Moving soon, any precautions I should take?

[Deke]

I would just smoke them all and restock after the move....

I did the same thing a few years ago -- mdke sure humis were in a place they couldn't go flying if I had to brake suddenly.

[CamoSutra]

I've tried to put it off as long as possible, but it looks as though I'm going to have to bite the cigar -- uh, bullet -- and make a coolerdor before I move to the new place.

It's so dry here that all three desktop humidors have been losing humidity faster than I liked, one of them much faster. Last night I painter's-taped them, and that fixed two of them right up; they're holding moisture nicely again. One of them is actually so tight that I may have to remove the tape when spring arrives and the humidity rises. But the third one, a 50-count I've had for more than ten years, still had a loose lid after applying a layer of tape. So I laid down a second layer, and the lid's still loose. This is also the only one of the three where the lip is on the box-part rather than the lid. Much as I would like to keep using it (as a humidor), I don't see how I can; besides, I don't really need three desktop humidors, I just need decent storage. (I'm thinking the good 50-stick box will go into the living room, the 100-count into the office.) So the leaker will become a catch-all box of some sort, and its contents will get a new home.

For the time being I suppose I could get by with tupperdors; I already have the containers, plenty of Bovedas and Spanish cedar sheets to go into them, and even enough digital hygrometers (taken from the bad desktop and a couple of tightly sealing traveldors) to put into three of them. But I have more cigars on their way to me, and will probably buy at least one more time before I vacate this address; all of those, along with the contents of all three desktops and the two stuffed traveldors, might fill a cooler enough to get started. My first thought was to do the admittedly trivial work of transforming the cooler and then empty all the cigars directly into it; but depending on the size of the cooler it might be better to place the two good desktops (still full) into the bottom of the cooler, transfer the new arrivals and everything from the bad desktop into tupperdors, and then fit as many of these into the cooler as I possibly can -- a humidors-inside-a-humidor approach, with whatever's handy stuffed around them to prevent shifting or bouncing during the trip.

I'll also order more Heartfelt beads from David when I "get serious" with the coolerdor, and I'm thinking the 70% variety might be better for aging. I'll keep the 65% beads for use in the two desktops, since they'll be holding cigars that are ready-to-smoke. Maybe the good 50-stick box for the living room, and the 100-count for the office.

The cooler I have on hand now is a 36-quart Coleman, one of those with the thick walls and claimed "multi-day" insulation. This may become a permanent coolerdor, simply because it's available. The additional insulation is overkill in my opinion, and the thicker walls steal space I'd rather have for cigar storage, so I may just buy a new cooler (with a good seal but thinner walls) and save this one for picnics and fishing trips.

Comments and better ideas are welcome. Is there any good reason why I should make the coolerdor now instead of using this cooler just as a second-layer insulated airtight container? Are there any real advantages to the Coleman's extra insulation in an air-conditioned home? Is it possible to have a desktop humidor that's too tight-closing, as long as I can still open and close it and the seal doesn't force wood apart causing leaks elsewhere? Anything wrong with padding the 'dors inside the cooler with T-shirts and socks (laundered, of course), old newspapers and other miscellaneous packing materials for an hour's drive? Are politicians who smoke cigars substantially more trustworthy -- or perhaps less un-trustworthy -- than those who don't? Regardless of its actual colors, didn't that dress look better in white and gold? Boxers, briefs -- or Depends?

[Yarddog]

My suggestion...do not trip while moving the humidor.

That is all.

[CamoSutra]

[CamoSutra]

The bad desktop humidor is emptied out and its contents (along with additional cigars) are now in tupperdors and traveldors. Still can't quite bring myself to just get rid of it, so I've decided it will become a resting place for anything cigar-related that I don't need for awhile. At the moment it's holding the HF beads that were in it when it was still a humidor), in capped jars. I'll add any spare hygrometers and batteries, cutters, etc. I find as I pack up -- hope there's room for everything.

Waste not, want not -- except cigars, 'cause I always want more of those.

[Herf N Turf]

I would not use newspaper. Newspaper has a nasty odor to it and the ink will rub off on the inside of the cooler and anything else it touches. I think your t-shirts and blanket idea's the way to go.

Inside the humidors, if you don't have enough bubbly wrap, you can use inflated zipper bags. Just make sure it's tight enough so to prevent movement. If the humidors lock, lock them. If not, pack them tightly enough to where the lid won't be pushed open by the zippy bags.

The cooler idea for the dry house is a good one. It's virtually impossible to keep a wooden humidor from losing moisture in extremely dry climates. Of course, you can always increase the amount of media and service it more often, which is what I did. Eventually you'll probably end up in a wineador, which is what I did.

[CamoSutra]

I would not use newspaper. Newspaper has a nasty odor to it and the ink will rub off on the inside of the cooler and anything else it touches. I think your t-shirts and blanket idea's the way to go.

Good point! And you just saved me the trouble of buying newspapers, since I'm not a subscriber to our daily fishwrap.

The cooler idea for the dry house is a good one. It's virtually impossible to keep a wooden humidor from losing moisture in extremely dry climates.

The climate should be much more favorable when spring eventually comes; right now I'm showing 58% outside, but only 32% indoors. Since I have to move both desktop humidors and the cooler anyway, I'd might as well load the desktops into the cooler for the trip, and see what I need to do after they've had a day or two in the new place.

You're right, a wineador may be in my future; I like the idea of being able to store, age and display entire boxes. Plus possibly an un-converted wine cooler for -- you know -- wine! But I'm sure I'll go the coolerdor route first, since they're easy and inexpensive.

My biggest concern at the moment is getting a CBid/UPS shipment that was originally scheduled for delivery Tuesday. First, weather delayed it getting into town. UPS rescheduled delivery for Wednesday and I had to be out when they showed up, so they rescheduled for Thursday. But Wednesday evening/Thursday morning we got ice and snow, and delivery slipped to today, and now to either tomorrow or Monday. (Don't know which day, yet. UPS doesn't normally deliver to residences on Saturday, but this week has been far from normal. E-mail I got was noncommittal, so is status on their website.) I'm not too concerned about the cigars suffering, since the Devil Site usually packs them well -- and either the warehouse is heated, or they'll get an extra beetle-killing freeze -- but I'm getting tired of rescheduling my days around a no-show Brown Truck, and I want to tuck the cigars into bed for a few days before they begin their trip to the new place.

[CamoSutra]

Moving is mostly finished, just a few things left at the old apartment. The cigars made the move safely, which is the important thing. Enjoying an H. Uppmann Toro right now, watching Arrow courtesy of Xfinity on-demand, waiting for morning so I can get Internet turned on. (Using smartphone to send this.) About 25 miles from the nearest Tinder Box, a few miles more to the wonderful Tobacco Corner Ltd. Life is good.

[HabanoMan]

Congrats on the move!