silica gel packs in camera bag.

[wawasan]

hi all, i am currently saving up for a dry cabinet, meanwhile i use silica gel packs that i trow in to my camera bag, i just use the gels as a subsitution of a dry cabinet. just a question, i heard that if you a trow silica gel pack into your bag but without knowing of much it can absorb, it may absorb too much and cause the focus ring to crack? currently the size of my gel pack can absorb up to 50ml of water, and the stuff in my bag is 1body 2lens and some batteries. will this be sufficient? or will it absorb too much? :dunno:

thanks!

 

[candleghost]

it wont absorb too much counting in the atmosphere 'wetness' and it is nt a sudden sucking power to dry up everything..and your camera bag is never air tight..so no way it will crack your lens. Putting a pack of silica gel i don really see wat it can do, u can always make yourself a temporary dry box while waiting to get a real one..get a box, or even a toyogo container box (find one suit your gear size, cost less than $15) is fine, if paper box, masking tape the surrounding to make the sides impermeable, the toyogo box is a temp good one, tape a big big plastic bag (find a thick one) beneath the cover to act as a air tight, u can put a bottle of silica gel in the container. wont crack your lens, don worry.. cheers

 

[mamduh]

it wont absorb too much counting in the atmosphere 'wetness' and it is nt a sudden sucking power to dry up everything..and your camera bag is never air tight..so no way it will crack your lens. Putting a pack of silica gel i don really see wat it can do, u can always make yourself a temporary dry box while waiting to get a real one..get a box, or even a toyogo container box (find one suit your gear size, cost less than $15) is fine, if paper box, masking tape the surrounding to make the sides impermeable, the toyogo box is a temp good one, tape a big big plastic bag (find a thick one) beneath the cover to act as a air tight, u can put a bottle of silica gel in the container. wont crack your lens, don worry.. cheers

Cheers for the good diy tip.
Do you guys recycle the silica gel chips?
I was forced to do it once in a rainy season and dried them with a hair drier! Propably too extreme but had no chance ongetting new packs.
Again ups for the tip.:thumbsup:

 

[candleghost]

Cheers for the good diy tip.
Do you guys recycle the silica gel chips?
I was forced to do it once in a rainy season and dried them with a hair drier! Propably too extreme but had no chance ongetting new packs.
Again ups for the tip.:thumbsup:

it is very easy to dry the silica gel de.. u buy those bottle type,, blue colour de,.. once it start tuning pink means the dryness is being used up. den u pour on a bowl and put inside your microwave, slowly dry it, don max power, every few min take out the bowl and stir to make it homogeneous, it wil turn back to blue den u can re use it again.. tada !!! haha... remember let it cool down before put back to your dry box.. cover it during cooling.

 

[sohzai]

it is very easy to dry the silica gel de.. u buy those bottle type,, blue colour de,.. once it start tuning pink means the dryness is being used up. den u pour on a bowl and put inside your microwave, slowly dry it, don max power, every few min take out the bowl and stir to make it homogeneous, it wil turn back to blue den u can re use it again.. tada !!! haha... remember let it cool down before put back to your dry box.. cover it during cooling.

Don't use plastic bowls (I mean those disposable ones)....they will melt and stick to your silica gel becaue silica gel melting point is 2k+ while those bowls can't take much more than 100 degrees. Microwaving silica gel will bring the temperature of the silica gel up...at least over 100 degrees.

 

[giantcanopy]

The type that turns blue to red has a cobalt chloride indicator. I personally do not feel good drying a heavy metal salt in my microwave that heats my supper.

You can get a hair dryer and blow and peng kang them nice and slow.

Ryan

 

[syl]

To recycle your silica gel, put it in your oven in a metal tray and sort of roast the silica gel. Leave it there until it cools down. It will not affect food cooked in the oven after that. I've done this many times before.

 

[NeTHaCk]

why not get a cooking pan thats small and cheap specifically to heat ur gel? you so called " fry" the gels

 

[fatigue]

I have tried recycling silica gel, it's not as effective as new ones.
A new silica gel looses it's effectiveness after 3 to 4 times you open the dry box.
But a recycled silica gels couldn't bring the humidity below 50% even for the first time of usage.

Has anybody tried the same experiment?

 

[w3iw3n]

I have tried recycling silica gel, it's not as effective as new ones.
A new silica gel looses it's effectiveness after 3 to 4 times you open the dry box.
But a recycled silica gels couldn't bring the humidity below 50% even for the first time of usage.

Has anybody tried the same experiment?

u mean new silica gel will lose its effevtiveness once u take out your camer (aka open/close the container) 3 to 4 times?
how much do they cost though?

 

[tSkye]

Kim Tian is selling 500 grams for $4.50

Pretty cheap alternative for a Dry Box.

 

[fatigue]

u mean new silica gel will lose its effevtiveness once u take out your camer (aka open/close the container) 3 to 4 times?
how much do they cost though?

Yes, the humidity does not go below 50% after opening the box for 3 to 4 times.
It usually takes me less that a minute to open and close the box
There could be other factors like amount of silica gel, size of box, number of lenses, humuidty of surrounding and so on.

 

[darrrrrrrrrr]

I use a pack of thirsty hippo in my dry box, so far after about 2 months of use it hasn't even accumulated any liquid in the container.

 

[hammie]

I tried oven silica gel.. It stinks ~_~

 

[Kenneth83]

I use a pack of thirsty hippo in my dry box, so far after about 2 months of use it hasn't even accumulated any liquid in the container.

tempted to go get a pack of thirsty hippo myself once the gel runs out...

 

[hobbes187]

Dont think it is wise to put something containing a known cancer causing substance into your oven or frying pan. It may not be obvious to the naked eye but you never know what residue is left behind and mixed into your food the next time u use it.

 

[darrrrrrrrrr]

Agreed about the silica gel in the microwave. Not worth taking the risk of harming your family for a few dollars.

I was kiasu and bought the big tub of thirsty hippo and wrapped it with 2 layers of plastic bag in case the tub leaked. My suggestion: Get the shorter one so there will be more space in your dry box

 

[giantcanopy]

I haven really seen a convincing article explaining the risk of reheating silica gel impregnated with cobalt chloride as an indicator ( though the toxicity of cobalt chloride and carcinogenesis in lab animals has been well described in literature )

Hence really up to one's comfort level. Got a friend who has been reheating silica in his food microwave for years. Someday I should bring my huge tub of old silica beads for him to reheat :bsmilie:

* In any case ( if any ) the minimal amount of cobalt that do actually contaminate the food probably might not even manifest itself in decades to come. The cholesterol in the food might!

Ryan

 

[tjerome]

i use hungry hippo too i store my stuff in an air tight container like tupperwware thingy, i hope my cam will be alright still

 

[surge]

if you leave you equipment in camera bag, silica gel won be of much help since the moisture is everywhere. dry cabinet is best solution. if not store your equipment in aircon room. and time ti time move your equipment. fungus need still air to grow. just think of your leather wallet. when you use it everyday no fugus will grow. change a new walle, leave your old one on the shelf and in 2-3 weeks. you will see fungus.

if not shooting, make it a habit to 'play' with your equipment time to time. if you have too many lens to play with, get a dry boz