Whether you're traveling for work, pleasure, or both, you'll be glad you brought some cigars with you.
- Crush-proof your cigar storage area. Many if not most travel humidors do this for you. But even if all you have for now is the zipper bag they were placed in at the cigar lounge where you bought them, find a the smallest crush-resistant container you can to protect them.
- Mind your humidity. If you’re using a container that seals completely, a 69% RH Boveda pack works well. Small wooden humidors that naturally (and typically) “breathe” a little bit usually work best with a 72% RH Boveda pack. A humidor that breathes is not to be confused with a humidor that leaks. Occasional air changes are good for cigar storage; constant air leakage is not. We all enjoy a breath of fresh air every once in a while, right?
- Temperature: 70 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. The further you get from this target, the higher the likelihood is that it will affect your cigars. "Room temperature" in most rooms is probably okay, at least for our discussion purposes here. Long term storage at anything over 74 degrees can destroy your tobaccos, given that there can be microscopic tobacco beetle eggs that could incubate and hatch, releasing these tiny insects to eat their way out. And lest you be tempted to store or keep your cigars in a refrigerator or freezer - don’t! Refrigerated environments are intrinsically dry and they can dry out your cigars very quickly.
- Avoid too much open space in your travel humidor, so you don’t leave room for your cigars to bounce around inside it. The wrapper leaf on cigars is usually one of the primary providers of its flavor profile. If it gets cracked or damaged in transit, it changes the way your cigar will smoke and taste. It can also make your cigars look like one from an old classic cartoon that has a firecracker rolled up inside…
- And last but not least, be sure you take enough cigars with you. Perhaps the best way to abide by #4 above is to fill it full of cigars! No matter where you’re traveling, it’s a far sight easier to have the ones you love with you than to try to find them wherever you’re going.
Safe travels…and cheers!
—Danny Jackson
