As folks develop a liking and style for cigars, a cigar humidor becomes a natural accessory any serious cigar aficionado needs to have at home. Having one protects cigars, keeps them flavorful, and prevents pests or similar from destroying high-quality cigars as well. However, half the fun of cigar smoking is also enjoying them when traveling, especially when on vacation. So how to bring those wonderful cigars with you without damaging them, as well as keeping them at a stable humidity level? Well, it’s quite possible by using a travel humidor, of course.
How it Works
Every high-quality humidor does a couple of things. It protects the cigars inside from general air, which can cause them to lose flavor and rot over time. After all, good cigars are made from natural products that deteriorate after a while – tobacco leaves. Humidors also maintain the critical humidity level needed to keep cigars flavorful. If one goes to a highly humid area like the tropics, for example, those cigars are going to soak up all the moisture in the air really quickly. And that will speed up the rotting effect, especially if they’ve already been stored in a very different, drier environment. Finally, a humidor keeps pests out, particularly beetles that love to munch on cigar leaves given the chance.
Travel Convenience
Depending on the size of the travel humidor, one can enjoy the benefits of easy access to quality cigars without destroying them in plastic bags or worrying about the local air changing their flavor. This can be particularly handy when traveling on a boat, a train, or in different countries where it’s not reasonable to expect any kind of decent storage, much less a cigar humidor cabinet in the hotel room. And, travel humidors can carry anywhere from five to as many as 40 cigars at a time. So, for longer trips, these units are very convenient, including giving you the ability to store cigars you might buy along the way in different locations.
Keep in mind, however, cigars can be considered an agricultural product. So, when traveling across borders, don’t be surprised if your cigars end up triggering an inspection or review. In most cases, it shouldn’t be an issue, but in some countries, importing foreign cigars, even for personal consumption only, could be an issue, and the product seized. Check ahead to be sure to avoid uncomfortable surprises at an airport or a shipping port on arrival.
Traveling in Style
Portable humidors give a cigar aficionado on the road a great way to protect flavor while still enjoying different locations and not having to rely just on local products to enjoy a smoking evening. Granted, there are some real advantages to trying new cigar products in different locations, but sometimes it’s also nice just to enjoy regular stock as well in a great location. With a traveling humidor, you get to enjoy both alternatives without problems. And, when your personal inventory is used up, you can also use the portable humidor as a nice way to protect the cigars you pick up while traveling to enjoy them at home as well.