I like my tobacco fairly dry and usually dry the entire 12 oz. can to my liking and then reseal it. At the beginning of each week I open it and fill my daily leather tobacco pouch with a weeks worth or so for smoking. Usually by the end of the week the tobacco has dried out even more. We have had a lot of rain this week and the humidity level has been higher than usual for several days. Today I noticed when I was loading a bowl that the tobacco in my pouch that is usually quite dry has acquired a much higher mositure content than it had when I put it in the pouch this past Sunday evening. I have never noticed this before and leads me to believe that the outside humidity level can have a very noticeable moisture level effect on pouch tobacco when being carried around for everyday smoking.

Has anyone else ever noticed this?

It's called the skin diver effect.

OR,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,are you a cat fish noodler?

Out here in the mountain west (western CO) we seem to have the opposite problem. Unless things are sealed really tight they can go dry to the point of crumbling into dust fairly quickly. On the other hand, I don't think we have any of the problems with rust and corrosion of tins like you see in more humid areas. Pick you poison I guess.

Low outside humidity can effect the tobacco and rather quickly. Where I live when its low humidity it dries out quickly. During the monsson season when it rains a lot it takes a very noticeable longer time to dry out. Most of the time our humidity is 10 to 20 % and it take about 10 to 15 mins for to dry out. There are some tobaccos take a little longer but I think that is caused by PG or by extra wet tobacos. Rattrays is one that takes a few mins longer. I only dry one bowl at atime and that helps alot as well. The desert is a strange place to live. I have heard that in Western Colorado that there are times when the humidity is very low. Mark where you live is fairl high humidity so naturally it will take longer. The weather does effect it for sure. If you want to talk more about it send me your number and I'll be happy to call. I might be able to exsplain it better on the phone. Remember that tobacco is almost like a wick and will soak up moisture from whereever. My mentor taught about this the first day . He spent almost 40 years then smoking a pipe. He now lives in Texas and has a higher humidity and he said it took him a few days to get use to drying his tobacco out the way he likes it.

Interesting information fellows!

Regor I will send you my number. Call me anytime. If for nothing else just to chat. I love the desert. You know that Jo and I have been out there a few times. She fell in love with it too. I can see myself out there permantly someday. I had the privilage of meeting Mike Miller and Gary Yovan one time when I was out there. I hope to make it out there asometime to meet you in person Regor.

When in the deep south in the 'humid months' I don't smoke my pipe. Ditto for out in the Gulf.
The tobacco aquires so much moisture that I get burn issues and gurgles with pipes that smoke awesome in other climates.

So in the summer time we can say that Mark is all wet? LOL. I remember that visit Mark and it was good to meet you. I still say that your wife was not ill and you cancelled the dinner you were supposed to buy us when you saw how big Mike and I were.

Interesting, Last week, I had a guy over measuring the "inside" humidity of our house. It's in the mid- 20's. I'm trying to get it up to at least the mid- 30's. Our humidity here (Edmonton) is pretty low.

Paul