Smoking in the cold?

[stj386]

I live in Hawaii so smoking outside is never a problem since the weather is usually nice. However this March i will be going to Jukkasjärvi, Sweden (250km north of the arctic circle) I have to smoke while watching the northern lights but what is the best way to store cigars in an extremely cold environment? I have had sticks split on me while traveling in Chicago and I don't want it to happen during my trip. Any suggestions?

[Parshooter]

When traveling, keep them wrapped in your clothing for insulation. When you go to smoke, keep them inside your coat until you bring them out to fire up.

[icehog3]

And no place on Earth is colder than Chicago, so you have that in your favor as well.

I dont know, Foggy bottom in DC is pretty damn cold, especially when working a protection detail outside....

Gloves and a corn cob holder work for me in cold weather.

[Mattso3000]

Originally Posted by icehog3

And no place on Earth is colder than Chicago, so you have that in your favor as well.

Like a sauna in Chi now...26? -1 here now but no wind. Just took the dogs for a walk and had a short smoke. Without a wind chill it was very pleasant.

Definitely try not to expose the cigars to drastic change if you don't need to. If I open my traveldor outside now every cigar in there would split. I light up inside the heated garage before I walk out.

[akumushi]

Originally Posted by icehog3

And no place on Earth is colder than Chicago, so you have that in your favor as well.

Coldest I've ever been

Since freezing cigars to kill beetle eggs is common practice and I've done it myself many times & had them come out fine, I'd say as long as you keep transitions to a minimum and let the cigars acclimate gradually, they should be fine. Taking them back and forth from extreme cold outside to blazing artificial heat inside is going to crack the wrappers, not the temperature in and of itself, although the dryness of artificial heat and cold weather may cause some brittleness.
Bagging them in a ziploc with a boveda pack and keeping them close to you is probably the most stable way to go. As for smoking outside in below freezing weather... you better back mostly PCs and minutos. I can stand about a half hour in the 20's as long as it's sunny, but that's about it.

[stj386]

thanks for all the help!