By no means do I think this should replace an actual humidor. But it did occur to me, while calibrating the hygrometer for my new humidor. That doing the same thing but instead of putting in the hygrometer in the bag, put in the cigars. This will only hold the size of the bag. But I did leave the hygrometer in the bag for a few days and the humidity stayed at 75, a bit high for most people, but better than nothing if you are really stuck. Once you open the bag though I would suggest adding some more water, as the salt has dried out and opening the bag allows some of the humidity to escape.
The method I used to calibrate my hygrometer:
1. Place a teaspoon of salt in a bottle cap or small cup and dampen it with a few drops of water (without dissolving it).
2. Carefully place the wet salt and the hygrometer inside a see-through container and close tightly. You can use a zip lock bag provided it seals well and you leave some air inside as well.
3. Let it sit for at least 6 hours and note the reading on the hygrometer without opening the container. The hygrometer should should read 75%.
4. The difference is how much your hygrometer is off. For example, if your hygrometer reads 70% during the salt method test this means that to obtain the real humidity level you should add 5 points.
5. If you have an analog hygrometer, you can correct the reading. You will need to adjust the needle to the 75% mark by turning the screw on the back using a small screwdriver. Your hygrometer is now ready to be placed inside your humidor.
