If you already own a home cigar humidor, you know how much of a difference it can make in the quality and enjoyment of your cigars. But what about excursions to see friends and family, times when sharing a cigar is most appropriate? The next step is to consider a travel humidor or a travel case.
Traveling with cigars is a great idea for vacations, business travel, weekend getaways, and the overnight out-of-town wedding. It would make sense, then, to have a means of traveling with your cigars in a way that’s both protective as well as sophisticated—stylish, even.
Listen, if you’ve been guilty in the past of committing the sin of bringing a cigar in its original wrapper, it’s forgivable and understandable. Without a portable humidor, you do what you can. But graduate into the league of traveling with cigars in style, and with adequate protection. Travel cases and even travel humidors show that you care, and they make for a more enjoyable experience once you arrive at your destination. Invest in the next step after owning a humidor. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is a Travel Case?
A travel case is a smaller, non-humidor storage unit to house a few cigars while traveling, or when transporting cigars to your hangout of choice. The after-hours business meeting, the weekend trip, a hangout at the cigar lounge--the travel case can be clutch in a number of situations. They are best used when the duration of travel isn’t long enough to require a humidor.
What’s also nice about the travel case is its size. A good travel case is small enough that it can fit in your humidor at home.
What to Look For
When purchasing a travel case, you’re both looking for high-quality, protective material as well as a low profile. And there are many examples within that spectrum. For example, some canister travel cases are made of plastic composites and, while they will hold more cigars and will offer adequate protection, they take up space and have a bulky aesthetic. This can work in a carry-on backpack if you’re just looking for pragmatism rather than style.
Other travel cases can still offer protection while also providing a more aesthetically-pleasing note. Look at leather in these situations. High-quality leather provides durability, a good feel,
Klaro’s cigar travel case is a perfect example of what to look for in a travel case: well-crafted material that keeps a low profile while still keeping your pair of cigars protected for the short trip or venture. The semi-hard shell keeps it lightweight, too. So whether you’re off to the local smoke-friendly bar or on a jump-over flight for a wedding, this is a perfect option.
What Is a Travel Humidor?
Anytime you’ll be traveling with multiple cigars—and the length of the trip will put the cigars at risk—you need to consider a travel humidor of some kind. The reason is in the investment: you might risk a cigar or two, but anything more and you want some kind of protection against humidity and temperature.
Travel humidors are somewhat bulky, and that’s their biggest downfall. But there are definitely situations when the bulk is worth it. For example, if you want to pack cigars in your checked luggage for a flight, you want to seriously consider a travel humidor due to the various elements your cigars would be exposed to in a luggage bay.
What to Look For
Invest in a travel humidor that has a quality seal. You’re looking for something airtight, watertight, and that won’t bust open with turbulence on the plane, or bumps in the road. Look for strong latches and magnets—or even humidors that come with lock-and-key.
Also remember you’ll be carrying this, so think lightweight. Look for good protection for the cigars. And, finally, consider humidors that are equipped with safety air valves for pressurization protection while flying.
You’ll find multiple types and variations, but just maintain your three priorities: good for travel, good for protection, good for short-term storage.
Another Option
So the dilemma occurs when you are in a situation that forces you to choose between a lightweight, sleek travel case that only fits a couple cigars and doesn’t provide humidity protection, or a larger, bulkier travel humidor that might be overkill when it comes to a weekend getaway. That’s where the Flint travel case steps in as a perfect hybrid between the two.
The Flint travel case has a slightly larger profile than a smaller, two-cigar travel case, but for good reason. This is made with internal hard-shell protection that gives you some extra armor while traveling. But because it’s crafted with Italian leather, it still maintains the aesthetic and elegance of a low-profile travel case.
The case houses up to five cigars, which is a great middle point between the typical travel case and a full-on travel humidor. For the weekend gig, this is a great choice. But what might be most appealing about this travel case, though, are the accessory pockets--and there are several reasons to appreciate them.
First, the accessory pockets are great for storing and keeping track of your humidor accessories, like your torch lighter and cigar cutter. But maybe even more appealing is that the pocket can be used to store a humidification pack, giving you an added layer of protection against fluctuations in humidity levels.
You shouldn’t rely on humidor packs for extended periods of time, but for the quick trip, it’s a good inclusion for your travel case.
A note on traveling with cigars
Humidor travel actually works well when flying. The good news is that, on domestic flights, TSA has no restrictions for carrying cigars in your carry-on or your checked luggage. Our advice is you still use common sense here, and use the options we’ve been discussing: if it looks like your cigars belong (travel case, etc.), you have a better chance of avoiding any hassle. International flights are a different story.
If you are traveling in the air with cigars, a cigar case, or travel humidor, note that, according to TSA regulations, torch lighters of any kind are banned from both carry-on as well as checked luggage. Take note to ensure you don’t lose a valuable torch lighter along the way.
Instead, bring along a small lighter with a soft flame or some matches. And, finally, cigar cutters: these are technically allowed, but consider including this with your checked baggage to avoid additional hassle at the security gate.
Bottom line: don’t leave the longevity of your cigars to chance when traveling. Have a plan to keep them protected, and base that plan on your particular situation.
