheric pressure within the cavity.