This is not true for shilala's beads! As with any product in a poorly sealed environment, Scott's beads will need to be re-calibrated periodically, but they will be able to go much longer before re-calibration is required than the silica or PG based products.

Scott's beads are set to maintain an equilibrium at 65% RH. They add or absorb moisture as needed, and for their size they handle much more moisture than other beads or silica (or PG) products.
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[quote=CigarNut;708375]You could also use one of Shilala's bead sticks -- they are about the size of a double corona and they work great (I have one each in my 15 and 25 cigar caddies).

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I own a lot of Scott's beads so I'm not knocking him or his product at all but my concern would be the mess they leave behind. If they are in a vino temp or cooler it's no big deal but his beads are so fine that a lot of the media falls out of the bag everytime they are touched, nevermind moved. If you were going to use these in a travel humidor I'd think there would be cleaner options out there like the pack, the sheet, or the pillows.
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I Understand That & Use Scott's Beads In My Coolidors; They Work Great!:-)

I Talked To Scott About A "Leaky" Desktop Humidor I Had & He Graciously Repaired It. Even Scott Said That His Beads Cannot Maintain The 65% That Boveda Does in An Unstable Environment. I Have Used 65%RH Boveda Packs For 3 Years Now On All My Desktop Humis. The Ones That Have Large Leaks Use Up The Boveda Packs More Quickly. The RH Never Varies More Than 1-2 Points. Boveda Packs Contained Purified Water, NOT PG, BTW.
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Great! Thanks for all the help guys! It looks like I will be going with a Boveda pack!
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I also had no idea that Bovedas could be recharged. I know that they aren't "supposed" to be. Has anyone taken a rock-hard Boveda and actually recharged it into a soft good as new unit?
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I've done that with the ones that came out of Fuente boxes. Same pack or design I believe.

"I know that they aren't "supposed" to be"

LMAO. Pure marketing BS. It's a two way pack, it's sold as a two way pack, yet "you're not supposed to recharge it". Funny stuff. That's like telling you to throw out a set of Ni-Cad batteries when they run down.
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Would Definitely Save Me Some Dough If It Works!:-)
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There is something wrong with your media -- you might want to check with Scott on this. Having looked at the media and the beads, the beads are definately bigger than the "holes" in the cloth.

Like I said, I have been using the bead sticks in my cigar caddies for a couple of months without a problem. When I am not using the caddies I through the bead sticks back in my humidor.
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I guess I don't think that the Boveda can maintain the RH for very in an unstable environment either... You either need to replace the Boveda packs (or recharge them if you can -- not sure if this is possible). If you are having to replace the Boveda packs, then you can certainly recharge Scott's beads easier and at no additional cost.

BTW, I am not trying to say that Boveda packs are bad; I use them my self for some things. I am just trying to point out that there are some very good alternatives.
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Next Boveda that becomes solid, I'll hafta try it!! Would indeed save beaucoup bucks and make me less hesitant to use these freely.
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Just Speaking From Experience, Michael.:-) I've Even Spoken To Scott At Length On This Subject & Boveda Packs Are The Most Reliable For Me, Albeit The Most Expensive.:-) I Have a Large Humidor (300 Count) With A Side Hinged Door & Multiple Trays. The Only Way I Can Maintain 65 Throughout Is With 65 Boveda Packs.:-) My Coolidors, On The Other Hand, Stay Rock Solid 63-64 RH With Scott's Beads & No Maintenance. (Addendum): With Scott's Beads, The RH Would Stay At 63-64 For 2 Days, Then Drop In The Low To Mid 50's In That Same Humidor.
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Perhaps you are thinking of the Heartfelt beads? I do get a lot of "snow" from them. Which is why I use sheets or Bovedas in my travel humis.
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Nope. I have both and Scott's bags are unique, plus they have his name on them. :-)
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Like I said, I've brought the packs that Fuente uses back after they turned into a cracker - I think it's the same or similiar design pack as the Boveda.

One thing though, if you wait until they turn into a cracker, it takes a long time for them to come back. Grab them when they are just getting to that "thin" point, while they are still flexible, before they have gone rock solid, and lock them in a tupperware with a shotglass full of water for a while (maybe a week) and they'll absorb the moisture and puff back up.
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Thanks 4 the advice!
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I have some of Scott's beads and have noticed some of the beads do come out, but it's very minimal.:-) Actually if memory serves I asked Scott about it and he agreed that they will slough off a small amount over time.
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One of the seems split open on one of my bads, that certainly did help but I closed it back up with a little lighter and some melted nylon. :-)
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Water Pillows?? What RH do they maintain? More than not vendors use them when they ship cigars and I've never could find out the RH.

(Depending on application I will use beads or Boveda.)
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This happened to one of mine as well. My 1yr old daughter got ahold of it.
I used an iron to re-seal it.
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I don't think they maintain a certain RH. I believe they just release moisture at a slow rate.
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