Smokey's Bomb-proof Stick-a-dor v2.0
dutyje
Posts: 2,263 ✭
I do a lot of backpacking. I've always wanted to have a cigar with me to smoke by the fire at the end of the day, while sipping on the rum or tequila I've packed along. The problem has always been protecting the cigar, especially because I smash everything down into my pack.
Smoke's ingenious PVC stick-a-dor motivated me to try something very similar. I went to Home Depot and bought some white PVC from the plumbing section. It's labeled as 3/4" PVC, but using a caliper, I've been able to determine that the inside diameter is .9" and the outside diameter is 1.03". It won't bend when cut to the lengths used for this application, although you can get it to flex in lengths over a foot.
I've found that this size is perfect for cigars in the 54-and-under ring with the cellophane on. Anything larger than that won't fit in this stick-a-dor. A 54-ring cigar fits very snugly, without compressing, in the tube. If you're looking to take along exotic shapes and sizes (like tons of Gurkhas), you'll need a different size of PVC.
But here's where it gets interesting. I've been saving the cedar sheets from cigars that come wrapped in them. They stay in my humi, all curled together around a random small stick. If I'm putting a smaller ring (50 or less) cigar in the stick-a-dor, I will put it inside these (already seasoned) cedar sheets to add thickness for protection, and a better humi-like environment. A 50-ring toro fits perfectly with a couple cedar sheets (to cover its whole length).
My humidification method is slightly different (cheaper, lazier). I've cut sponge into small rectangles that fit snugly inside the PVC tube as well. I've cut tubes to two different lengths. One length is meant to hold cigars of 6 inches or less, and the other is meant to hold cigars over 6 inches. I use regular push-on-style end caps, and the sponges sit half-in-the-tube/half-in-the-cap.
The environment in the tube is so snug, that there is very little air left inside to dry out the cigar (think of your cigars that come in a tube. However, if humidity is a concern, wet the sponges with distilled water (or PG solution) and wring them out very, very well... so that they're just damp. You don't want to soak your cigars. The sponges also act as protective cushioning for the ends of the cigar.
You wouldn't want to put a cigar in this without the cellophane. It's your last barrier from the wet sponge on either end. It's also nice to have the cedar covering the entire length of the cigar, although this will likely shift a bit in transit.
As an improvement, you could use the green floral foam glued into the end caps (a la Smoke's idea). Or you could make the tube longer and shove in one of those short tubes of beads. Another improvement would be to buy some spanish cedar and use a hole saw to create plugs which would act as a small separator between the cigar and the humidification.
The original plan was to take this baby backpacking with me this past weekend, but my partner bailed. I piloted this method on a day hike in Great Smoky (tribute?) Mountains National Park. Worked flawlessly.
Thanks for the invention, Smoke!
Smoke's ingenious PVC stick-a-dor motivated me to try something very similar. I went to Home Depot and bought some white PVC from the plumbing section. It's labeled as 3/4" PVC, but using a caliper, I've been able to determine that the inside diameter is .9" and the outside diameter is 1.03". It won't bend when cut to the lengths used for this application, although you can get it to flex in lengths over a foot.
I've found that this size is perfect for cigars in the 54-and-under ring with the cellophane on. Anything larger than that won't fit in this stick-a-dor. A 54-ring cigar fits very snugly, without compressing, in the tube. If you're looking to take along exotic shapes and sizes (like tons of Gurkhas), you'll need a different size of PVC.
But here's where it gets interesting. I've been saving the cedar sheets from cigars that come wrapped in them. They stay in my humi, all curled together around a random small stick. If I'm putting a smaller ring (50 or less) cigar in the stick-a-dor, I will put it inside these (already seasoned) cedar sheets to add thickness for protection, and a better humi-like environment. A 50-ring toro fits perfectly with a couple cedar sheets (to cover its whole length).
My humidification method is slightly different (cheaper, lazier). I've cut sponge into small rectangles that fit snugly inside the PVC tube as well. I've cut tubes to two different lengths. One length is meant to hold cigars of 6 inches or less, and the other is meant to hold cigars over 6 inches. I use regular push-on-style end caps, and the sponges sit half-in-the-tube/half-in-the-cap.
The environment in the tube is so snug, that there is very little air left inside to dry out the cigar (think of your cigars that come in a tube. However, if humidity is a concern, wet the sponges with distilled water (or PG solution) and wring them out very, very well... so that they're just damp. You don't want to soak your cigars. The sponges also act as protective cushioning for the ends of the cigar.
You wouldn't want to put a cigar in this without the cellophane. It's your last barrier from the wet sponge on either end. It's also nice to have the cedar covering the entire length of the cigar, although this will likely shift a bit in transit.
As an improvement, you could use the green floral foam glued into the end caps (a la Smoke's idea). Or you could make the tube longer and shove in one of those short tubes of beads. Another improvement would be to buy some spanish cedar and use a hole saw to create plugs which would act as a small separator between the cigar and the humidification.
The original plan was to take this baby backpacking with me this past weekend, but my partner bailed. I piloted this method on a day hike in Great Smoky (tribute?) Mountains National Park. Worked flawlessly.
Thanks for the invention, Smoke!
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Comments
And stick-a-dor...I like it!
I too use the spanish cedar wrappings from past smokes to line it with. But looking at your improvement ideas, I think I am going to take some spanish ceder cut with a hole saw to the proper dimension to fit inside the tube, drill a few more holes in it to allow moisture passage, and voila...a barrier between my foam and cigar.
http://www.cigar.com/cigars/viewcigar.asp?prod=M-CIO3400
i like it because if i go out on the trail with another person i usually am the one to supply the sticks so i need to have more than one on hand. i never put more then 4 cigars in there and i use beads in an old tubo with holes punched in it for humidification. the thing seals so damn tight that i can go months without recharging the beads.
it may even be closer to one pound.
I'm gonna start a forum on how I made a humidor by buying one online and then setting it on the dresser... the end
But on a side note there is a "Severe Thunderstorm" watch for my area now... so there may not even be a Dern Cigar tonight afterall!!! GAH! Stupid Woman laying down the law that I can't smoke inside...
Well, she isn't back till sunday... hmmm *raises eyebrow in a sinister way*
The wife's coming back on Friday, so I'll be back to my one-a-week pace after that. I'm really pleased with the sampler I've gone through in the past week, though. Some really good stuff -- especially that Playboy.