What's wrong with my cigars?

[charcoaldabs]

Hmm, interesting thoughts.

I have a bit of an issue in that since I'm at college, I'm traveling a lot back and forth between here and home. In that vein, I'd want something portable, and not have to worry about messing it up, or my cigars.

I cannot seem to think of a good travel solution, not sure if they even exist. My own thought was getting a cheaper humidor with a defect, knowing I'll be barking it up. A smaller one with about a 50 cigar capacity, and space for humidification devices and hydrometer. Any suggestions here?

I'll definitely pick up a boveda72 pack, and just plan to rotate that out every six months. Say, where do you find space to stick this in the 5 cigar caddy? Under the foam? or can you not pull that out?

Any objections to the http: [foward slash forward slash] www [dot[ stormcase [dotcom] /StormCaseSizes/StormiM2050.htm ; and just sticking some boveda packs in that guy?

[dubels]

Tupperware is the best option. The Boveda packs work great but beads do too. I would not go with the cigar caddy for long term storage. The best option is to get a tupperware box and break up some cigar boxes that you can get at a B&M. You can still keep a tuperware box small so you can travel with it. It will allow you to have mre than 5 sticks at a time, and will give you much more stable RH.

[charcoaldabs]

Originally Posted by dubels

Tupperware is the best option. The Boveda packs work great but beads do too. I would not go with the cigar caddy for long term storage. The best option is to get a tupperware box and break up some cigar boxes that you can get at a B&M. You can still keep a tuperware box small so you can travel with it. It will allow you to have mre than 5 sticks at a time, and will give you much more stable RH.

How critical are the cedar planks? It's just to hold onto some moisture in the tupperware? Can I just use off the shelf cedar, not old boxes, and make my own little insert with dividers?

[dubels]

Spanish cedar is the best but other cedar does work. Cedar helps regulate the humidity. It absorbs and releases humidity. You can go without cedar but I like it because it helps the cigars age and it gives off a nice aroma. With your cigar caddy you have nothing to absorb the extra humidity. In a tupperware box the excess humidity in the short run would be some what absorbed by the cedar. But if your using Boveda packs it is not much of an issue.

[txmatt]

I can fit the boveda pack in my cigar caddy with 15 cigars and foam in. If you have 15 churchills in there it might be a problem, but if you have a layer with robustos and/or coronas you can fit the pack in the empty space with no issues.

The stormcase looks nice. For cedar humidors that leak, Boveda recommends "one Pack for the Humidor itself and then one pack for every 50 cigars of capacity." I would say use one pack in the stormcase at first and monitor..

Originally Posted by charcoaldabs

Hmm, interesting thoughts.

I have a bit of an issue in that since I'm at college, I'm traveling a lot back and forth between here and home. In that vein, I'd want something portable, and not have to worry about messing it up, or my cigars.

I cannot seem to think of a good travel solution, not sure if they even exist. My own thought was getting a cheaper humidor with a defect, knowing I'll be barking it up. A smaller one with about a 50 cigar capacity, and space for humidification devices and hydrometer. Any suggestions here?

I'll definitely pick up a boveda72 pack, and just plan to rotate that out every six months. Say, where do you find space to stick this in the 5 cigar caddy? Under the foam? or can you not pull that out?

Any objections to the http: [foward slash forward slash] www [dot[ stormcase [dotcom] /StormCaseSizes/StormiM2050.htm ; and just sticking some boveda packs in that guy?

[charcoaldabs]

Originally Posted by txmatt

I can fit the boveda pack in my cigar caddy with 15 cigars and foam in. If you have 15 churchills in there it might be a problem, but if you have a layer with robustos and/or coronas you can fit the pack in the empty space with no issues.

The stormcase looks nice. For cedar humidors that leak, Boveda recommends "one Pack for the Humidor itself and then one pack for every 50 cigars of capacity." I would say use one pack in the stormcase at first and monitor..

Is it kosher to lay the boveda pack straight ontop of 5 cigars?

[txmatt]

Originally Posted by charcoaldabs

Is it kosher to lay the boveda pack straight ontop of 5 cigars?

I usually try to put it beside them or at the head.

I have put the pack on top of cigars without any noticable negative effects however.

[charcoaldabs]

So some updates and followup questions!

Firstly, I think I'll just go for a Cigar Caddy 30. It has ample storage space for my needs.

I'll trust the Boveda packs, but I'd like some suggestions on hydrometers anyways. Is there a retailer / brand / even a model that Puff likes to support/trusts/recommends?

For my current cigar caddy, the 5 stick, it has its built in humidor disc. The guy at the B&M indicated I should try using that instead of the drymistat. I asked if i could use tap water, he said yes, but you really should use the fluid. Anyways... today I came home, and without thinking, I soaked the disc... dabbed off any excess water, and put it in the caddy... Is this the wrong way to do it? Is it now a swamp in there?

Also, I was surprised to see montecristos going at 22/ea here. At my B&M at home they are about 12/ea. The guy here said it was that NY state has a 48% tax on cigars, before they hit the humidor, while PA has 0%. What's the verdict? Truth, or BS?

[eyesack]

Whatever you do, don't use REGULAR cedar, it must be Spanish. Check out Wally World (Walmart) for the Springfield digital hygro/thermo unit, I got mine for cheap, I forget how much, but it's pretty accurate I think.
As per the tax issue, there's an entire section on here about Tobacco Legislation, and many sites containing information on the horrible "S-CHIP" tax. Personally I'm not to wary of it, I haven't been smoking cigars long enough to know what pre s-chip was like, maybe a more experienced guy can help out here...