is it very important to have a closed in shop to work a strip kayak.worryed about strips taking on moisture. would you rip all the strips first or would you rip what you could apply in a say 1 hour session?

Most people would rip all their strips first. Short of working out of doors in a rain forest humidity should not be a big factor. When it will play a role is once you start glassing. Large humidity fluctuations when one side is glassed and the other is still raw wood can deform the hull.

generally speaking compared to fiberglass type kayaks is wood heavyier , more durable , cheaper

A strip built kayak will probably turn out lighter than comparable all-fiberglass kayak. And since you're not billing for your labor, the material costs will be less than half the cost of a finished fiberglass kayak.

The strength of cedar strip/glass/epoxy kayaks has been the subject of much debate. (Oh has it ever) The best answer I can give is another question: How many people have experienced a structural failure of their cedar strip kayaks while in use?