building a coolidor

Originally Posted by gray8188

Excuse my ignorance I'm still learning lol. But what would the advantages be with the 65% over the 70% beads? And anybody recommend a good cooler brand that tends to have a good seal?

As far as a coolers go I have a Coleman and am really pleased. Like I believe I said before it was $16 for this 48QT. In all honesty just go ahead and buy one like this because a) it is dirt cheap b) you will need a bigger one before you realize. I thought I would never fill this one up and I am almost at maximum capacity.

I have the red but they also make it in the blue as shown here.


If you buy your cooler in person let the lid drop shut from like half way open. If you hear a swoosh when it closes or feel it push air when it shuts closed then it has a good seal. You can also do a dollar bill test I guess but that is more for wooden humidors.


As far as the beads go, the benefit is that with the 65% beads your cigars stay around 63-65% versus the 68-70%. (The ranges are as the beads start to need recharging but in my experience they hold about dead on for a while). Now this next part is just my opinion and I am sure some others agree and some disagree. In my opinion anything above 67% makes my cigars too moist for how I like to smoke them. I prefer around 63% to be honest. So the benefit of 65% beads is that they keep your humidor at a slightly lower humidity. It comes down to personal preference, like I keep repeating like a broken record haha, on how moist you prefer your cigars. Like anything in life people may tell you that one way is the sure way to go and others tell you the exact opposite is the way to go. It ultimately comes down to your preference really. It also isn't that big of a deal as all this makes it seem. Just buy a cooler and some beads and you are set.