Put these in your safe!!!

Or better yet, a dehumidifier.

golden rod dehumidifier

NorthernBallistics said:

Electric? How do you power it?

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Plug it into a wall socket unless ya live in a cave

Assuming the safe has provisions for a cord.

NorthernBallistics said:

Electric? How do you power it?

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I use "rechargable" silica pellets, the ones that change colour on moisture content. That way your safe can be air tight and not need electricity.

And when the silica gets saturated with moisture, all you do is toss it in the oven for a little bit and you're back to normal.

That’s great advice.

NorthernBallistics said:

Electric? How do you power it?

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@NorthernBallistics Gun safe's tend to have covered holes or raceways (typically on the back side) that allow plugs and cords to pass through for this and other purposes.

As does my BIG cannon fireproof gun safe. Electric dehumidifier runs year round

Save the packets!! Almost all our "offshore" products will have Silica gel desiccant packs the bigger the product, the bigger the packet of desiccant.
The floor of my gun safe is lined with them, free and very effective. a 150-200 degree oven for a few hours and good as new. SIlica gel is imminently reusable. Perfect for us that live in wet climes.
Now what to do about that surface rust on fine steel. Find yourself a pre 1982 solid copper penny. A little gun oil or CLP use the penny to rub the rust off the steel while flooding with oil or CLP. Gets the rust ONLY and will not impact the bluing at all. Best method I have ever found for rusty guns.

This is what I use. No cord. Nothing has to be plugged in.

Just thought I'd point out that Golden Rods and other similar low power plug in devices are not dehumidifiers - they are heaters. They work to lower the relative humidity by raising the temperature some in the safe, and they also induce some air movement through the heat they add. The amount of water vapor in the air does not change, but raising the temperature is often enough to prevent condensation.

I use the small heaters in the winter as my safe is by an outside wall, and the air temp in it will drop below the temp in the house without one, but I also use desiccant bead packs that I dry out every so often too. Never had any signs of rust that way.

Go to the crafts store and buy a box of silica for drying flowers. It's cheap stuff. Put it in a pillow case spread out on the floor of your safe. Pop it in the oven a couple times a year when you are heating up a frozen pizza to dry it out.

It will suck the water right out of the air as long as lots of surface area is exposed. Hanging bags of it is much less effective and reduces room in your safe. A pillowcase laid out on the floor with 1/4" of dessicant in it is much more effective due to more exposed surface area and takes up no room.

It works good for tool and die storage too.

It's the same stuff as the little packets and the bags to hang in your gun safe. Just cheaper by the box to dry flowers and bugs.

i use these:

I use a dehumidifier that keeps the entire basement bone dry. I have never had any rust even on bare metal.

My pellet stove is in the basement, it shall get fired here pretty quick, that nip of fall is in the air.