outdoor smoking in the late fall/winter

I use a on top of tank propane heater in the garage and leave the bottom crack with a fan directed on low towards it....

Works well enough here in MD, in reality though, I scale back at home and limit it to the end of work week stop at the local lounge, nice and toasty...
 
Oh, a couple of tips for smoking in the cold. Try to smoke cigars with thicker wrappers. Moisten the cigar. I just run water, put my finger in the stream, then quickly rub the cigar. The faster you rub....oh wait....You just want to get a very light "coat" of water or even saliva on the wrapper to add some elasticity. Maduro wrappers fair best, Cameroon, among the worst. If your smokes are on the moist side of 14% moisture content, the risk goes way up that they will expand enough to crack an untreated wrapper, so, moistening it is a must.
Also, winter is a great time to try some of the European dry cured cigars, of which I've never had one crack on me. I'll probably try to order some Toscanos for a first try this winter.
 
Sadly I don't have much of a winter plan.  I've  tried numerous things, but it just never works out very well.  Winter usually means a brief hiatus from cigar smoking for me.  However, I have a buddy that just moved in nearby and he has a patio heater set up, so maybe we'll give it a go.
 
If I can't smoke, I just focus my time on buying cigars.
 
My local bought the building next to them and they plan on putting a smoking lounge in... So next winter should be easy.

Propane tank heater in the garage with door cracked for now
 
Fall is upon us here in Southern NH! Time to start stacking wood and putting away the patio Furnature and gassing up the propane tanks.
 
A friend of mine had one of those tall patio heaters.  It was fair, but we are also in Tennessee.  We've got a fire pit out back, and I've got a sun room if all else fails.
 
(Why in the world is it so hard to post links now?)
 
I think once the snow starts falling I might have to just give up on cigars. I can't imagine any size propane heater keeping me warm in a Michigan Winter.
 
Undegreed said:
 

 

 
 
If you have a patio space like on the right of that picture posted above, you might be OK. With the wind blocked on 2-3 sides, depending on the layout of your yard, One of those heaters may be good enough for you to get a cigar in.
Click to expand...
 
Before I built the cave I used a fire pit  with the house on one side and cords of firewood on two others. If it wasn't windy I was very comfortable. But in the wind, even with 3 sides protected, it was not an enjoyable experience. I moved from the fire pit into the garage then built the man cave.
 
Click to expand...
 
I used a similar set up before I built my smoking room / man cave.  We get pretty cold here in Ohio but I could always handle the temperature.  As everyone else has said, the wind was the worst part.  I constructed a high wind barrier of quilts and blankets.  It held off the wind fairly well but looked like something out of a hillbilly camping trip gone bad.  I think I'd first look at the wind protection before spending too much on a heater.
 
Not going to lie, smoking in the truck goes up 99% during winter months....

I smoke quite a bit in the rig during winter...
 
Normally my cold weather outdoor smoking looks something like....
 

[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12118]
 
 

 
I have tried the heater on the deck but it is a must to have a wind block.  Should you not be able to build a room like so many of us cannot the local cigar lounge is the best choice, no lounge close, then my garage serves as a fine backup plan and beacon to the other cigar smokers in the neighborhood that the lamp is lit.  I often consider building a temporary duck blind as a wind block on the deck to smoke.  There are many on the market which open and would allow some airflow for CO2 purposes.
 
I would ;love to have some of the other rooms that have been posted great places!
 
I'll smoke my pipes inside, in the garage/basement, but tend to keep the cigars outside. I live in a big stone row house in the Philly. Mine is right in the middle where the row is staggered, so my neighbors’ houses stick out further behind mine. There's no privacy on my deck, but I have nice little alcove to cut down on the wind. Once you take the wind out of the equation its just a question of dressing warm enough. Years of volunteering in the fire service and EMS have left me with a surplus of those heavy duty sweatshirts with the denim collars and arm patches, which are perfect for this sort of endeavor. 
 
golfgar said:
 
Normally my cold weather outdoor smoking looks something like....
 

 
 
 

 
I have tried the heater on the deck but it is a must to have a wind block.  Should you not be able to build a room like so many of us cannot the local cigar lounge is the best choice, no lounge close, then my garage serves as a fine backup plan and beacon to the other cigar smokers in the neighborhood that the lamp is lit.  I often consider building a temporary duck blind as a wind block on the deck to smoke.  There are many on the market which open and would allow some airflow for CO2 purposes.
 
I would ;love to have some of the other rooms that have been posted great places!
 
Click to expand...
Great Rig!
 
Not going to lie, the first cigars I ever smoked were Backwoods, in a pit blind in Northen Nevada... Very nice blinds - all fiberglass, with a heater and a stove...  It spoiled me...
Based on that, I began smoking cheapies to stay warm... It's amazing how much warmer it makes me...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top