Smoking in Humid Environments

[SeniorAMG]

It's about 75-80% where I live but I have air-con inside so drying tobacco is really easy - you don't have to smoke inside to dry your tobacco inside. Alternatively, if you don't plan on installing air-con in your home, maybe you could dry your tobacco out in your car when you're driving home from somewhere? Not ideal all the time but I can't think of any other ideas.

Thanks.
It was my habit to wake up and set up my tobacco to dry outside at my smoking area/shrine I've put together, but with mixed results depending on the day. initially i'd lay out my tobacco on our fireplace mantle, but the Mrs. asked me to remove all my pipe paraphernalia from around there during her last redecoration. Should probably just go back to drying it there. Even though we don't use any air conditioning, the humidity indoors is a little better than out.

 

[pappymac]

50%? that's dry AF

our average summer humidity is 72%

I agree. If the humidity is 50% outside it seems to make the heat more bearable. One day last week, it was 89f and 51% humidity but with a light breeze it was enjoyable. That's in contrast to yesterday when it was 78f on the porch and 87% humidity and felt like sitting in a steam room.

I know the heat and humidity in Houston. I was born and raised about 90 miles east of Houston and still was just over there for three days last week.

 

[pappymac]

Thanks.
It was my habit to wake up and set up my tobacco to dry outside at my smoking area/shrine I've put together, but with mixed results depending on the day. initially i'd lay out my tobacco on our fireplace mantle, but the Mrs. asked me to remove all my pipe paraphernalia from around there during her last redecoration. Should probably just go back to drying it there. Even though we don't use any air conditioning, the humidity indoors is a little better than out.

Your Mrs. sounds like a SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed).

 

[briarbuck]

I live in a sauna as well. Direct sunlight does a nice job of drying as long as it's not too windy. I throw a pinch in a Frisbee so it doesn't blow away.

Like everyone has said, pack loose, smoke slow and minimal tamping.

 

[kurtbob]

Have lived 35 yrs in either Florida or SE Georgia and feel your pain. All the above are great suggestions.....you just gotta find what works best for your situation. Hope you find it soon!

 

[kurtbob]

(New guy here, so forgive me if this is a double-tap on a recent post.)
A year ago I moved to a more tropical part of our island. Last month humidity here averaged 86% (high of 99 but never below mid-50s). We do not have/use AC or any room-dehumidifiers regularly - and even if we did, (due to my wife) I am an out-side-only smoker. I've never regularly smoked in this kind of environment and am of course experiencing wetter smokes than in the past... which is logical - drying out tobacco on any given day can be difficult/inconsistent. Does anyone have tips on how to adjust for this? Anyone live in similar conditions and use a dehumidifier or desiccant for drying out their tobacco?
Thanks in advance for your input.
-AMG

Almost forgot to mention, pipe cleaners are your friend. Shove one in during a smoke to soak up any moisture.

 

[SeniorAMG]

Almost forgot to mention, pipe cleaners are your friend. Shove one in during a smoke to soak up any moisture.

I do run a pipe cleaner or two during my smokes. Simple and effective
I don't often get to the point of a sloppy gurgle, but rarely make it to the bottom of bowl before the tobacco gets too damp to stay lit.

Discovered I can dry my tobacco inside overnight without the wife caring too much. Though we leave windows open pretty much 24/7, the humidity inside is less - or at least seems to be less according to my onboard sensors. And have enjoyed success the less couple of days.

Appreciate all the input. Can never have too many tools in your toolbox to draw from.

aloha

 

[SeniorAMG]

Your Mrs. sounds like a SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed).

Well, Pappy... She's fairly easy going, actually. And a sane, normal person wouldn't have stayed with me as long as she has. But she doesn't want the smoking or paraphernalia around our girls.
She reminds me daily that we are raising nice young ladies, not boys or sailors.
And I do subscribe to the 'happy wife, happy life' mantra... So, I have a high tolerance for pain.

 

[pappymac]

She reminds me daily that we are raising nice young ladies, not boys or sailors.
.

Let me say, I was basically the only son raised at home by a mother and four sisters. (I lost one brother to diptheria when I was one, my other brother was in the Army by the time I turned seven and he died seven years later. My father worked on towboats.)

I haven't met too many sailors who could survive around my mother and sisters.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Unless you're using air conditioning or a dehumidifier, I don't see how the humidity inside can be much different than outside. May feel different because it may be a bit cooler inside. Try wrapping your tobacco in a paper towel for awhile prior to smoking. Try smoking in smaller bowls or not filling the bowl completely. Try lighting a bowl, getting it going, then let it sit for awhile.

I've been in Florida all week and it's been very humid. I've kept the tobacco inside with air conditioning and even packed the bowl inside. Thankfully, hasn't been much of a problem. I've packed looser than normal and tamped to adjust as needed.

 

[badbriar]

You want dry? Put it in the refrigerator for a couple hours. Or the freezer - but not more than an hour.

 

[badbriar]

Unless you're using air conditioning or a dehumidifier, I don't see how the humidity inside can be much different than outside. May feel different because it may be a bit cooler inside. Try wrapping your tobacco in a paper towel for awhile prior to smoking. Try smoking in smaller bowls or not filling the bowl completely. Try lighting a bowl, getting it going, then let it sit for awhile.

I've been in Florida all week and it's been very humid. I've kept the tobacco inside with air conditioning and even packed the bowl inside. Thankfully, hasn't been much of a problem. I've packed looser than normal and tamped to adjust as needed.

Hoos... when you were here, humidity was low for us! In summer, it's more like what the OP descried - high 80% range! You start sweating when you walk out to get the mail. Love it here!!!

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Hoos... when you were here, humidity was low for us! In summer, it's more like what the OP descried - high 80% range! You start sweating when you walk out to get the mail. Love it here!!!

I'm here now, leaving Monday. Had to see our granddaughter and check on the house remodel. I'll give you a shout when I'm in town next.

 

[SeniorAMG]

Hoos... when you were here, humidity was low for us! In summer, it's more like what the OP descried - high 80% range! You start sweating when you walk out to get the mail. Love it here!!!

Same here. Averaging 88% so far this month. When I don't feel like breaking a sweat, I ask one of the girls to run up the hill to the mailbox.

 

[SeniorAMG]

Unless you're using air conditioning or a dehumidifier, I don't see how the humidity inside can be much different than outside. May feel different because it may be a bit cooler inside.

Warmer air can hold more moisture. So if the temp in the house is 5-10 degrees cooler, I imagine the overall humidity would be less as well? Also not as affected by the dew point (ours is hovering about 70) indoors? I'm not a scientist though. Just a feeling i had that it feels drier inside than out.

We do use a dehumidifier in our downstairs rooms, when it begins to really feel damp down there (its the darkest part of the house due to landscaping, and has the least amount airflow). If we ran them regularly, i would set up a drying station right next to a unit.

A combination of a lot of things mentioned in thread is helping - and i appreciate the input.

 

[Franco]

88% relative humidity already this morning. Not uncommon this time of year. Got up to 99% last week with the tropical storm in the gulf. Makes pipe smoking for me much less enjoyable and I prefer not to fight it. I just don't smoke when it gets this miserable.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

To avoid extreme summer humidity I'd leave for Yuma in Az or El Paso in TX to places where humidity is around zero and temps reaching 100f

 

[jpmcwjr]

Franco- Where are you?

In general, humidity level in houses is less than outside, and way less if a/c is on. Forced air heat also lowers humidity in Winter, where it's less than in Summer, and then may get too low for comfort. Damn, it's hard to win....

 

[Franco]

Franco- Where are you?

In general, humidity level in houses is less than outside, and way less if a/c is on. Forced air heat also lowers humidity in Winter, where it's less than in Summer, and then may get too low for comfort. Damn, it's hard to win....

About 60 miles southwest of New Orleans. Move there when I retired so that I wouldn't have to travel as far to fish saltwater in the Cocodrie/Bayoy duLarge area. However, it is so hot now that I probably won't put my boat in the water until October.

 

[Franco]

To avoid extreme summer humidity I'd leave for Yuma in Az or El Paso in TX to places where humidity is around zero and temps reaching 100f

That would be like going from one extreme to the other. My wife wants to move to San Diego/La Jolla and that does appeal to me.