Cigarettes? Dip?

[Vathek]

Posting this here because for us nicotine addicts it comes down to being self sufficient. Anyone other nicotine addicts considered what they'd don without their smokes, dip, chew? Anyone out there know how to grow and harvest tobacco? Obviously it depends on where you live, and I now reside in North Carolina and plan on staying in the area when I EAS. Just curious. I know, curiosity is one step out of the closet, but bear with me.

[Chef]

If you live in the Cigarette State, you will probably have a neighbor to barter with. Or at least an old-timer who could show you the ropes-- my whole family is from NC and most everyone had some sort of role on the supply side of the industry at some point. Nicotiana spp. grow well from Florida to at least Connecticut.

There's a pretty active "grow your own" movement going on in the UK right now, hasn't quite caught on here yet. They might have more in-depth information.

It'd probably be easier to grow for chaw than for cigarettes, given that smoking 'backer has requirements like proper curing and a supply of gummed rice paper.

Edit to add: I've kind of gotten into snus lately, that's a steam-curing process from what I've heard. Might be good to learn more about.

[Rev]

Growing tobacco is a bitch. It is very labor intensive but I wouldn't know how much work it is to grow tobacco just for yourself.

[Anomic1]

Id imagine 5-10 years into paw food will become less of an issue and consumables like tqbacco and alchohol will be valuable. How long will a carton of ciggs keep? In not a smooker but even if supply is not exhuasted the shelf life cant be long.

[the_alias]

Snus. Buy General brand. It is the best.
/thread.

[Confucius]

Id imagine 5-10 years into paw food will become less of an issue and consumables like tqbacco and alchohol will be valuable. How long will a carton of ciggs keep? In not a smooker but even if supply is not exhuasted the shelf life cant be long.

Cigarettes will go south fairly quickly.
Pipe tobacco on the other hand can last for a very long time in a mason jar.

[SlapNuts]

I guess I'd have to go back to smoking real cigs or quit all together. I've been vaping since May and have grown quite fond of my ecigs.

[Braxton]

I never thought of this!!!! Holy Shit, not only will the world be ending but I can't find a pack of Marlboro!! I guess I will be rollin my own out of butts I find. When I run out of papers I will switch to a pipe.

[KnightoftheRoc]

I've been considering this, in light of the absolutely insane taxation NYS has imposed on tobacco. I'm looking at the feasibility of growing my own in a greenhouse, and what the limitations on it might be. I do not intend to sell it, this is going to be purely for my own use. I have no wish to get involved in it as a business.

There are some good links in this forum that can point you to seed sellers that carry tobacco, so I suggest you start searching- you never know what OTHER good info may turn up as you go.

As far as the cigarettes vs pipe or snuff/chew question, I plan on going with a pipe. For one thing, I won't need to come up with rolling papers or filters or storage for rolled smokes. I can mason jar my cut/cured stuff, and then open it and load a pouch as needed. The pipe means no wasted tobacco, like in a cigar or cigarette butt, and no need to save them for re-use. A pipe can also be made from a HUGE variety of materials, so replacing one would not be a problem, either.

[Cavediver]

I'm pretty sure that I will run out of smokes, have my nic-fits, and be over the physical portion of the addiction a long, long time before I can come up with a substitute. I'll be happy to let them go at that point; I'll have more important things to deal with.

However...

Excessive taxation or laws that prohibit commercial tobacco distribution might be a different matter. Given time and nothing else to focus on, I might try to grow it for use in a pipe.

[KYZHunters]

We're just wrapping up the tobacco harvest here in Kentucky and commercial growing is very labor intensive. Plants are started in hydroponics and then set by hand or with a setter that requires each plant gets placed by hand in the machine; they are very fragile. Growing for your own consumption isn't too bad; they've developed seed strains that are very resistant to the various mosaic viruses but there is a lot of weeding involved and each plant has to be tended to remove shoots to promote large leaf growth. When it's mature though, there is a lot of work. The plants need to be hung to dry for several months and then the leaves stripped from their stalks. You can speed up the process by heating it up, a process akin to smoking meat. Here's a link: http://www.tobaccoheritagedays.com/heritage2.htm
As a member of the Lance Corporal underground I understand your concern for tobacco as it's part of the Lance Corporal Food Pyramid:

[Jaybow]

It would be a good time then to switch to a more "natural" and easily grown smoke.

[Sckitzo]

Smokes in AZ have gotten expensive as shit as well, was actually cheaper in parts of California unless I buy on base.

Both my parents and in laws pack their own, using one of those machines and pipe tobacco, you can buy 250 "blanks" for like 5 bucks. I did the math one time, 2 cartons came out to around 20-30 bucks IIRC. Might be one way of prepping is buy a few bags of the cheap pipe tobacco then the blanks and what not. Hell my Dad was rolling his with papers but that was just a PITA and way harsh.

[whisk.e.rebellion]

I went from smoking a carton of cigs a week ($50ish/week) to smoking a pipe. An ounce of tobacco runs me $3.25 and lasts about a week. Stockpiling won't replace growing your own, but pipe tobacco does keep a long time.

The last federal tax increase on tobacco was a buck a pack for cigs, but a buck a pound for pipe tobacco.

[Sckitzo]

I went from smoking a carton of cigs a week ($50ish/week) to smoking a pipe. An ounce of tobacco runs me $3.25 and lasts about a week. Stockpiling won't replace growing your own, but pipe tobacco does keep a long time.

The last federal tax increase on tobacco was a buck a pack for cigs, but a buck a pound for pipe tobacco.

I should try switching to a pipe again, couldn't get in to those damn E-Cigs.

I am curious on how long a pound of Pipe will last if left sealed. I know I've had Shisha that is three or four years old turn out fine, course that stuff is soaked in molasses.

[whisk.e.rebellion]

I am curious on how long a pound of Pipe will last if left sealed. I know I've had Shisha that is three or four years old turn out fine, course that stuff is soaked in molasses.

Next time I'm at my shop, I'll ask the pipe master if he's in.

[Cavediver]

Smokes in AZ have gotten expensive as shit as well, was actually cheaper in parts of California unless I buy on base.

Both my parents and in laws pack their own, using one of those machines and pipe tobacco, you can buy 250 "blanks" for like 5 bucks. I did the math one time, 2 cartons came out to around 20-30 bucks IIRC. Might be one way of prepping is buy a few bags of the cheap pipe tobacco then the blanks and what not. Hell my Dad was rolling his with papers but that was just a PITA and way harsh.

That used to be true. Pouch tobacco for cigarettes used to be seriously cheap. I believe that the last round of tax increases ended that little loophole

I went from smoking a carton of cigs a week ($50ish/week) to smoking a pipe. An ounce of tobacco runs me $3.25 and lasts about a week. Stockpiling won't replace growing your own, but pipe tobacco does keep a long time.

How often do you light up? I've thought about a pipe in the past, but I've yet to actually do anything about it.
ETA: We bought a pound of some sort of black cherry pipe tobacco once. In to the humidorish-like-box it went. Two weeks later the crappy free-with-the-humidorish-like-box Thompson cigars were much better. Not so much with the Acids and Romeos...

[whisk.e.rebellion]

How often do you light up? I've thought about a pipe in the past, but I've yet to actually do anything about it.
ETA: We bought a pound of some sort of black cherry pipe tobacco once. In to the humidorish-like-box it went. Two weeks later the crappy free-with-the-humidorish-like-box Thompson cigars were much better. Not so much with the Acids and Romeos...

Eh, maybe four times a day? Sometimes more, but I often end up wasting a bit of the tobacco since I don't get to finish.

[Vlad_Impaler]

Roll-your-own doesn't have to be harsh, depends on the tobacco. My favorite smoke shop has some very smooth stuff.

I have stored 2oz packets of rolling tobacco using a food saver and they were just fine 6-8 months later.

I suspect properly sealed in mason jars with an oxygen absorber they would go several years.

Growing your own if made part of an established garden doesn't look like a big deal. Tobacco was used as an insecticide in the old days, dried and powdered.

Curing traditionally is slow, curing in a ventilated box with a proper heat source would be much quicker.

Papers though... not so easy to make.

[Ronac_the_Brave]

When I was in basic training, we used to dip the instant coffee that came in MRE's. It worked alright. Hell of a buzz.

[Confucius]

I went from smoking a carton of cigs a week ($50ish/week) to smoking a pipe. An ounce of tobacco runs me $3.25 and lasts about a week. Stockpiling won't replace growing your own, but pipe tobacco does keep a long time.

The last federal tax increase on tobacco was a buck a pack for cigs, but a buck a pound for pipe tobacco.

I should try switching to a pipe again, couldn't get in to those damn E-Cigs.

I am curious on how long a pound of Pipe will last if left sealed. I know I've had Shisha that is three or four years old turn out fine, course that stuff is soaked in molasses.

I've heard that a sealed vacuum tin of pipe tobacco can last upwards of 50 years. Whether that's true or not, I'm not sure, but I've had jars stay good for a year and a half at least.

[Afromonk]

I chew Oliver twist and could easily stock up on that stuff
I chew maybe twice a day?
Maximum 5 times if i'm going out a lot or long car journeys.

[WJ_Tardis]

Check with your local laws before you think about growing. In sum places you have to jump through hoops.

Curing is easy: Half dry crop then put in (New!!!)mason jars, open and lay on side for a hour a day for three weeks more or less depending on your area. seal and forget.

Don't use old pickle / ect jars mason jars a cheep. you don't want you stuff to go bad because you half ass'ed it.

[Biggin]

I don't smoke often and when I do it's shisha from a hookah but in a TEOTWAWKI situation I would love to start haha! Seems like no better time to puff my life away.