A Wintertime Question

[ChanceSchmerr]

Hey Everyone,

Here's a question for everyone for all you folks like me that have to enjoy your cigars outside...

Had a couple of friends over last night to try a new Scotch I recently got as a gift (Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban), and we soon headed outdoors for a cigar. I was having a Monte 2 from Czar, my buddy I gave a LGC Tainos. Though we were in warm jackets, we soon froze all our appendages, and though my Monte 2 was fantastic, I was more focused on switching hands so that my fingers wouldn't lose all feeling in them. Temperature was about -5 C .... about 24 F or so, if I'm not mistaken. Stupid Canada, I hate winter so much!!!!

Anyway, my question is - For those that smoke primarily outdoors, what is the coldest temperature you'll brave in order to enjoy a fine habanos smoke? And does it affect which cigar you'll choose if it's colder outside? (Full bodied vs. Light Bodied, shorter cigar vs. longer cigar)

I'd say last night's -5 C was about my limit. What's yours?

PS I know it's Summer in Australia - lucky Aussies! I'm going white with envy over here......or maybe that's just the cold!

[thechenman]

I too do the bulk of my smoking outdoors, only on occassion at my local B&M. My limit is usually 32*F. Colder than that and I just don't smoke. Of course with wind chill, often times if feels colder than 32*F outdoors. I have a fire pit that I will light up if I have friends coming over to smoke cigars. If it is just my and I'm being lazy, I have a propane heating lamp on the backyard patio, or I might just use a portable heater that I take out to the front porch from the garage. The portable is electrical, not gas. Being outdoors in the winter it does not do that much, but does manage to take a little of the edge off. Too make life easier, I've been thinking of installing a gas fire pit in the backyard and also putting up heating lamps on my front porch.

[cigarros]

In Russia winters almost same as in Canada Some years ago I smoked on winter fishing my cigar, don't remember which one, not long, probably it was RyJ No3. Temperature was about -20 C.... about -4 F

It was excellent!! It's my personal record

[CigarLouie]

What is the best solution for keeping the warmest with outdoor heating? Would it be the patio heaters, like the one with propane that you sit under? I thought about getting one, because I just hate smoking outside when it's cold.

[BolivarSmoker]

What is the best solution for keeping the warmest with outdoor heating? Would it be the patio heaters, like the one with propane that you sit under? I thought about getting one, because I just hate smoking outside when it's cold.

Propane patio heaters work great. Mine will get so warm that I have to turn it down because the top of my head gets so hot. I back the cars out of the garage, crack the door, fire up the propane patio heater and light my cigar. It keeps the wind out of your way, which sometimes makes it feel even colder. If it is REALLY cold (I'm in the southeastern US so by really cold, I mean in the low 30s F)I start the heater 30 minutes or so before I actually go out to smoke, then the garage is nice and warm when I finally go out there to have a cigar. Only downside is that these nice propane patio heaters will eat up the propane if you keep them on high a lot.

[Jesuscookies]

Does no one else have a jacuzzi?

That's where all my best outdoor winter smoking is done.

Also as an aside, be careful with propane heaters, especially in your garage. Propane is an asfixiyant(SP?) it replaces oxygen, and will kill you in a matter of minutes if you do not have proper ventiliaton....

[samb]

I think the coldest Ive smoked in was probably about 25 degrees. Since being exiled to the outdoors, I smoke in my car with the windows cracked. I will just bundle up and as long as im not in the wind, its not too bad.

[Wiley]

In the garage with a solid heater, and a cheap, strong cigar. In my opinion, cigars lose their subtleties when it's really cold.

[gfoster]

You guys are way manlier than I am. I'm a regular big girl's blouse when it comes to the cold. It's down to the low 30's here and I've given up the cigars even in the garage until it warms up (or I'm somewhere like a lounge where I can be warm).

-- Gary F.

[samb]

You guys are way manlier than I am. I'm a regular big girl's blouse when it comes to the cold. It's down to the low 30's here and I've given up the cigars even in the garage until it warms up (or I'm somewhere like a lounge where I can be warm).

-- Gary F.

Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, you put a deadly weapon to your face every morning, but ya wont take a little cold? Hehe At least your smokes will get a few months of age on 'em during the winter months.

[jawofboston]

Poor bastards! I won't smoke cigars in the cold. I enjoy mine inside, next to a warm fire, with some rum. It's best when it's snowing outside - makes everything feel cozy.

[Rogers72]

For me, it depends on the occasion. If I am alone at my home, I usually won't venture out if it's below about 45F. If at home with a few friends and some good booze, maybe 35F if they are up for it. If at an event (camping, oyster roast, etc.) I will smoke no matter as there is usually a fire going somewhere.

[gfoster]

Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, you put a deadly weapon to your face every morning, but ya wont take a little cold? Hehe At least your smokes will get a few months of age on 'em during the winter months.

Yeah but when I'm shaving with my straight razors it's WARM in my bathroom. I sure wouldn't try shaving with them in the cold. My hands would be shivering so bad I'd slice myself a third nostril.

When we retire and buy our country place, I'm going to build myself a man cave with a pool table, a pinball machine, a recliner, my large flat screen TV, a wetbar, a potbelly stove and a large well stocked cabinet humidor. I'll build it in a separate building apart from the house and my wife won't be able to yell at me for "stinking up the garage".

-- Gary F.

[samb]

Yeah but when I'm shaving with my straight razors it's WARM in my bathroom. I sure wouldn't try shaving with them in the cold. My hands would be shivering so bad I'd slice myself a third nostril.

When we retire and buy our country place, I'm going to build myself a man cave with a pool table, a pinball machine, a recliner, my large flat screen TV, a wetbar, a potbelly stove and a large well stocked cabinet humidor. I'll build it in a separate building apart from the house and my wife won't be able to yell at me for "stinking up the garage".

-- Gary F.

That 3rd nostril would give you all the more flavor when you blow the smoke out your nose, lol.

"Stinking up the garage"??? lol, its just a garage...

[gfoster]

She's ultra-paranoid about the smell drifting into the house. She doesn't normally give me grief for them, so I can deal with that concession and she is the one that bought me my first box of cigars anyway. Of course there are also certain "fringe" benefits to being married to her so it's not that hard of a compromise. I normally roast coffee in the garage and that stinks up the place pretty badly anyway (well, I think it smells good, she is much more sensitive to it and the roasting coffee smoke makes her ill) and I have been enjoying smoking my cigars while roasting because it's a rare moment in the day when I can just sit and relax.

I was sitting there smoking a stogie and reading a book while roasting coffee and she came out into the garage with her hair on fire and yelling at me about making the house stink or something. Wouldn't have bothered me that much but I handed her my choix supreme to try and pacify her (she normally likes a draw or two off my cubans) and she ended up waving her arms around and yelling at me with it in her hand and by the time she was done it had long since gone out. I tried to rescue it to no avail, it was bitter and I had lost my "relaxed enjoyment" mood anyway. I was a bit put off, to say the least. Now she gives me the stink eye unless I open up all the garage doors, and at that point the place is just too damned cold for my weenie californianized candy ass to deal with so I will instead let my cigars age during the winter.

She's gotten in the habit of giving me things to do anytime she sees me sitting down relaxing, so I really need that "man cave" to get out of sight, out of mind so to speak... I think there's something deep in a woman's psyche that can't stand seeing a man loafing even if he's been busting his ass all day previously.

-- Gary F.

[canucks6024]

She's ultra-paranoid about the smell drifting into the house. She doesn't normally give me grief for them, so I can deal with that concession and she is the one that bought me my first box of cigars anyway. Of course there are also certain "fringe" benefits to being married to her so it's not that hard of a compromise. I normally roast coffee in the garage and that stinks up the place pretty badly anyway (well, I think it smells good, she is much more sensitive to it and the roasting coffee smoke makes her ill) and I have been enjoying smoking my cigars while roasting because it's a rare moment in the day when I can just sit and relax.

I was sitting there smoking a stogie and reading a book while roasting coffee and she came out into the garage with her hair on fire and yelling at me about making the house stink or something. Wouldn't have bothered me that much but I handed her my choix supreme to try and pacify her (she normally likes a draw or two off my cubans) and she ended up waving her arms around and yelling at me with it in her hand and by the time she was done it had long since gone out. I tried to rescue it to no avail, it was bitter and I had lost my "relaxed enjoyment" mood anyway. I was a bit put off, to say the least. Now she gives me the stink eye unless I open up all the garage doors, and at that point the place is just too damned cold for my weenie californianized candy ass to deal with so I will instead let my cigars age during the winter.

She's gotten in the habit of giving me things to do anytime she sees me sitting down relaxing, so I really need that "man cave" to get out of sight, out of mind so to speak... I think there's something deep in a woman's psyche that can't stand seeing a man loafing even if he's been busting his ass all day previously.

-- Gary F.

Here, Here.

thanks for sharing Gary, I cannot agree any more

Phil

[samb]

She's ultra-paranoid about the smell drifting into the house. She doesn't normally give me grief for them, so I can deal with that concession and she is the one that bought me my first box of cigars anyway. Of course there are also certain "fringe" benefits to being married to her so it's not that hard of a compromise. I normally roast coffee in the garage and that stinks up the place pretty badly anyway (well, I think it smells good, she is much more sensitive to it and the roasting coffee smoke makes her ill) and I have been enjoying smoking my cigars while roasting because it's a rare moment in the day when I can just sit and relax.

I was sitting there smoking a stogie and reading a book while roasting coffee and she came out into the garage with her hair on fire and yelling at me about making the house stink or something. Wouldn't have bothered me that much but I handed her my choix supreme to try and pacify her (she normally likes a draw or two off my cubans) and she ended up waving her arms around and yelling at me with it in her hand and by the time she was done it had long since gone out. I tried to rescue it to no avail, it was bitter and I had lost my "relaxed enjoyment" mood anyway. I was a bit put off, to say the least. Now she gives me the stink eye unless I open up all the garage doors, and at that point the place is just too damned cold for my weenie californianized candy ass to deal with so I will instead let my cigars age during the winter.

She's gotten in the habit of giving me things to do anytime she sees me sitting down relaxing, so I really need that "man cave" to get out of sight, out of mind so to speak... I think there's something deep in a woman's psyche that can't stand seeing a man loafing even if he's been busting his ass all day previously.

-- Gary F.

I think we all need a "man cave", lol. I of course have the same problem with mine... She throws a fit if I wanna go out to the car, since Ive been exiled to the outside at her request, and have a smoke, and I think your right about the "psyche" theory there... They dont want us to be happy unless its with them, and only them . But I can usually manage a smoke in if shes working late or whatnot and its probably beneficial anyway since cigars are bad for the health and it also gives my collection time to age since I dont smoke them in excess.

[Bartolomeo]

Here in NC, its the crappy time of year, cold and cold.........I use my Chiminea on the back deck to offset some of the cold, probably about 35* is my limit then I will puss out and head inside......I do not smoke in the garage as it stinks it up and then I will never hear the end of it

Bart

[Bahnofstrasse]

It gets a bit chilly here in San Diego this time of year...I refrain from lighting up sub 60F

[anacostiakat]

I turned the heat off while we were at work and it was 63 F when we got home tonight. Didnt affect my cigar at all.

[jquest63]

Having lived in New England 7 years, I feel your pain. However, to answer your question, I have smoked outside in temperatures below 0 F. The lowest semi comfortable temp was -10 F. When it got below that, we retreated to ice fishing houses on the lake, garages and our cars, where heating options were available. The temperature outside would reach -30 F outside in dead of winter and stay there for a week or two. Found -30 F to be uncomfortable with or without a cigar. Car batteries were either brought indoors or we connected to the house to keep warm. My car literally froze outside once and had to be towed to a garage to thaw out. Jump starting it did not work. Learned my lesson. Also, do not drink alcohol in extremely cold weather and stay outdoor. Boozes feels good and warm going down. However, that's the heat leaving your body.

[SnakeHips]

It's about -6*F here with the wind chill right now, so I don't think I'll be doing anything outside tonight, let alone sitting still for over an hour. If the air were calm, I'd man up and smoke, but I absolutely will not do it in the wind at any temperature, particularly this one.

[Jesuscookies]

I think I am going to get me a fudgsicle. I'm a little hungry.

[Ellery]

The cold doesn't bother me, its the wind. Don't have an exact temp, but I've smoked while it was snowing outside, but once it gets windy...thats my cue to go inside. I use to smoke in the basement, and in the car, but now that we have a newborn, all of that goes out the window.

[Evo03]

I don't really enjoy smoking in the cold or the wind. Luckily my garage stays fairly warm, plus I've got an electric heater. After I'm done, I open the garage door for 10 minutes to vent. The wife never notices any smell inside the house.