On a recent visit to my local store, and while perusing online even, I found myself quite appalled. Great Scott! Indubitably. They carry humidors, both electric and wood types, which is to be expected, really. However, they also carry to-go or travel cases, a ton of pretty cool yet plain ashtrays, like this heavy-duty crystal ashtray, cigar needles, lighters, and a shit ton more.

Some of the items may be contingent on what’s available in your area. So, don’t be angry at me if they have less to choose from where you are.

Why are you sharing this?

Source: NewAir / The Home Depot

I’m honestly just a little flabbergasted by it. But what’s really got me in a tizzy is that somewhere local has this gear. Somewhere I can actually browse that I live near. And it’s somewhere that, most likely, a lot of you have access to, as well. Regardless of where you live or what state you’re in.

Our international brothers and sisters of the leaf might have a tough time finding The Home Depot, but I’m sure there are plenty of alternatives. At least, I hope that’s the case.

What’s so great about plain humidors and accessories?

Source: The Home Depot

What you may or may not have realized is that a lot of the offerings are plain, without logos or branding, which makes them excellent candidates for personalization. If you have stickers, wood burners, 3D printers, or any type of engraving and scoring tool, you can personalize the hell out of these things. Put your catchphrase on them: “Chew on that thang!” Put your name on them. Draw your favorite bike or Harley. Create a logo of your own. Go hog wild.

For example, this leather travel humidor has an embedded digital hygrometer, but the front is completely blank. You could etch your name on there or some kind of badass design like a skull. Hell, I might get one and put The BS Lounge logo on there.

And this cordless precision engraver is only $13 with a diamond-tip bit. You can use it, or something like it, to engrave glass, metal, plastic, ceramic, or hard materials.

Most of the items listed are free to ship to a store nearby, or free to deliver to your house. Can’t beat that.

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The truth is that cedar, and Spanish Cedar especially, have some excellent properties that are ideal for the storage, handling and protection of your average cigar. Cigars and cedar go hand-in-hand like peanut butter and jelly, smoke and fire, or pineapple and pizza.

The Spanish cedar properties that matter

Source: Jinomono Media / Unsplash

In a general sense, wood is all-natural, so it’s biodegradable, and doesn’t contain many pollutants or toxins, unless it’s treated. Also, there’s no associated waste — at least not excess waste. If you throw away a cedar box, cedar wrapping or cedar components, it can all be burned at the dump and doesn’t really end up in the landfill like other garbage or waste. In that sense it’s environmentally friendly, but it’s also fairly inexpensive and available in large quantities.

Beyond that, Spanish cedar has some attributable properties that make it such a good companion for cigars and the entire craft. For starters, cigars need to retain humidity or moisture and cedar does an excellent job of supporting this. Unlike other wood types, cedar tends to react positively with moisture, and its naturally decay-resistant.

Cedar is hygroscopic, which means it can absorb moisture and discharge it, not unlike your cigars or those Boveda packs you use. It also prevents the buildup of mold, which is why a lot of humidors are so great at fending off nasty stuff like that, provided you maintain the right temperatures. Best of all, cedar has a natural immunity that repels bugs like cigar beetles. That doesn’t mean they don’t happen at all, it just means they’re less likely to become a problem.

When it’s humidified correctly, cedar can also create a firm seal, which is fantastic for humidors. That seal helps lock in moisture and humidity and is a large part of why you can retain RH (relative humidity) even inside super large humidors and spaces. That’s precisely why a lot of cigar lounges, shops and even cigar warehouses have walls lined with cedar.

Cedar and Cigars: But wait, there’s more!

Source: La Aurora

If you’re tallying up the score, things are probably getting ridiculous. Cedar has just so many benefits the list is extensive.

You may have noticed some cigar enthusiasts using cedar to light their cigars, or the fact that manufacturers wrap cigars in cedar? Some great examples are the My Father Fonseca Cedros, Ramon Allones by AJ Fernandez, or the Arturo Fuente Chateu Fuente series.

Manufacturers wrap cigars with cedar because the sensory properties of the wood are also excellent. It smells fantastic, even more so when lit, and the flavors and the aromas cedar provides will mesh well with just about any cigar blend. In fact, you might even enhance the experience by lighting your cigars with a cedar spill or a strip of the wood.

There has to be something bad about it, right?

Source: Alek Olson / Unsplash

Not necessarily bad, more like a caveat that it still requires proper care. The biggest concern is that you still have to care for the material as much as your cigars — you still have to care for your humidor, for example. That’s why your humidor still needs to have a source of humidity. Cedar can’t produce moisture on its own, and like anything else, it will lose moisture over time if there’s no nearby source.

But if you’ve been around cigars for any amount of time, you likely already know this. You need a humidor to keep those cigars at the optimal RH. If you don’t have access to one, your cigars are going to dry out and they won’t be pleasant to smoke.

Let’s all take a moment to appreciate Spanish cedar and how formative it is for the world of cigars. Without it, we wouldn’t have our favorite hobby.

The post Why are cedar and cigars such excellent companions? appeared first on The BS Lounge.

Just because they have to be stored correctly, doesn’t mean they must be stored in a wooden humidor or a specific design. Some cigar enthusiasts actually use what’s called a Tupperdor. It’s really a fancy name for something like plastic Tupperware that seals tight. You can store your cigars in big plastic storage bins, small jars or containers, or uniquely made low-cost humidors, such as an acrylic humidor jar that seals. You just have to do it right.

How do I store my cigars?

Cigars need to be stored in a humidor, or a humidor alternative, at the correct Relative Humidity (RH). That’s because the tobacco leaves inside the cigar need moisture to retain their natural oils. Those natural oils are what give you flavor and experience while smoking. A dried-out cigar, or a cigar that’s too humid, won’t burn right.

So, you need to store them in a container with the appropriate humidity. But what are the accepted RH levels? Most experts recommend between 62 RH and 70 RH. A sweet spot, and where I like to keep my Cigar Oasis set, is 65 RH.

If you don’t want to bother with an automatic humidifier system, like a Cigar Oasis or a Hydra, you can simply grab some Boveda packs. They come in different RH formats, so choose the one you want and drop one or two in your container. Depending on how big the container is and how many cigars you have, you can adjust RH easily.

5 humidor alternatives

1. An electric temperature-controlled humidor

• Size: Medium

Like everything you’ll find on this list, these come in a few different designs. I have one that’s all-black and it is in my office. I use it to store more finicky cigars because I live in Florida where it’s hot and humid already.

The example model from Manastin has a 40-liter capacity, four shelves for storage, and a built-in precise humidity control system. There’s a drawer on the bottom where you put your distilled water or Boveda packs for humidity. But also, it’s compressor cooled so you can adjust the temperature to stay below 70 degrees. It’s ideal for warmer climates, storing Cubans, and anyone who wants a medium-sized humidor alternative.

Example: Manastin Electric Humidor with Compressor Cooling

2. A desktop humidor

• Size: Small-ish

More casual smokers might go with something like a desktop humidor. They’re exactly as described. Small, wooden humidors that are meant to be stored on a desk, display, counter, or in a cabinet. They usually have a glass top so you can peer in, and hold about 20 to 30 cigars, sometimes more or less.

They’re inexpensive compared to larger humidors and they’re easy to care for, as long as the lid seals airtight. You can simply throw a Boveda pack or similar gel pack inside and that’s all you need. Again, they come in different styles, some with extra fixings like hidden drawers. The example I picked from Bald Eagle is simple and reliable. It holds 20 to 25 cigars comfortably.

Example: Bald Eagle Handmade Cigar Humidor

3. A cigar tub

• Size: Medium

Remember earlier how I mentioned the plastic storage bins? Well, it’s the same idea here except this kind was specifically made for storing cigars. The bin from our example, from CIGARLOONG, holds up to 100 cigars across two layers — there’s a top shelf.

It’s completely transparent, so you can see your entire collection stored within. It also has a built-in hygrometer for measuring the RH. The tray or shelf is made of cedar, which is excellent at retaining moisture. In fact, that’s why most humidors have Spanish cedar inside. This low-effort storage bin would be great when you have a big collection but don’t want to overdo it.

Example: CIGARLOONG Large Cigar Storage Box

4. A cigar jar

• Size: Small

You could use your own jar, but there are also pre-made jars available, like the one in our example. It’s transparent, and it comes with a hygrometer and humidifier. Of particular note with this model, however, is the retaining ring seal with a rubber gasket. That helps ensure it remains air-tight when closed so your cigars stay properly humidified.

It holds around 15 to 20 cigars, so it’s not for huge collections but that’s okay. It’s a great choice if you got some cigars from your buddies and want to store them a bit longer than usual, without emptying your bank account.

Example: XIFEI Acrylic Humidor Jar with Humidifier and Hygrometer

5. A Cigar Caddy or traveldor

• Size: Various

A traveldor or travel case allows you to keep your cigars humidified while you’re on the move. They work great for vacations, cruises, or even trips to a family member’s home for the holidays. Cigar Caddy is one of the more well-known brands, but there are others.

The one in our example holds 10 Churchill-sized cigars with protective foam inserts to keep them from being damaged. The case is also super tough, waterproof up to 100 feet, and temperature resistant — from -10 to 175 degrees Fahrenheit.

Example: Cigar Caddy 3240 Travel Humidor for 10 Cigars

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