Humidity VS Tobacco

PhilosoPiper

Living in Houston, arguably the swampiest, most humid place on the face of the Earth... (At least when I am being hyperbolic)

I tend to spend most of my time deciding whether or not the moisture in the air on any given day is too much to fool with attempting to smoke my pipe.

Unfortunately there aren't many months aside from 2/12 where the humidity isn't a complete issue.

I was curious as to what you guys tend to smoke on those particularly balmy, even rainy, days.

Or... Do you even smoke at all on days such as these?

What tips or tricks have you picked up over time to combat this? (i.e. drying times, certain blends, certain pipes/pipe shapes, bowl size, etc.)

daveinlax

"What tips or tricks have you picked up over time to combat this?"
Moderation is the key.
I would just smoke in your house in moderation. Start out with one bowl of a light pleasant aro like 1Q and go from there. Other than a few perfect days a year I wouldn't enjoy a pipe out in the elements.

PhilosoPiper

@daveinlax, I wish I could. 

As I am renting I cannot smoke my pipe indoors.

ghostsofpompeii

I've never let weather be an issue. Of course I can't go outside and smoke in the rain. But I can go in the garage and open the door, turn on a couple of fans to recirculate the air when it's hot and sticky. And during the winter months I'll turn on a space heater when it's cold as a glacier and go for those small bowl pipes for a quickie smoke. But currently my main deterrent to outdoor smoking outdoor is the friggin' mosquitoes. They can dictate whether or not I'll be smoking in either my front porch or backyard picnic table ... or retreating to the relative safety of my garage. But since they massed in swarms like those alien insects in Super Troopers I can't even open the garage door. And these mosquitoes seem to be much nastier than years past ... bites become red and swollen for days. And with all the diseases these little bastards are known to carry I'm afraid to take a chance on an evening smoke.    

xDutchx

If I am having problems drying my tobacco due to high humidity conditions, I usually spread the tobacco out on a plate, and allow it to sit for an hour or two in front of a small fan. Once I get the tobacco to the humidity level I prefer, I will put it in a Tupperware style container to preserve that ideal moisture level.

I can't say that I have ever felt that humidity in the air, affected my pipe smoking in a negative way. However, I usually smoke indoors, or inside my truck with the windows a portion of the way down.

If I had a landlord who had a no smoking rule, I would most likely feel challenged.

PhilosoPiper

@Ghostsofpompeii, Mosquitoes are quite the issue for me as well. I've seen some that could carry off small animals if they were so inclined.

@xDutchx, The humidity here definitely effects my smoke. I have been having to do something similar to your method of drying tobaccos to make it easier to smoke. Or just not smoke at all until I can get to my local B&M.

The no smoking rule we have state's "nowhere on the premises". However, he has seen me smoking 3 times at this point on the porch and hasn't said a word! So I think I am on the clear, as long as I am not indoors!

Woodsman

Jersey Mosquitos are infamous, they actually drove the early Swedish Settlers out. It's too humid when you can't get your matches to light. I smoke when it's humid and if it's too hot I wait till evening like I did today.

PappyJoe

@philosopiper - As someone very well acquainted with the native bird of SE Texas and the fact that they are descendants of Pterodactyls, I think you overstate the swampiness of Houston. You want swamp? Travel a little further east to the Golden Triangle of Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange. Even then for the real swamp, you have to cross the state line into Louisiana where the mosquitos are so big they are used for gator bait.

PhilosoPiper

@pappyjoe, I was born and raised in Port Neches. I know all about the swamp that is the Golden Triangle. All of my family is from Lawtell, Opolousas, and Lafeyette. I am pretty sure my blood is swamp water.

PappyJoe

I was born in Port Arthur. Graduated from South Park in Beaumont in 1971. All my sisters still live in Vidor.