Preferred desiccant?

[mbaza3]

Great deal at Gander mountain The same containers are selling for $25 or more on Ebay.

Gander Mountain® > Lockdown Silica Gel Can - Firearms > Gun Storage & Safes > Safes & Accessories :

 

[Sajer]

I just use the cheap ones from dollar general for $2.50 each. Put one in the safe and its good to go for 6 months.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

Um, yeah, I'd bolt it down anyway, but this just gives me another reason.

 

[CountryBoy19]

That stuff is actually called Fresh Step® Crystals and it is hard to find. Says Crystals right on the front of the bag.

I bought mine at a Petsmart IIRC. But I've seen it at a Walmart before (but not all Walmarts carry it).

IIRC, it cost me about $10 for a large bag of it, I think it was about 15 lbs...

 

[gabrigger]

I use the Remington rechargeable unit. I think I have the 500 model. When the indicator turns from blue to pink, you take it out of your safe and plug it in to recharge it, then put it back in the safe. Works pretty well.

 

[rockhopper46038]

The EVA-DRY units are on sale at Amazon right now. I use them and have been happy.

 

[Vlad the Impaler]

Harbor freight sells indicating silica gel in 1KG sacks. You won't find it any cheaper.
I put two of them in some Kevlar sleeves with the bottoms sewn shut. The Kevlar can take the oven temps. You could also just use a ball jar with a perforated lid or some cloth under the band. They'd take an oven recharge just fine too.
I also bought some cheap salt shakers and filled one for each ammo box. Every few months everything gets baked back to blue from pink. The salt shakers usually don't change colors unless I'm into the boxes often. Proves the seals are good.

 

[CountryBoy19]

I use the Remington rechargeable unit. I think I have the 500 model. When the indicator turns from blue to pink, you take it out of your safe and plug it in to recharge it, then put it back in the safe. Works pretty well.

I have one too, but the "capacity" sucks... and for that price you can get much more silica gel by itself and just use your oven to recharge it. No need for a built-in heating element and a large up-charge...

For those that don't know, silica gel is rechargable simply by heating it for a while to dry out the moisture it has absorbed.

 

[jedi]

I was reading up on this topic this week and can't find the link that someone posted (on INGO I think) for a website that sells "industrial" silica gel poweders by the lb. The person said all you need to do it buy a contain for it and you are good to go. Anyknow know the url for that website?

--UPDATE--
Found the website it was NOT on INGO that the link came from.
https://secure.drierite.com/catalog3/page15a.cfm

Came from here:
Cat Litter as Dessicant? - XDTalk Forums - Your XD/XD(m) Information Source!

Also on this other board they talk about how cat litter silicon is not the same as the silcon from the gun safe products.
Cheap Gun Safe Dehumidifier - Page 2 - Nevada Shooters

It's in the same chemical make-up category but cat litter is the unseable for deciccant items version.

 

[IndianaGTI]

Just drill a hole in it. It needs to be bolted down anyway so it's going to have holes. Closing the door on a live wire sounds like a really bad idea Deadeye. All of you guys talking about safes floating, you really don't have them bolted in? Making it pretty easy for thieves aren't you? The best price on rechargeable dessicant packs are any of the end of the world survivalist dealers on the web. I bought a large bag of them years ago and they're still working. Just pop them in a warm oven overnight and they come back ready to work.

Do you consider a 1200 lb safe with 200 lbs of stuff in it, "easy for thieves"?

 

[45fan]

I have never seen it at harbor freight, but will look for it the next time I am there. I have always just picked it up at Hobby Lobby, in the flower section. Its used for drying flowers for floral arrangements. I think the last bag I picked up was 8 lbs., cost me about $15.