Take your pick or leave themn out. I missed the first description of 'Summer Loaf' event. While things are baking I'm puttering around the house doing various things, including my course work and studying, etc. Everything is usually out of the oven by about 2pm, and I have fresh breads for dinner if I want to use any of them. I use Ziploc 2-gallon freezer bags for the larger loaves and just try to get all the excess air out of them when I close them up.
Rolls can fit into smaller-sized freezer bags.
The problem you describe is not uncommon with vertical bread machines, however, not usually so severe. I have used two different vertical bread machines over the last ten years, but typically the problem is the bottom half of the loof is too dense and the top half is too light. The loaf still gets nice and tall. I can't imagine baking a two pound loaf that's only four inches high. That sounds like more than just a vertical machine problem.