So you're going to be on the road for awhile. Maybe it's just a weekend jaunt to visit aunt Bertha or perhaps you are going on an extended vacation to the white beaches of Siberia. How do you bring a sufficient supply of sticks and keep them in prime form? Not to worry, there are a host of options for preserving the pristine condition and flavor of your smokes. While I said in the last section that there is no such thing as a cheap, quality humidor, the travel box is a different animal. Not built for aging, it is designed for temporary, occasional usage and therefore can vary in construction and price points. [NOTE: Site that are in BLUE TEXT are clickable glossary terms. Click on these if you want to learn more in-depth information about key concepts.]

General Principles

As with any humidor, your travel box must maintain a CONSTANT INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT. Keeping your fine stogies at a temperature of around 70 degrees Fahrenheit and a RELATIVE HUMIDITY between 65 and 72 percent will insure their taste and your enjoyment. Of course, unless you are bringing an heirloom trunk for packing you will need a slightly smaller version of your home box. A travel humidor must be packable, but must also protect your cigars from damage as well as keep them fresh.

Leather Pocket Cases and Cigar Tubes

If you are just going out for the evening or to play a round of golf, a leather, plastic, or metal tube should work fine. These will keep from 1 to 3 cigars fresh for a few hours. The leather cases are a very nice way to present your smokes when you go out for an evening. Various qualities of leather can be used, which can jack up the price accordingly. The cases protect your cigars from getting crushed in an overnight bag or damaged in your pocket. They also keep some of the humidity inside, but I would recommend keeping a cigar in its cellophane wrapper inside the case until you are ready to smoke it. Metal tubes are durable and typically have a good seal. Again, I would recommend a cellophane wrapper to keep the cigar from getting bruised and to help maintain humidity. Sometimes these tubes will be lines with Spanish cedar, this is a nice touch and certainly adds to the effect, but is not absolutely necessary.

Though cases and tubes will work for up to several hours, you will need a better solution when you hit the road overnight. Sure, you could just wrap a few sticks along with a sponge in a plastic bag with a good seal, but you risk damage to your precious cargo. You can't just toss a plastic pouch in your suitcase. Wake up and pay attention!!!

Cigar Box Traveller

In my humble OPINION, you can find an acceptable solution by searching through your old cigar boxes to find a likely candidate as a travel stogie-keeper. Some boxes are made to double as a humidor. Take the Lars Tetens box seen at left. You will see that the lid has a small sandstone embedded in the center that can be wet with water or a wetting solution. Though it is a bit heavy for its size, this cigar box will hold ten or more cigars. I put a rubber band around it to keep the lid securely fastened. When using a cigar box, look for a snug fit of the lid and consider using a piece of NON-CHEMICAL-TREATED FOAM to fit over the cigars to keep them from bouncing around. If the box doesn't have a humidifier built-in, just toss in a portable humidifier like the new Bóveda humidification packets, by Humidipak. Other options include the DryMistat® humidification tubes and, one of my favorites, the Water Pillows.

Lightweight Plastic

Another option is the faithful Tupperware or other plastic box. The one seen in the photo at right is a 24-ounce model that measures 7" L x 3.75" W x 1.5" D. It will hold about 5 to 6 stogies plus the humidifier. The DryMistat® (see photo at right), which is shaped like a cigar, can be easily tossed in with your cigars, but you need to be careful; if overfilled the DryMistat can leak and the water could come into contact with your cigars. Not good. That's why I always keep some of my cigars in their original cellophane wrappers, just in case. The Bóveda humidification packets are ideal for travel humidors because they are leak proof and are flat so they don't take up precious space that could be filled by cigars.

Production Travel Humidors

Beyond these homemade solutions, there are numerous production travel humidors available like the one seen in the photo at the left. This one holds quite a few cigars, has it's own built-in humidifier (see photo at left) and is cedar lined. It has a padded leather exterior, which zips closed and looks pretty classy. These types come in many different sizes and in different qualities. You can get some of these free with the purchase of cigars or you can shell out hundreds of dollars for collectable quality boxes.

If you are really roughing it, I would recommend something like the Cigar Caddy® (see photo below right). It comes in several sizes and is practically indestructible. With a lifetime guarantee, this airtight, waterproof box is light, durable and keeps cigars in perfect condition. Sizes range from 2 to 20-stick models. Similar to the Cigar Caddy are the RoadWarrior® and the CigarTrek®. All come with foam trays for ample protection and built-in humidifiers. The hard plastic shell and soft foam liners keep your cigars safe from damage and the elements. Each type has several models to accomodate different size needs. I know a guy who accidentally dropped his from his boat into a raging river. After he scooped it out (with a fish net, no less), he found his cigars high and dry and no worse for the experience.

The next section is for the do-it-yourself fanatic that wants to take a crack at building his own box. Check out Build Your Own.