As most hunters are certainly well aware, the turkey hunt in spring sometimes feels like a swamp hunt. A cold swamp hunt. Yet we protect ourselves in all sorts of manner, to keep out the rain and keep ourselves dry, yet in the mean time we neglect our poor little guns. I know that after I've been out hunting all day, I am totally exhausted, and the last thing I want to do is break out the gun cleaning kit. So, of course, my poor shotgun ends up dumped into the loyal, trusty gun safe.

And so we come to the important point to take home from this article: that your gun safe must be equipped with a good dehumidifier. Dehumidifiers for gun safes are as good a friend as your beagle, pointer or retriever.

In case you didn't know, a gun safe dehumidifier will pull moisture right out the air, and thereby prevent rust and condensation (not to mention mold) from building up, and stopping your weapon from pitting on you.

Basically, there are two types of gun safe dehumidifiers. One type is electric and the other is a desiccant.

The desiccant dehumidifier is really your only choice if your safe isn't near an electrical outlet (other than stringing electrical cords around). A desiccant is basically a sponge that acts like a magnet for water. Like a sponge that needs to be wrung out, the desiccant also needs to be wrung out (or dried out) after it's full. This can be anywhere from two to six months, depending on the brand and climate inside the safe. Desiccants can be dried out in your oven to be re-used over and over again.

The electric dehumidifier is the most popular dehumidifier. The electric dehumidifier is also called the 'Golden Rod' and it heats up to around 140 degrees. Its purpose is to keep the temperature high enough so that any water in the safe evaporates, thus preventing condensation. Most of these types are an 18' rod that can be mounted to the floor or wall of your safe. These units are easily installed. The cord on these units are removable so you can string it through your safe and plug it in. Some electric dehumidifiers have a flexible body that can be bent and contoured to better fit your safe and fit in corners. It's a good choice for tight spaces.

Personally, I like to use both, by keeping a desiccant in case the power goes out.