Traveling with Pipes & Accessories - Any Tips?

[admin]

I have never traveled with my pipes and accessories, but I will be doing so in a couple of weeks. (This was because I was more into cigars in the past, but now I am more into pipes.)
I NEVER check luggage, not even before they charged for it. So, I don't have worries of nice pipes getting "lost" in checked luggage, but I think I will have to leave the sharp pipe tool behind so it doesn't get donated to the TSA.
I believe lighters are ok as long as they are regular flame and not torch, and you don't use a torch on a pipe anyway.
I just got a 5-pipe leather travel case.
Does anyone have any tips for traveling with your pipe goodies?

 

[eddiegrob]

I'm so concerned about it that I just don't air travel at all anymore. I'm retired and I got more than my fill of it when I was in the Foreign Service. Anyway, where can you fly to nowadays that will let you smoke as freely as you do in your own home?

 

[admin]

Anyway, where can you fly to nowadays that will let you smoke as freely as you do in your own home?
That's why I love Vegas! You can smoke your brains out anywhere.

 

[python]

I have never traveled by air with my pipes. I have not travelled by air at all, lol.

I would recommend removing the stems from the pipes during travelling. Wrap the stems in a soft paper towel or cloth and put them in the travel case with the bowls. That will help minimize any damage that can occur. Pipes are most susceptible to damage at the tenon (the part of the stem that goes into the shank). It doesn't take much for the stem to break at off at the tenon, leaving the tenon broken off in the shank. If the stems are removed, you will avoid the most likely damage that would occur.

 

[admin]

Good tips. Thanks Bob.

 

[dunendain]

One problem I have had in the past is when I travel to a small town, such as beach towns, and when visiting relatives. I never seem to take enough of my favorite tobaccos, and pipe cleaners. That is when I am damn glad to find some Captain Black, but sometimes it is hard to find pipe cleaners.

 

[admin]

It seems that I either bring too much or too little. On some trips I thought I would have a lot of time to smoke, brought a bunch of pipes and tobaccos and hardly got to touch them. On other trips it was the opposite.

 

[sapo59]

If you ever find yourself in need of pipe cleaners go to the nearest walmart, you know there will be one close and find the art a crafts section, they have huge pack of pipe cleaners for a low, low, rollback price. I agree with the methods bob said to transport your pipes.

 

[cortezattic]

A while back, Dunendain related the following experience:

When I ran out of regular pipe cleaners, I kept using those craft shop cleaners. That was a mistake. They were to soft, and when I scrubbed my pipes with whiskey they were not really getting the crud out. Slowly my pipes turn sour. I went to the B&M and bought some bristle, and some soft. When I used them for the whiskey scrub, I could not beieve what came out of my pipes. Yuch.. Lesson learned.

So I guess we have to be a little discriminating when choosing craft pipe cleaners.

 

[dunendain]

I felt guilty buying them anyway, because I wasn't supporting dealers. Never again.

 

[sapo59]

Just suggesting they are good in a pinch when ones of higher quality cannot be obtained. I would never use them regularly, but did buy some in a pinch once. I had to pinch them and strip the excess fluffy off them. SO perhaps not the best type of cleaners to buy but if you are faced with them or nothing a all, I don't know about you guys but I would clean my pipes with an inferior pipe cleaner opposed to nothing at all.

 

[dunendain]

I was stuck in Laguna Beach once, and the town had 1 drug store. They had Captain Black, but no cleaners. I was trying toilet paper, newspaper, q-tips, anything. I almost lost my fragile mind.

 

[sapo59]

I saw a guy on another forum sit, use bamboo skewers and cotton balls, I think there is a youtube video of it too. I would be to afraid to try this method.

 

[surfmac211]

I'm with dunendain bring extra pipe cleaners. or look up a local pipe store online. I went to NC not to long ago and found myself driving forever to a pipe store which ended up being a head/porn shop. Luckily they had one pack of pipe cleaners but said i was the first to ask for them lol. I should have known that it was a head shop by the name magic pipes and tobacco.