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Semi-New in Iraq

RCCCigarRCCCigar Posts: 106
I am semi-New to cigars. I usually go to a cigar shop in town and talk to the owner if I have a question. But now I am deployed to Iraq. I was told that my base had a small tobacco shop before I got here. But, because of the drawdown, it was shut down before I showed up. All we can get are some DRY counterfeit Iraqi Cohibas from the Iraqi bazaar. Me and some of the guys are trying to start up a small cigar club to enjoy a cigar a few times a week. I would like to order some samplers from this website and a travel humidor. Does anyone have any suggestions for some semi-beginner cigar samplers or humidor/storage suggestions? Or any prior-military with suggestions for deployed cigar smoking? Any advice would be much appreciated! Also, to "enjoy" my fake Cohibas, I usually buy one and put it in a ziploc bag with a folded up wet piece of toilet paper. I never let the toilet paper touch the cigar. Then I breathe into the bag and fog it up. I repeat the "fogging" every couple days. It gets a little better after about a week of doing that. I know it sounds weird, but it works....kind of. Is there a better way to fix up my smokes while I try to get my hands on a humidor?

Comments

  • undulacundulac Posts: 1,129
    First, thank you for your service.

    Second, we have quite a few military men/women that are members here so I'm sure you'll get your answers soon. As for advice on which sticks to purchase, I recommend calling the 800 number if you are able to and talk to a customer service rep. They will be able to walk you through the whole process.
  • RCY_CigarsRCY_Cigars Posts: 5,493 ✭✭✭
    +1

    Welcome to forum. I'm military also. CCOM delivers with excellent service. Feel free to ask questions, the people in here are great. I can gurantee you will get a answer ASAP.
  • YankeeManYankeeMan Posts: 2,654 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Welcome and thanks for serving.
  • mfotismfotis Posts: 720 ✭✭
    Welcome to the forums, and I'll be back there in a couple of months.

    As far as smoking the IQ Cohiba....dont do it, you dont know where it came from or how it was produced. If you need some smokes while you're trying to figure out what samplers you want I'll send you some. Again, when i was there last time i didnt see a lot of tobacco crops, the country doesnt import really, so if they're selling something like that it's untelling where the leaf came from and whats been done to it.
  • JCizzleJCizzle Posts: 1,913 ✭✭✭
    Do you have a humidor or a coolidor setup? My advice is to get one set up because if you stick around here long enough you will need plenty of storage space!
    Light 'em up.
  • The3StogiesThe3Stogies Posts: 2,652 ✭✭✭✭
    Welcome to the forum, welcome to the hobby and welcome to the money-pit. Thank you for serving.
  • RCCCigarRCCCigar Posts: 106
    Hey guys, thanks for the welcome. It seems like there are a lot of knowledgeable people on this forum. I'm sure I will have a lot of questions and it's good to know that I will have a lot of answers! I think I am going to try to make a tupperdor. What should I use for humidification? I've heard I should buy some floral foam, but I won't be able to get any of that in Iraq, I'm sure.
  • jr_p951jr_p951 Posts: 1,121
    I'm currently in Afghanistan and in a similar enviroment. For a humidor, the guys with us that are stationary use regular 20-30ct travel humidors. The guys that come and go, travel alot use a 5.56 ammo can or a 40-50ct plastic travel herf. For humidification everyone shares the cigar juice. I bought some Rh beads. CCom ships all thier cigars with humi-pillows, which is great if the mail takes a little longer than usual. I'd try to steer away from the floral foam, but thats me. For a hygrometer, I'd suggest a digital one. I use a 5 ct travel herf for my every day use to limit how often i need to get in the bigger box. Its not too hard to take care of your smokes. You just need the right tools. Hope this helps.
  • DSWarmackDSWarmack Posts: 1,426
    You can get floral foam in Iraq, and if you get this anytime soon, call me ASAP @ DSN 314-486-5942. I was in Balad Yesterday, and will more than likely be going back through there tomorrow. I can hook you up with a few decent sticks to hold you over till I get back and bomb the *** out of you. Gimme a call.
  • xmacroxmacro Posts: 3,402
    Thanks for your service!

    As for humidification, you can go the floral foam/cigar juice, but be aware that it has a tendency to grow mold, so it may not be ideal. If you can, try to get some humidity beads, either from Heartfelt (more expensive, but they sell come in nifty containers), or Conservagel (half the price of Heartfelt, same beads; just don't come in containers you can put in a humi)

    If you can get your hands on some Ccom water pillows, they last for years - just rehydrate them with distilled water (NOT de-ionized, or purified - only distilled water) when they get dry

    Lastly, for a humidor, all you need is an airtight container that'll hold humidity. The inside of a wooden humidor is spanish cedar, which does two things - 1) Helps maintain humidity, and 2) smells nice. Both are optional, especially since in your situation, a traditional humidor won't be able to hold humidity in that environment.

    The cigars themselves are your main source of humidity - the spanish cedar is secondary, and whatever else you use (foam/beads) is what supplies humidity when its lost. So to make an effective humidor, all you really need is an airtight/semi-airtight container, some cigars, and something to replentish humidity as it's lost, like a Ccom water pillow or foam/juice - that's about it. You can make a humidor out of anything from a tupperware container to a beer cooler, or anything else that can hold in humid air

  • mfotismfotis Posts: 720 ✭✭
    For a humidor I would go with a cooler, they're a dime a dozen, they'll keep out the dust over there better than anything else and you can spray it off when it gets to dirty and if you can’t get one I bet DSwarmack could bring you one from Doha.

    Second I would NOT/NOT use an ammo can, it's almost impossible to get the smell out of there and you don’t want to ruin your cigars. Also, depending on what type of ammo, the can may still have some residual particulates i.e. lead, cosmoline, gun powder, and you don’t want to be introducing that crap into your system.
  • DSWarmackDSWarmack Posts: 1,426
    Wait, so cosmoline is not good for ingestion? Oh $HIT... **Ralph** I talked to this guy this morning via phone. I explained a few things that he had questions about, and gave him a few ideas, like dont use the humidors they sell there because they are crap! I've got one of my bigger (1050) Herf-a-dors with me, I will drop it off to him if he is in need. As for a cooler, talk to supply, just like the pelican cases and such.
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