Essential Summer Gear for the Traveling Aficionado

Summer is peak vacation season, but just because you’re headed out of town doesn’t mean you have to take a break from cigars. Today, we’ll outline all the essential summer gear for the traveling aficionado. Plus, we’ll explain what items you can leave behind so you don’t wind up packing your entire smoking lounge. 

Bring It: Cheap Cutter, Travel Humidor with Cigars, Boveda Pack, Travel Ashtray

Whether you’re traveling across the world or simply across town, we always recommend transporting cigars in a travel humidor. Cigars need to be stored in a humidified and controlled environment to stay in top smoking condition. If you plan to bring cigars on a trip lasting more than a few hours, invest in a travel humidor first. The good news is that most travel humidors are inexpensive and easy to use. All you have to do is toss in a Boveda Pack (we’d suggest 69-72%), close the lid, and your cigars will remain in good shape no matter where you go.

It’s also a good idea to bring along a portable cutter if you travel. Portable cutters (straight, V-cut, and punches) are small enough to fit in your pocket. Plus, in almost all instances, they’re okay to bring on a plane. If you’re very concerned about it, you can always put it in a checked bag. Remember, even a cheap cutter is better than no cutter at all.

Oh — and don’t forget an ashtray!

It Depends: High Quality Cutter, Torch Lighter, Matches

To ensure the best smoking experience possible, we’d normally say that cigar lovers should use the highest quality cutter and lighter at their disposal. And if you’re taking a road trip, then we absolutely think it’s worth packing a good cutter and a torch lighter. Torch lighters are excellent because they allow you to get a good burn going on a cigar even in adverse (i.e., windy) outdoor conditions. 

However, some cutters and lighters run afoul of TSA regulations. Don’t try to bring cutters that resemble blades on a plane. And while soft flame lighters are usually allowed, butane lighters are typically prohibited on commercial airlines. What’s more, even some types of matches aren’t allowed on planes. 

When in doubt, we’d suggest purchasing matches or a cheap lighter when you arrive at your destination. 

Leave It: Glassware, Desktop Humidors

Though you may be tempted to bring your favorite whiskey glass/cigar rest combo, experience has told us it’s best not to travel with glassware if you can avoid it. What’s more, leave your desktop humidor at home. A travel humidor will hold at least 10 cigars, and if you want more than that on a trip, you should be able to find a retailer nearby. In fact, you can use Cigar World to locate cigar shops in your zip code!

What’s your favorite piece of cigar gear? Sign up for Cigar World and let us know with a comment.