Good afternoon fellow pipers. When I went on my honeymoon 40 years ago we drove about four hours and stayed in a mountain cabin for a week. I smoke my pipe on the drive, in the cabin and on our travels in the area knocking back many bowls every day I took two briars, a couple tampers, a couple bics and a tub of Carter Hall. It was simple in life was good. For our 40th anniversary, we are going back to the same cabin which is owned by family and the number of pipes and tobacco's and accessories that I am taking seems ridiculous. It really made me ask myself if I have complicated things too much or if I have "evolved". What do you guys take on your travels and has it changed over the years?
Traveling With Pipes/Tobacco. Has it changed for you?
- Thread starter PApiper63
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I have a nice canvas camera case that I pack with 15 pies and four blends when we travel. I tend to smoke a little less on vacation, like maybe 6-8 pipes a day. I usually go through a couple of tins a week, so if we are out and about for longer than a week, I will drop by a BM or a grocery store that carries a codger blend to make it through. And, yes, in the South you can still find codger blends at grocery stores and pharmacists. We don't usually travel up north where you guys hate pipe smokers. Plus, there's nothing good up there anyways. 
Nope, nothing at all. Especially my native state, which is particularly hideous
I still take with me two or three knockabout pipes, cob or briar. And a ziplock bag filled with my usual air cured blend. A bic. Pipe cleaners. A Czech tool. All which is thrown in an old Tupperware container . So not much has changed for me
I definitely have way too much variety... I tend to be a "collector" in most hobbies and my instinct is to cellar more widely than deep.
I do enjoy the ability to travel light though as well. My general strategy is to have a well stocked home-base but a lean mobile kit.
I recently went on a ski trip to the Adirondacks for a long weekend and was able to whittle down my travel stash to 2 pipes and about a half dozen tobaccos... with much fretting it wouldn't be enough. It may have been because it was an action packed weekend, but I only ended up using 1 of the pipes and 2 of the tobaccos lol. So that definitely showed me that most of the extras are just that... nice to have but not necessary.
I do enjoy the ability to travel light though as well. My general strategy is to have a well stocked home-base but a lean mobile kit.
I recently went on a ski trip to the Adirondacks for a long weekend and was able to whittle down my travel stash to 2 pipes and about a half dozen tobaccos... with much fretting it wouldn't be enough. It may have been because it was an action packed weekend, but I only ended up using 1 of the pipes and 2 of the tobaccos lol. So that definitely showed me that most of the extras are just that... nice to have but not necessary.
What a wonderful way to celebrate your 40th! I'm sure it will be as memorable trip as the first.
Regarding your question, I wouldn't say that having more pipes and enjoying more blends means you're ridiculous or have complicated things. However, for travel purposes, I personally would opt to keep things simple. Not only for the logistics of travel itself, but - in this instance - for the memory as well. You took a tub of Carter Hall and enjoyed the heck out of it all those years ago, so why not bring it again?
Regarding your question, I wouldn't say that having more pipes and enjoying more blends means you're ridiculous or have complicated things. However, for travel purposes, I personally would opt to keep things simple. Not only for the logistics of travel itself, but - in this instance - for the memory as well. You took a tub of Carter Hall and enjoyed the heck out of it all those years ago, so why not bring it again?
I take one tobacco pouch with whatever I'm smoking at the time and a meerschaum or a couple of Savinellis. I basically exactly take what you described on your cabin trip that you took 40 years ago.
Also, congrats on 40 years of marriage. I hope you have a wonderful time on your trip.
Also, congrats on 40 years of marriage. I hope you have a wonderful time on your trip.
Depends entirely on where I'm going and for how long. Probably a couple of pipes and two or three tins for a week or two of travel within a hundred miles of the house. As I've written before, I like to keep my smoking simple and I'm perfectly comfortable, no angst, if I come up short on tobacco. Tampers are connected to my hands, a knife in my pocket so I can travel light. If Ireland or Chicago is the destination, well pipes and blends are pretty easy to find. Sometimes too easy.
And, I envy you your forty years of marriage. Revel in the time the two of you have left together, do not put off until tomorrow what what you both wish to do.
I take "supplies" only when I travel alone, a few pipes and some tobacco samples ( I don't smoke much). When with others, only some mini cigarillos and various vaping stuff...
I can't stand comments like "Oh! that smells terrible!"... and such, so pipes only when on my own...
I can't stand comments like "Oh! that smells terrible!"... and such, so pipes only when on my own...
Maybe it's different in Greece but normally I'd say that if the people you're with prefer the smell of swisher sweets to Prince Albert then they should have their heads examined
Likely not just pipes and tobacco, but just stuff in general that people own and bring with them would have seemed ridiculous from 40 years ago?
Houses have gotten bigger, cars have gotten bigger, people have so much stuff...
I always take a dozen pipes, 2-4 jars and 2-4 tins, half new in production half old OOP that I have collected. You never know who else might want to try it or if things change and you need something to do. That's for a 2-3 day min excursion.
I take a corn cob and a pouch of tobacco. My other pipes are too expensive to travel with
Totally agree. Which in itself is fine but I've tried to make this point many times whenever people complain because (as with most things) lack of historical context leads to ignorance.... WARNING, Rant Incoming:
Like people saying the American Dream is dead... we could argue about specific issues like health care or economic management til the cows come home.. but setting that aside, the simple fact is that most people's idea of "The American Dream" for the last 50 or so years has ZERO resemblance with what it did for the prior 250.
If you went back to before any generation than the boomers that dream meant to live in a 1500sqft house, have 1.. MAYBE 2 Chevrolets/Fords in the driveway, a few kids and a couple radios and MAYBE a TV set and the ability to have it all paid off before they died (when social security was set up for 65 the avg lifespan was 63).
Now when most people hear that phrase they think a 3500sqft main residence, 1 or 2 2500sqft vacation homes, the ability to retire at age 50 with at least 10 million in the bank, 4 or 5 foreign luxury cars/SUV's, 27 flat screens, 5 new smartphones every 2 years, and a partridge in a passive income tree lmao. And I mean don't get me wrong... I'm as guilty or more than anyone else of chasing materialism... but at least I know enough to realize how lucky I am that that is my main problem in life.
I have a group of friends (8 of us in total) when they start complaining in our groupchat I kindly remind them that statistically by now (early 30's) at least 3 of us would have been killed either in a war or working in coal mines and the rest of us wouldn't get any mental health days off to process it lol. Same thing when my father complains about a toaster breaking because they aren't made like they used to be in his grandparents' day. Well, in your grandparents day they didn't have a house with 3.5 kitchens, a vacation house with 2 kitchens, 2 rental houses with 2 kitchens, and an office with a kitchen. So if you bought one $400 Bosch toaster instead of 12 $19.95 WalMart toasters.. I'm sure it would last/be as repairable as your grandparents.
But because I study history, from where I'm standing alot of it looks like the most privileged people to have ever existed in the history of the human race complaining about how terribly unfortunate they are. The pointing out of which then earns me looks of scorn and derision like you wouldn't believe..
I pack four inexpensive pipes in a four pipe case with a tamper, cleaners, a lighter and some matches that all fit in the case that goes into my carry-on bag when I fly, plus three tins of tobacco which last a couple of weeks. Note that some countries, particularly, India and China, will confiscate the lighter in carry-on, so when going to those countries I put the lighter in my checked luggage.
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I've only had short vacations, like 3-4 days each time, since I took up pipes. For these trips, I take just two pipes and two blends. Since I only have time to smoke before the day starts and before going to bed, I typically bring an England blend and a VaPer or an aro that I was into at the moment.
My travel arrangement hasn't changed. I'll bring 3-4 pipes with me (even though I basically only use 2 of them), a blend or two that I can smoke all day long (like MB Navy Flake or something), and then an english blend, as well as 1-2 each of burley, va, and aromatic blends. I just shove the tins in a grocery bag.
I have a pipe bag that holds 3 pipes and my meer (main smoker) has it's own case, all of that goes into a weather-proof hardcase with a tamper (Czech tool), lighter, cleaners and a small leather tobacco mat.
Depends on the trip though, if I know I'm going to have a lot of down-time to sit around and smoke the pipe. Otherwise it's just 1-2 pipes and 1-2 blends.
I have a pipe bag that holds 3 pipes and my meer (main smoker) has it's own case, all of that goes into a weather-proof hardcase with a tamper (Czech tool), lighter, cleaners and a small leather tobacco mat.
Depends on the trip though, if I know I'm going to have a lot of down-time to sit around and smoke the pipe. Otherwise it's just 1-2 pipes and 1-2 blends.
When i was younger, cigars were the travel option of choice.
Today, if travelling by plane my carry on is always a backpack with a travel case full of cigars and an accessory bag with maybe 5 or 6 meers of varying sizes. The rest of the bag is taken up by plenty of zips full of various blends. I don't go many places for less than 2-3 weeks, so i go prepared. If i'm travelling by road there's room for more, including briars.
Today, if travelling by plane my carry on is always a backpack with a travel case full of cigars and an accessory bag with maybe 5 or 6 meers of varying sizes. The rest of the bag is taken up by plenty of zips full of various blends. I don't go many places for less than 2-3 weeks, so i go prepared. If i'm travelling by road there's room for more, including briars.
I don't think I've changed with regards to travel and pipes.
I keep it simple when traveling. I have an old camera case that I put 2-3 pipes in, and usually take 2-3 tobaccos with me. Nothing crazy.
I also don't take my nicer pipes on vacation. I take things like estate pipes I picked up at antique shops or flea markets. If something happened to a nice one while on vacation, I'd be upset. I don't know why I do this. Nothing has ever happened, but as soon as I take my Savinelli Punto Oro on vacation, that will be the time something crazy happens. lol
I keep it simple when traveling. I have an old camera case that I put 2-3 pipes in, and usually take 2-3 tobaccos with me. Nothing crazy.
I also don't take my nicer pipes on vacation. I take things like estate pipes I picked up at antique shops or flea markets. If something happened to a nice one while on vacation, I'd be upset. I don't know why I do this. Nothing has ever happened, but as soon as I take my Savinelli Punto Oro on vacation, that will be the time something crazy happens. lol