Cold Weather Herfing Tips

It’s hard to believe it’s been 4 full years since I originally posted my article on Cold Weather Herfing Tips, back when these reviews and articles were hosted on the “Tiki Bar Online.” I couldn’t get out to review a cigar today or yesterday because the weather is so picking cold here at the moment, so I thought it would be a good time to revisit that article and maybe update it a bit…

Coat

Simple, right? Mostly it is, but just a few things I wanted to point out. I bought a coat at Old Navy about 13 years ago. It’s black, made of a wool and synthetic blend, and is considered pretty warm for SoCal. It works to some degree here, too, but only when used in layers (which I’ll get to next week). What I like about this coat is that it provides a good amount of insulation without being too bulky. A parka would undoubtedly be far better, but it would also limit the movement of your arms and make you look like that kid in A Christmas Story. Not a good thing. I’ve also found that my coat doesn’t reek of tobacco smoke very quickly. Something about the wool tends to shed the odor pretty quickly…at least, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. (This is the exact same paragraph I wrote 4 years ago…I’m still using that Old Navy jacket and it still works great!)

Gloves

The first pair of gloves I tried smoking with were insulated leather Isotoner gloves. While they kept my hands warm, I always found it difficult to hold a cigar with completely gloved hands. It was just too hard to tell if I was holding too tight or too loosely so my cigar was always in danger of either dropping out of my hand or getting squeezed flat (in cold weather, a broken wrapper would be the greater danger of squeezing too tight). Also, if I was reading a book or magazine, gloved fingers would make it absolutely impossible to flip pages. When I originally wrote this, I had found a pair of knit fingerless gloves and I used them for about 3 years with no problem.

Last year, I switched to the pictured Carhartt flip gloves…they are mittens, but the solid fingers (and thumbs) flip back to allow you to have fingerless gloves. Best of both worlds I guess. They have magnets in both the fingers and thumbs portions to hold the fabric back in place. The only thing lacking is actual warmth…I find these just don’t keep my fingers as warm as I would like. Might be time to explore more options.

Pants

In the original article, I talked about 5.11 Tactical flannel-lined pants. I still have them and they still do a good job…but they are harder to find now days, so I can present you with a better option: Carhartt flannel-lined jeans.

Not only are they easier to find, they are generally more comfortable than the 5.11 pants and they tend to be warmer, too. Really, I want to buy a second pair of these myself

Boots

This one’s a repeat from the original article: One way to keep your feet warm and prevent cold air from creeping between the bottom of your pants and top of your shoes is to wear boots. Hiking boots, combat boots, cowboy boots…it probably does not matter that much as long as the boots are decently comfortable and fairly well insulated to begin with. I just picked up these 5.11 ATAC Storm boots this month. They are very comfortable, waterproof and slip-resistant…which can be an issue for wet or icy conditions. The bonus part is that came with a boot knife and a place to conceal it, so if anyone tries to lay hands on my stogie…they might just get what’s coming to them! 🙂

Layers

I mentioned layering in the original article and I will mention it again here: layering your clothes does absolutely work. I do plan on heading out for a short cigar in a few minutes. I plan on putting on my boots, which will layer over my socks and overlap my flannel-lined jeans. I already have a long-sleeve t-shirt on, to which I will add a flannel shirt, then either a jacket or a sweatshirt…then probably my gloves, a scarf, and definitely some type of hat. I will look like an Eskimo out there smoking a cigar…but I will be warm.

Wind Protection

Find shelter if you can. You can layer up…you can talk about the difference between a wet cold and a dry cold…but the biggest thing that will sap your warmth and destroy your will to be out in it is a nice stiff breeze. If it’s 40 degrees and perfectly still, I can usually sit outside for an hour or more. If it’s 50 degrees and windy, I might be able to stand 30 minutes.

Get behind a wind break…in a barn…in this garage…whatever.

Heater

And when you’ve gotten in the shelter, think about a heater. I have an electric space heater in my mini-barn. It will cut the chill by about 10 to 15 degrees. If I was confident enough that I wouldn’t burn down the mini-barn with a propane space heater, I might be able to get 20 degrees of relief…but I wouldn’t recommend that unless you have a concrete (or dirt) floor and at least a little ventilation so you don’t suffocate yourself.

Cigar Choice

The last thing to say is about choosing the right cigar. Delicate, thin wrapper leaves like Connecticut Shade or Cameroon really don’t like cold, dry weather much. I’ve smoked a few Connys in the cold and had them simply just pop on me in the middle of smoking. These wrappers could stand a little extra humidification on a good day…and with the cold and dryness outside, they just don’t stand a chance.

Instead, make this the time to choose a good Connecticut Broadleaf, San Andres…or just about any type of Maduro. Maduro leaves tend to hold more moisture in the first place, making them more suitable for cold, dry weather. And they have more elasticity and toughness, so they won’t be as prone to breaking.

I hope I’ve made sense to you all and helped you to enjoy your cigars a little bit better during the colder weather…whether that be 60 degree bitter chill of SoCal or Florida, or the Arctic blasts of Northern Tier states. Happy smokes to you all.