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Found a good tip from John Connor of Guns and American Handgunner magazines.

Prepackaged dessicant isn't cheap. Here are some MidwayUSA prices: http://www.midwayusa.com/find?userSearchQuery=dessicant" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; First one on the list is 40 grams (under 2 ounces) for $5.29.

However, you can get an 8 lb bag of Fresh Step Crystals for $13.42 at Walmart and other stores.

Fresh Step Crystals are 100% silica gel, which is, guess what, dessicant. I checked the ingredients to make sure they weren't adding any other chemicals that could be corrosive here.

John Connor's idea was to get a box of 200 tea bags and some packing tape, empty the tea bags, re-fill them with dessicant, and tape them closed. They can still be placed in the oven at about 170 degrees and dried out when they are saturated like the fancy packaged versions.

You can get a hygrometer at a cigar store for about 4 bucks.

Since I starting looking into this, I've also read of people getting a cheap of women's anklet stockings, filling it and tying the top closed for a larger package. Put a couple of them in the gun safe.

Needless to say, it is humid enough in Houston. I think I need a couple of hundred pounds of dessicant! :D

Wow, great idea...some sensitive electronic components on aircraft have desiccant and it works. I've thought about trying to find an inexpensive source from time to time. Sounds like this will fit the bill nicely. Thanks for posting.

I was thinking about uncooked white rice. Put a small handful onto a paper towel and then tie up the paper towel with string or rubber band or something to contain the rice. I also thought about just putting the rice in a small bowl on the top shelf out of the way.

Either of these (rice or Fresh Step) put into a cloth drawstring bag works well. If you or your SO is good at sewing, these are easliy made to the size you need from scrap.

The only problem with using Fresh Step is your cat may get confused and try to use your gun safe as a litter box.

Keith B wrote: The only problem with using Fresh Step is your cat may get confused and try to use your gun safe as a litter box.

My 17-round Glock would trump his 9 lives.

Great tip on using the Fresh Step. Instead of buying pre-filled tea bags though, you can buy empty ones (for coffee and tea lovers that like to blend their own, or use loose leaf tea) for pretty cheap.
Here's some at Amazon. 200 of them for less than $8. Fill them and use a stapler to close the top instead of tape, it will hold better.

Now THIS is a tip I'll have to use. I've been using Damp-Rid in my workbench cabinets to try to control some of the moisture in my garage (Houston, need I say more?). It works pretty well, and the skinflint in me buys the HtH "Calcium Plus" pellets to refill the damp-rid baskets instead of the more expensive Damp-Rid product...

Problem with that is that it draws the moisture, and liquifies the calcium carbonate leaving me with a cup full of water/calcium carbonate to get rid of.

My cat has always preferred the crystal kitty litter--it never registered to me that it was just silica! I've had the stuff I needed all along and never thought it through!

Thank you, JF!

Yep. Fresh Step is the way to go.

Why not coffee filters? Fold like a burrito and run through the sewing machine - will have to try this for my show halters for my cows! Thanks!

Great suggestion. I never would have thought of that. THANKS!

Cheesecloth is more durable than paper tea bags or coffee filters and just as porous.

ETA: Also panty hose.

Rice?

Divided Attention wrote:Why not coffee filters?

Great Idea!!

gigag04 wrote:Rice?

I'm sure this would work, but rice has kind of a funky smell.