The title to this topic is one that we actually get quite often in the winter months. And do you know what? We totally get why people are concerned about the condition of the Spanish Cedar in their cigar humidors.
A quality humidor is one pricy piece of practical engineering, and oftentimes, the cigars that we store inside of them are even more expensive. So the mere thought of having one "dry-out" on you during the winter months is downright devastating.
Since the semi-porous wood that lines our humidors must be seasoned prior to being put into action, it only seems logical that by reapplying hydro solution to these wooden surfaces, you can completely eliminate this wintry risk. True... But also a bit overkill too.
Klaro has spent an asinine amount of money engineering each Hydro Tray humidification system so that it can efficiently and effectively produce the perfect level of humidity within every humidor we sell. We also manufacture our humidors from a thicker grade of Spanish Cedar than anyone else on the market, which allows our humidors to maintain moisture for longer and prevents leaks from forming around the lid.
The only reason why you must season your humidor prior to using it is because Klaro humidors don't come pre-seasoned. So that wood is bone dry when it arrives and will suck the moisture out of any cigar to come into contact with it. By seasoning a humidor in the environment in which it will reside, you are allowing the Spanish Cedar to "calibrate" its moisture content to its surroundings and achieve an ideal equilibrium in humidity and absorption.
That said, if you happen to live in an extremely arid climate, and your winters are even more excessively dry, then an annual re-seasoning session might not be a bad idea. It definitely isn't going to hurt anything beyond your pocketbook, so it doesn't hurt to err on the side of caution in these kinds of environments. Just keep an eye on that hygrometer and those gel crystals, because they are the proverbial canary in the coal mine. Who knows, maybe with a bit of luck you may not need to re-season after all.
As for cigar smokers who are located in portions of the world where extremely dry winter air is not so much of a concern, topping off that Hydro Tray with some Klaro Winter Solution should suffice in most circumstances. You may need to toss some extra gel crystals in your Hydro Tray every other year or so, but there shouldn't be any need to go beyond that.
In a pinch, and don't have any gel crystals sitting on the shelf? You can always toss a humidity pack or two into your humidor for a temporary fix while you wait for your next Klaro order to arrive.
Whichever direction you take, note that the best way to guarantee that your cigars are receiving the optimum amount of humidity in winter (or any season for that matter), is to religiously rotate them every week or so. This will allow each stick inside of your humidor to absorb an adequate amount of humidity and then spread this moisture to neighboring cigars as it is repositioned.
