Want to Build the Ultimate Smoker’s Travel Kit? Read This First

At some point, every traveling stoner starts asking themselves questions about their travel kit:

Do I really need all this smoking equipment?

What am I forgetting that will matter once I arrive?

What obstacles am I likely to encounter along the way?

What if something breaks?

Rule 1: Your first consideration should be discretion, not gear

Most people get off on the wrong foot with their travel kit by overlooking this important rule. When you are home, odors, noise, and even visibility hardly matter these days. But when traveling, they can matter a lot, depending on where you are going and your type of accommodations. Therefore, before choosing any item for your travel kit, ask yourself the following:

• How visible will this item be to others?
• Is the item easy to stash quickly if necessary?
• Will it leave a potentially problematic odor on my hands, clothes, or bag?

When talking with our headshop customers about travel experiences, many of them express regret that they did not consider discretion when choosing items for their kit. Don’t make that mistake.

Rule 2: Select one smoking method

This is a destination-dependent rule mostly aimed at those traveling overseas or to states where cannabis tolerance is low. Stoners often end up in hot water because they take all their smoking options instead of choosing one, and one of those pieces of gear attracts attention. A better approach is to pick a single platform to enjoy your cannabis that suits the destination. For instance:

• A compact dry pipe, if you are unsure of cannabis tolerance levels where you’re going
• If you are traveling to spend time with friends, choose a small, durable bong
• If you want to prioritize flexibility, choose papers

Once you have chosen a method, you can build the rest of the kit around it.

Rule 3: Don’t choose items based on emotional attachment

You probably have a favorite piece of gear at home, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be a good travel companion. So before you pack your uber-expensive heady glass into your smoking kit, consider the following:

• Is it made of durable materials?
• How many moving parts are there? (the fewer the better)
• Is it easy to clean?
• Is it free of sharp edges or fragile components?
• Would you be crushed to lose it? (If so, you should leave it at home.)

Rule 4: Smell management is non-negotiable

You love the distinctive smell of cannabis. I love the smell of cannabis. Heck, every true stoner who ever lived has been enamored of the smell of cannabis. But that same intoxicating smell is also a dead giveaway to authorities who do not necessarily share our tastes. When traveling, smell control is what separates a good travel kit from one that’s likely to attract the wrong kind of attention. Cannabis odors cling to things, and a proper travel kit accounts for that with intention, not fingers crossed. So, when putting together your travel kit, consider including:

• Real smell-proof containers for your herb and accessories
• Hand sanitizers and odor-neutralizing wipes
• Sealable bags where you can put used items that are emanating odors
• A dedicated pouch to hold all of the above

Managing odors is not about being paranoid. It’s about living in the real world.

Rule 5: Be real about how much flower you carry

Travel time isn’t the time to embrace excess so that you can arrive at your destination and wow everyone. By carrying more weed than you need, you will raise your stress level, raise the possibility of real legal troubles in some locations, and increase the odds of losing some. The right approach is to bring just enough for your trip. No more, no less. Bringing the right amount:

• Reduces handling
• Limits the potential for smells to get out
• Reduces the possibility of being arrested for trafficking
• And keeps your kit neat

Rule 6: Only pack accessories you will actually use

Every piece of gear in the smoker’s travel kit should have earned its place. So instead of dumping all of the gear you use at home into a resealable bag and hoping for the best, instead focus only on those items you need. Most stoners, if they’re honest about it, will admit they need little more than the following:

• The smoking platform
• A compact, metallic grinder
• Papers
• 2 lighters in case one fails

That’s it really. If you’re bringing more than that, it’s because you’re bringing more than one smoking platform with you and will need the extra tools for that item.

Rule 7: Cleaning is more important than you think it is

For whatever reason, dirty cannabis paraphernalia is more noticeable when you’re away from home. More noticeable to you, more noticeable to the person sitting next to you, and more noticeable to the immigration or customs officer. The solution is to keep your kit as clean as possible. However, cleaning away from home is harder, which is why you should always include the following in your travel kit:

• Cleaning swabs or alcohol wipes
• Pipe cleaners and cotton buds
• A small bag in which to stash dirty items

These things take up very little space but can significantly reduce incriminating smells and hassles in otherwise awkward moments.

Rule 8: Plan ahead where you’re going to smoke

The ultimate smoker’s travel kit is not only about packing sensibly, it’s also about smoking sensibly. Colorado may be extremely tolerant of smokers, but some places, like Sweden, consider weed to be as dangerous as heroin and have a zero-tolerance policy. That means you should take some time before you embark on your trip to think about:

• Local attitudes toward cannabis where you’ll be staying
• When is likely to be the best time to smoke
• Your likely level of privacy when you smoke

Top Tourist Destinations and Cannabis Possession Laws

Get What You Need for Your Travel Kit at the 710 Pipes Online Smoke Shop