How do I set up a coolerdor?
Cigars need a happy place to live. Desktop humidors are usually rather pricey, so here’s an inexpensive way to keep the cigars and your wallet happy.
1. Buy a 50-60 quart Coleman-style cooler at your local store. (For rapidly expanding collections, consider 120-quart coolers instead.)
2. Wash and rinse the inside of the cooler with dish soap and water.
3. Leave it propped open and in the sun (if possible) for several days to get rid of the plastic smell.
4. Make a large humidifying element (see related article). Building a humidification element Instead of using a small puck-shaped container, use a sandwich-sized plasticware container.
5. Get a digital hygrometer and calibrate it using the salt test (see related article). Hygrometer Calibration
6. Keep your cigars in their original boxes, and place them inside the cooler.
7. Put the humidifying element on top of one of the boxes. Place your digital hygrometer it in there too. Try to establish and maintain a 70 degree Fahrenheit / 70% Relative Humidity environment.
8. Keep the lid tightly closed except when you’re playing with your cigars. That makes them happy.
9. (optional) If you feel like it, you can line the inside faces with Spanish Cedar (Cedrela Odorata), but it’s expensive, it is generally not necessary, and takes up space that could be used for cigars. Do NOT use Red or White Cedar – they will ruin your cigars... but they may end up smelling like a well-stored blanket.