thanks , silica gel is a great idea
i wish i had the luxory to just buy more, but I coach music at a charity special needs unit, our string supply is dependant on the generosity of backline guys I crew for at the local Arena, so I get a lot of packs already missing a top E, and the kids break them more often than any others resulting in me having a big box of bottom E to B strings and no top E's , so I had to spend some of my meagre budget on a bulk load of Top E's....
guess what was in my bag when the flask failed