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Chris, we're cool brother - sorry if my earlier post came across as kind of douchebaggy, that wasn't my aim. I should have phrased it better and less cynically.

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When putting boxes away for aging, do you need to put in a humidification device or do the ziplock baggies breath enough?

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You actually don't want them to breathe too much. Less air flow = slower and better aging. They should be fine.

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Wow that was quick! ! ! Thanks NCRadioMan, so I just let them acclimate then they're good to zip-up and forget about them?

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The humidipacks that sometimes come with cigar orders(the ones with 'reverse osmosis' packaging that are not reusable and are disposable)...Do they do anything once they dry up and get stiff, or should you just toss them out at that point?

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Yep. That's what I do. :tu

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Toss 'em.

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Au contraire, oh wise and old one!:r

If they are the Boveda or Fuente packets they can be rehydrated and reused. Get a medium sized tupperware or other plastic container place the pack in the bottom with a small sponge that has been moistened with distilled water. Seal the container and leave it for a few days. Presto chango! The packs become rehydrated! :2

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:tpd:

(Bob, I've been saying that about recharging the fuente/boveda packs for years too)

Chris, don't let them dry up to a hard or "saltine cracker" like state. You want to try and rejuvinate them while they are still moist and somewhat pliable. If you wait until they are hard and dried up, you will probably not be able to bring them back fully.

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Even crispy ones can be rehydrated. Just pulled one out of the tupperware today. It had been sitting at the bottom of a cooler for about six months. :2

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I've had problems with the crispy ones Bob. Not that they don't come back, but they take _forever_ to do so and never seem to fully come back, but almost. Hence why I always advise to not let them get to that point before recharging.

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I stand by my post.

We'll agree to disagree, Brother.

The Bovedas may be rechargeable but the post I replied to made no mention of that.

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Well, they claim to be not reusable on the packaging. They are boveda packets. I have one that comes in RP shipments to vendors too.

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But yet they also claim to be 2-way.

Think about it, if it's 2-way, it's rechargeable.

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I reuse the packs when I give cigars to people who don't have a humidor....recharge it and throw it in a ziploc with the cigars.....better then nothing.

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That was exactly my thinking. I guess they are trying to get you to toss them out and buy more...

Yea I do that with the water pillows I bought from CI. They don't keep humidity very stable but they ar better than nothing.

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That depends on how you use them. I have used a water pillow in my coolers for years and they are steady as a rock.

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Really? Dang. When I used them as my primary humidification, my rh fluctuated ten points easily with temp fluctuations. Now that I have a larger cooler with more boxes in it and I'm using mostly HCM beads it's steady as a rock almost always. Never fluctuates more than one point. I'm a lot happier with the new setup.

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That's my thoughts too.

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Box storage questions.
I just bought a box that comes factory sealed in shrink wrap. What are general opinions about storing the box with or without the shrink wrap?

From my reading/googling, it seems that if you want to age the cigars, it is better to remove the shrink wrap and keep the box closed (ie without something small propping the lid).

It also seems that if you plan on smoking the sticks in the nearer future, it isn't as big of a deal to leave the shrink wrap on until you decide to smoke the first one.

The theory, I think, is that the shrink wrap holds the humidity for a fair amount of time, but isn't really a good conductor, like a box, for the long term.

Any thoughts on this?