Trav’lin tobacco

[Jim Lowe]

Greetings all! I’m leaving on a month long road/camping trip in the beginning of May, and I could use some advice about what might be a good tobacco for this particular escapade.

To help narrow down the field, I’ve got a few requirements:

It must be available in bulk; no aromatics; easy on the tongue and throat; readily available; natural and unadulterated with humectants and other nasty chemicals; not finicky, easy to light and keep lit, moderate to heavy nicotine, flavorful but not overpowering taste, clean with no strong or offensive aftertaste. I’m not asking for much, am I .

Oh yeah, I’ll be smoking this out of a variety of MM cobs.

It needs to be an all day smoke. I’ll be smoking this driving country back roads, repairing flats and changing oil, setting up the tent, sitting outside watching the stars, and in rain, wind, sleet and hail, morning, afternoon, and evening. It has to be both tough and thoughtful. If it were a person it would be a Renaissance backwoods mountain man who reads Shakespeare and plays the fiddle.

As for taste, I’m a new pipe smoker and am still experimenting, but I do like FVF, SJF, SJW, Penzance, SL, and aspects of PA. I like the taste of SL, but find it can be harsh on my throat and tongue, and it’s sometimes hard to keep lit. I like how PA burns, and its sweet burley taste, but not the chemical aftertaste I often get, or that it’s a bit light on flavor for me. I find that PA with a bit of Penance really improves the taste, but I’m concerned I’m committing blasphemy mixing one with the other.

So far, what I was thinking might work are Storm Front, Epiphany, and Uhle’s OO and Perfection Plug (thanks Puff Daddy!).

Your thoughts?

 

[jefe1037]

storm front. as you were.

 

[Zanaspus]

Two things come to mind provided you like nicotine heavy tobacco. Gawith Hoggarth Kendal Kentucky, a pure burley with all the nuttiness and all the punch. C&D Big&Burley, pretty much the same deal. For something lighter, I'd consider C&D competition Blend or Uhle's Blend 00, both like OTC's without their drawbacks. I would say both of the last two are what Prince Albert "should" be.

 

[monbla256]

This should be a no-brainer, whatever your "daily smoke" is ! Just stock up with as much as you think you'll need, pack it in your gear and go have a good time !! For me would be maybe two of my "daily smokes" about 8oz's ea. of McClelland's oriental #14 and Peretti's Royal Blend. K.I.S.S. it

 

[the macdonald]

It's not really what you're looking for, but HH Syrian is my road smoke. I like something a little stronger than an everyday smoke on the road. You're out there "on the edge," why not indulge a little? ...In fact I think I will.

 

[jefe1037]

K.I.S.S. it

This. I think you are over-thinking.... you all ready had an idea when you wrote the post (sometimes putting thoughts into text is enough to make the decision easier, that happens to me quite often). Go with the gut. The two Uhle's sound a little too simple to match your needs, and the ones you like when you are in civilization (FVF, Penz, etc): Doubtful you will be able to get enough to last a month. That was my thought process leading to my previous post (actually, i TL;DR the second half and already came to that conclusion, then finished reading, thought about it and came to the same conclusion.)

 

[EC Outlaw]

If you are thinking Epiphany, you had better consider Red Odessa. I've tried them both in the last two days, and would prefer Red Odessa myself.
Another mix that comes to mind is Stokkebye's Proper English.

Also, I would recommend not smoking while setting up your tent. Breath exhale can cause small embers to exit your pipe, resulting in small pinholes in the rain fly, which results in small drips in the night when it's raining. Just sayin', from experience.

 

[mike_68]

As a bulk? Storm Front should do...great in a cob and no muss or fuss as with flakes or needing to dry or anything..

 

[Jim Lowe]

This should be a no-brainer, whatever your "daily smoke" is !

This would be a no-brainer if I had had a daily smoke - still working out the kinks on that. Thought it might be SL, but maybe not. Kinda burns my throat, but I do think we're coming to terms.

Two things come to mind provided you like nicotine heavy tobacco. Gawith Hoggarth Kendal Kentucky, a pure burley with all the nuttiness and all the punch. C&D Big&Burley, pretty much the same deal.

These sound good!

It's not really what you're looking for, but HH Syrian is my road smoke. I like something a little stronger than an everyday smoke on the road. You're out there "on the edge," why not indulge a little? ...In fact I think I will.

Sound advice, good sir.

Also, I would recommend not smoking while setting up your tent. Breath exhale can cause small embers to exit your pipe, resulting in small pinholes in the rain fly, which results in small drips in the night when it's raining. Just sayin', from experience.

You just saved me a tent. Thank you.

Thank you one and all for the advice and assistance; I knew I came to the right place. Along with one or two of these suggestions I will also bring some SL, FVF, and perhaps some others; one can't have too much tobacco for a road trip.

 

[Blackhorse]

In addition to the Storm Front (excellent Burley based choice) I would suggest three others from which to choose:

Two from Cornell & Deihl that are pretty easy to find (via online vendors like P&C):

1) 458: Poplar Camp - Tin Description: Stoved red Virginia is combined with bright Virginia ribbon and restoved. Then red Virginia, Perique and unsweetened black Cavendish are added. This has a totally straight tobacco flavor, burns cool, is to me a medium strength blend, and is super easy to light and manage in the bowl.

2) 414: Oriental Silk - Tin Description: Perique, bright flake, Turkish flake and bright Virginia ribbon. This one is a recent find and it has many of the same characteristics of the above including the straight tobacco flavors, ease of use, availability, and strength. I don't know what the Turkish is...maybe Smyrna? But the Turkish flavor is forward and the Perique is way in the back, but noticable.

The last one is a Russ Ouletter blend, done for the Sherlock Holmes Pipe Club of Boston.

3) VR Blend - Tin Description: A pressed blend of bright, stoved and red Virginias with a touch of unflavored Cavendish and a hint of sweet and spicy perique. This one has many of the flavor notes that I find in StormFront, which is weird as the SF is a Burley with a touch of cigar leaf and the VR is...well, see the above thing. It also takes right off and is easy to manage. One thing I like about this one is the pressed form. It's kind of a crumble cake, which makes stowage easy.

I first started with the pipe about 45 years ago and have been through just about every genre of tobacco blend there is...including some very good aromatics, the Brit twists and flakes and all, the English and Balkan stuff (of which I now smoke maybe a half dozen, total, and very rarely), the Burley blends (which I still prefer as I like a sweeter smoke than the campfire ash notes of latakia provide). All I can say is that I still smoke the Gawaith and Hogwarts blends regularly...almost all of them depending on circumstances...AND the foursome that adding StormFront to the above three would give.

The VR is sweeter than the other two, but all three are winners for the seasoned pipe smoker. Even if you decide not to include any in your trip planning...I'd try them at some point. Given the blends you like, I'd be surprised if you didn't like them.

Edit #1: For me, there is little nutty flavor in the Gawaith Kendal Kentucky. It's dark fired and tastes like it. It's also a pretty fine cut and I find it best in small pipes, taken slowly...or it blossoms into a conflagration of nicotine rage. Taken slowly, it's an excellent blend that will provide a good hit of "N" and excellent dark fired Kentucky flavors. But as Dark Flake will give the same flavors and the same hit but is far more managable...what's the point.

And while I'm there...not taking flakes is like taking only fast burning blends. The flake allows you to adjust the consistancy of the blend in the bowl to allow for wind conditions to some degree and provides much better flexibility. So if you don't take any flakes, be sure to include a couple of wind screens in you ditty bag!

If flakes would make your cut...try C&D Sunday Picnic...if you're open to some Turkish flavors. And then there are about ten others I'd recommend...but not here and not now. lol

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

You said you wanted an all day smoke. Kendal KY was recommended, but it is one of the strongest tobaccos I've smoked, suitable, in my mind, for an after dinner smoke, but not for all day.

 

[gandalfpc]

Storm front and Dark Birdseye

The birds eye being a great shag, very easy to pack and light outdoors - strong and tasty straight Virginia...

 

[Zanaspus]

You said you wanted an all day smoke. Kendal KY was recommended, but it is one of the strongest tobaccos I've smoked, suitable, in my mind, for an after dinner smoke, but not for all day.

Yeah, I understand where you're coming from. I love to smoke it immediately upon waking up in the morning, but I've always been a tad "different." :drunken:

 

[Lesath]

It sounds like selecting blend to take will be easily resolved. If you're in a group, that always helps, because different people like different things, so a variety can be available.

Now it's time to throw a monkeywrench in. You should consider this is a month long trip and depending on how remote you will be puts you into the position of, how will you store the tobacco? Since weight tends to be an issue, I suggest a few of those nice airtight and watertight bags used for camera gear or for food storage. They are a mylar ziplock bag and they do the job. You can easily find them on Amazon or at a local camping supply. Good luck on the trip

 

[Blackhorse]

Lesath...these guys are doing a road trip/car camping thing...not backpacking. I think they'll find a way to take along all the pipeweed they want!

 

[Lesath]

Blackhorse,

You know me--blind as a bat, fraught with processing errors, and always preparing for the most extreme eventualities. I can now see that they might have enough tobacco for a month in a dedicated overhead tobacco cellar of this size. I was thinking too small!

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I once knew a guy that had one of those "toy-hauler"/RV trailer combos, and turned the back of it into a traveling cellar and micro smoking lounge--that flap could stay up on windy days, go down and create a nice deck for chairs, etc...

...actually, I lied, however, I wanted to add a good segue and vision to this sudden idea.

Storm Front and cobs--perfect combo, I'll vote for this as well. If you want something with a little giddyup with a slightly different attitude, while you're at it, the same guy who came up with Storm Front (John Patton) also has a mix called "Quadruple Virginia," available in bulk, a medium-bodied smoke, not sweet and natural (that's also great in a cob), that you can add to your order when you grab your Storm Front. John formulates his mixes to do well in cobs, as it were, he's a big fan of them. BIG.

You won't be disappointed with his blends. 8)

 

[George Kaplan]

I once knew a guy that had one of those "toy-hauler"/RV trailer combos, and turned the back of it into a traveling cellar and micro smoking lounge--that flap could stay up on windy days, go down and create a nice deck for chairs, etc...

...actually, I lied, however, I wanted to add a good segue and vision to this sudden idea

"Segues? We don' need no stinkin' segues."
-Threadjacker Kaplan

My folks in the UP (that's Upper Peninsula to all you non-Great-Lakers) have an old Airstream trailer they've converted to a tiny guest house on their property. I always thought it would make a great smoking lounge for the guys who can't smoke indoors. Mobile, too!

Hmm... now THIS would be the perfect place to post something like a video of a 'possum on a snowboard...

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Mobile? If the wheels don't work, here in Nevada, it's just called a "house.' :lol: I like this idea, RV trailer turned instant man-cave. Oh, how the HOA will writhe. :twisted:

I'm kind of thinking of my own camping excursions to come this year, and I'm starting to consider what I'd take, now...

 

[Jim Lowe]

Now it's time to throw a monkeywrench in. You should consider this is a month long trip and depending on how remote you will be puts you into the position of, how will you store the tobacco? Since weight tends to be an issue, I suggest a few of those nice airtight and watertight bags used for camera gear or for food storage. They are a mylar ziplock bag and they do the job. You can easily find them on Amazon or at a local camping supply. Good luck on the trip

As Blackhorse pointed out, I'm car camping, and in this case from a small two seater convertible with a trunk rack. So, while room isn't limitless, there should be enough for three or four small wire-bale glass jars.

I really like your suggestion for mylar ziplock bags, though, and hadn't heard of them until you mentioned 'em. I'll pick some up for "emergency" stashes.

And while I'm there...not taking flakes is like taking only fast burning blends. The flake allows you to adjust the consistancy of the blend in the bowl to allow for wind conditions to some degree and provides much better flexibility. So if you don't take any flakes, be sure to include a couple of wind screens in you ditty bag!

I do like flakes, and they will be a part of my traveling kit. Thanks for suggestions, and for the detailed descriptions; they all sound terrific.

You said you wanted an all day smoke. Kendal KY was recommended, but it is one of the strongest tobaccos I've smoked, suitable, in my mind, for an after dinner smoke, but not for all day.

Good to know. I can smoke FVF all day long, but that's probably a mid-strength tobacco. Well, one does have to have something for after dinner too. Thanks Alfredo.

The birds eye being a great shag, very easy to pack and light outdoors - strong and tasty straight Virginia...

Good qualities for a camping tobacco. I've never had a birds eye, or a shag, and I like the concept of wrapping one tobacco in another and letting them cure together. That they're a strong and tasty Virginia suits my preferences just fine. Thanks Gandalfpc.