Need to protect equipment against huminity

joeinmiami

My place of residence is Miami, Florida. I like the warm weather, but in Miami besides the heat , we also get high humidity ( about 80 to 90 % just about every day)

Should I put some sort of desiccant inside my camera case to keep the equipment dry? and if so, Were could I buy this Stuff?

Thanks

Joe :rolleyes

Dogdots

joeinmiami wrote:

My place of residence is Miami, Florida. I like the warm weather, but in Miami besides the heat , we also get high humidity ( about 80 to 90 % just about every day)

Should I put some sort of desiccant inside my camera case to keep the equipment dry? and if so, Were could I buy this Stuff?

Thanks

Joe

That's an interesting question...I can't wait to see what people say.

ziggy53

Yes, desiccant packs are a good idea if you pack your equipment in a case that seals fairly well. In a typical soft camera bag I doubt that it is as effective.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/400258-REG/Aquapac_AQUA905_Desiccant_sachet_5_Pack_.html
http://www.adorama.com/AQU905.html?sid=1216470941773665

You can also buy bulk desiccant for larger applications like a large plastic storage tote (RubberMaid, for instance).

You can also take common instant rice and table salt, put into a "breathable" plastic bag and then the bag is left in the tote for 6 months and then discarded.

Silica gel is probably the most common but it needs to be "re-activated" when it becomes too saturated to provide continued protection. Bake the silica gel pouches at 150 degrees for about 10 hours. Alternately, if you remove the silica gel from the pouch/packet it can tolerate 350 degrees for 4 hours.

Photoskipper

My residence in tropical country too - but Asia

I found the gel is not sufficient for long run. I have been using the electrical dry box for the past 10 year and so far no fungus happen to my gears.

It is not a good feeling when I open up my camera bag after coming back from the the airport. I feel the lenses and camera bodies were cold and moist. It is necessary to keep them immediately in the dry box for a day or two. The humidity started from 70 % down to 45% in 2 days.