Shipping and Humidity

[ToJo]

Is anybody else concerned about online orders that get shipped with no humidity "pillow" or even a zip lock bag? Something about receiving cigars in bubble wrap and no humidity doesn't sit well with me. I'd never leave my cigars sitting out in nothing but their cellophane wrapper for days on end.

Before emailing the company, I thought I'd check just to make sure I'm not being paranoid.

[madurolover]

Most of the time the company will ship the cigars overhumidified so that they will not get too dry during shiping. This is a common practice and you should not be alarmed by it.

[AspiringGent]

I definitely do prefer companies that ship at the very least with Ziplock bags. A few days out shouldn't do too much harm though, it'll probably just take a little longer to bring them back up to appropriate humidity. Keep in mind too, that if you're shipping many cigars at once, the cigars themselves are probably already humidified, so any humidity loss would be minimal.

[DSturg369]

Originally Posted by madurolover

Most of the time the company will ship the cigars overhumidified so that they will not get too dry during shiping. This is a common practice and you should not be alarmed by it.

I agree and find it true with most e-tailers.

[Acesfull]

Originally Posted by madurolover

Most of the time the company will ship the cigars overhumidified so that they will not get too dry during shiping. This is a common practice and you should not be alarmed by it.

I noticed that my Alec Bradley Tempus Magistri that came in today seemed pretty wet actually. Way beyond over-humidified..
but to answer the question not alarmed at all, most of the time I get my shipment in 2-4 days so the cigars wont dry out by then

[Rev2010]

Dude, seriously, don't worry about it. The average shipping time is less than 5 business days. Unless they are sitting out in the sun in the driest of climates it won't do anything to a cigar. They do not dry out that fast. I actually prefer they do *not* ship with humidification! As mentioned, most stores keep their humidity a bit too high. For single cigars a ziplock bag is perfect. For boxes it doesn't matter at all. I prefer boxes shipped simply wrapped in their cellophone.

Trust me, cigars are by no means *that* sensitive. Don't worry about it. Actually, be happy they aren't coming with humidification, they'll be more primed for smoking right away.


Rev.

[Hermit]

Not an issue, whatsoever.

[ToJo]

Well thank you very much for the input. My mind is at ease.

They seemed a bit dry when they arrived, that's all. Total shipping time was seven days. I always thought even two or three days outside of the humidor would do some damage that could be easily avoided with better shipping practice. But it seems the consensus is that they know what they're doing.

[thrasher64]

I've been thinking the same thing.. I have 60 sticks on there way from the unholiest of sites and there projected arrival is 7 days from initial ship out.

[Rev2010]

Originally Posted by thrasher64

I've been thinking the same thing.. I have 60 sticks on there way from the unholiest of sites and there projected arrival is 7 days from initial ship out.

You'll be fine. Also remember that for most states this season tends to be generally more humid than usual. But even still, the basic packaging will help hold in a bit of the moisture. And cigars are hygroscopic, so they will regain moisture when put into your humi.

Like I said earlier, it would be a different story if you left the cigar out in the sun in the dry Arizona climate for example. Being in a box in various shipping facilities is by no means the worst place for your sticks. But if they are dry when you get them then just leave them in your humi for a few days.


Rev.

[RickyJ]

Actually I find those pillows seem to jack the humidity up too high. I measured 77% with one of those pillows once in the bag it came with. I like those envelope-sized packets (with the circular see through window) that sometimes an online retailer will use. Those seem to last forever if you keep them in a sealed container and they do a really good job of keeping RH stable.
I would say in the summer, you don't have to worry about humidification too much for packages. In the winter, totally different story. Just putting in them in a ziplock back and shipping them in cold weather will ruin them in probably a few days. So I'd say in the cold months (if you live in a cold climate) make sure it comes with humidification. Regardless of the season though they HAVE to be sealed in a bag. I wont name names but one place sent me a buch of cigars just wrapped in some bubble wrap and it they were completely dried out and ruined.

[buckwylde]

I am an avid user of online stores for my smokes. Mainly because I can shop around and always find prices for a fraction of the cost of my local cigar store. Also, my local cigar shopes all stock the same stuff...fuente, ashton, rocky patel...yawn...yawn. I just simply want something new sometimes and I have found that "new" everytime I go online.

Additionally, after several years of ordering online...I have NEVER got a shipment that had bad smokes in them. Never had a smoke arrive that was dried out, cracked, etc. I often will leave them in my humidor for a week or two before smoking them to allow them to settle a little...but after that they have always been good to go.

Order away my friends. I have had a great experience over and over again with one online retailer...the first word starts with C and the second starts with I.

[kenstogie]

Cigars are pretty resilliant so don't worry about the RH. A bigger concern is the temperature. If the temp gets over 75 for any length of time and those dreaded beetles could hatch. OH NO!

[ToJo]

My cigs are improving now that they've been in the humi for a few days. I guess they did dry out a bit too much for immediate smoking, but they're recovering nicely now.