Cigar Humidors: Humidors for Travel
We often associate the idea of smoking cigars and drinking wine with wealth and relaxation. The rich and famous have turned these pursuits into a measure of ones taste and refinement, and imparted the idea that these are pursuits above those of the common man. The increase of interest in cigars has especially reflected this, as this pursuit requires money and time. The expression - good cigars need a good home - is reflective of this, and a humidor is just the home for this purpose.
Humidors can be as simple as a small wooden or acrylic glass box, to being large enough to fill the entire floor space of a room, such as you would find in cigar shops. The important distinction is that they maintain an ideal and constant humidity for storing cigars. The earliest humidors, designed by Zino Davidoff in the 20th century, were those that were designed to fit into cellars.
These days the humidor can be anything from the Tupperware range to a unique and chicly designed 'Davidoff' piece. There is a tremendous range and number of designs available and they vary from those made purely in the interest of functionality, thru to those pieces that are both beautiful and ornamental in their own right.
When you purchase a humidor, you must firstly know the type of cigars as well as the quantity that you wish to store. Cigars vary in size and therefore you will need to be certain that you purchase the appropriate humidor to house them. You also need to consider that fine cigars must be kept at an ideal 70-72% humidity.
If you cigars are 9 inches, you will need to me aware that a humidor designed for 7-8 inch cigars will not serve your purposes.
Humidors provide the ideal environment in which to keep your cigars, with a Spanish cedar or mahogany interior and a hygrometer to maintain 65-75% humidity. These humidors prevent your cigars from drying out and prevent the subsequent problems of your cigar burning at a high heat, loosing its essential oils, as well as preserving its aroma and flavour. Once the cigar is dry it is impossible to restore its quality, and likewise your cigar can be destroyed from being exposed to too much humidity.
A common problem that can arise for aficionados of cigars is how to maintain the cigars quality whilst travelling. Early types of humidors used for travel preserved pre-moistened cigars that were taken from cellar humidors. The cigars would have the necessary humidity from the cellar environment in which they had been previously stored, but they risked damage as the humidity escaped and the conditions of the humidor became closer to those of the room in which they were stored. Nowadays it is possible to purchase a battery operated humidor, or even one that can be plugged in to an AC power source. These provide the ideal storage option for cigar connoisseurs, and are designed to stand up to the bumps and knocks of travelling, are lightweight and transportable, thereby allowing you the luxury of having you favourite cigars with your wherever you are may be heading.
An ideal way to find your perfect travel humidor is to do some research on the net. You will be sure to find out all your options, and select the humidor that fits you needs.