Snus on the trip to India?

[highanddry]

I'm planning on a 3 week trip to Inja. I recently dropped my Marlboro smooths for the snus. I smoked for 6 years but I always smoked about 3-5 cigs a day and since I became an very active climber and hiker I decided recently to switch to Snus for the sake of my lungs.

Given that I'm half Indian and half Swede, I feel its only natural to want to enjoy some Swedish snus on my trip, however, I'm concerned about the refrigeration and drastic change in temp.

Can someone please help me out with a few questions:

Can I take a roll of 10 cans with me on the plane via backpack
or should/can I have them checked with luggage?

If I open one at a time, will they be cool if I can get them to a fridge a couple times a week?


I pretty much snus 3-5 times a day and I have no problem keeping just one brand/can open at once (must be the swedish genes for specificity of branding!).. Is it ok to have a can with me for a week opened in such a humid country?

Thanks in advance, I am really <3ing the snus

[tom502]

India has it's own snus, portion and loose.

About taking snus, I don't know.

[highanddry]

I had no idea India had its own snus. I haven't been to India in a couple of years but I don't remember anything like that when I went.

[Roo]

Each country sets its own limits to how much tobacco can be brought in. For cigs, it's usually 2 cartons, and there are usually separate guidelines for smokeless. Whatever it is for India, you'll be fine with a 3 week supply (a roll). I've always kept snus in my carry on. I've taken small quantities through China and Central Asia on separate trips with no questions asked. Last time I was in China they even made me dump out my entire bag and they looked through every single thing, and oddly enough they didn't even ask about the snus. As for humidity and heat, the snus I've traveled with did suffer once when I was in Hawaii, but I left it in the rental car for two consecutive sweltering-hot days. It would probably help to get them into a fridge every few days like you said, just to firm them up a bit. Have fun in India! And welcome to snuson.

[deebocools]

what they said. Also, pick up some indian snus and review it(or bring it back!)

[highanddry]

Hey, thanks for the welcome and the info Roo. I'm glad I'll get my snus fix ha. I'll definitely take pictures and samples of Indian Snus when I see it. Online search results return flavors like "Spices" and "Mango...natural indian flavors" I know I'll need my Swedish on me for an insurance polity ;D

[tom502]

If your are in the US, and can bring back some Indian snus and dry snuff, you might have some interested people willing to buy it from you. I know I am always looking for Indian snuffs.

[highanddry]

Hmm, if they sell well maybe I can get some one in India to ship them to me too...

[snusjus]

One thing to keep in mind: smokeless tobacco from India contains high amounts of carcinogens, even when compared to fermented American products. Avoid buying tobacco from street vendors, since they usually sell bootleg products. Don't try gutka, since it contains betel quid, a highly addictive seed.

[highanddry]

Betel Quid is a stimulant...sounds good! At least im certain I wont be switching from swede to indian snus because i'm in it for health and taste, and frankly there is a better history for swede snus in both areas if what you're saying is true. I don't mind trying an unhealthier product now and again. I pretty much still enjoy a cigs when I drink but I'm still in the transition.

[shikitohno]

Don't try gutka, since it contains betel quid, a highly addictive seed.

I'm going to have to disagree with you here a little. Partially on a technicality, since one, a quid is the term for a gutkha/paan mixture wrapped up in a leaf. The quid is the entire thing that you but in your mouth, not just the areca catechu. Second, betel's a nut, not a seed, just to be a nitpicking ass.

More importantly, I can really see betel nuts as that addictive on their own. I've had them a bunch of times, and I know numerous others who've also had them, and for all of us, it's relatively easy to get. I can think of any of us who still use it regularly. I'd say betel isn't really all that addictive, it's just really ingrained into the culture. Hell, it probably is, but when you remove it from a context where everyone and his brother uses it, it just because a novelty to be played with a few times. In Southeast Asia, though, it's everywhere. In some places, it's even part of a traditional wedding ritual.

On a more serious note, I wouldn't mess with gutkha too much anyway, especially if you live in an area with a big Desi community nearby, because then it'll be pretty easy to get when you come back too. It's been pretty much single handedly responsible for a huge increase in oral cancers in the sub-continent, because while both betel nuts and tobacco are carcinogenic on their own, together they have a synergistic cancer-causing effect.

[Roo]

Betel nut is not crack lol, it's not going to hurt you if you try it one or a hundred times. There's some good irony in warning a bunch of smokeless oral tobacco users against using betel nut because it's an addictive, messy, and publically frowned-upon mild stimulant

[tom502]

If I ever get to go to India, which I'd love to, as I am an Indophile, into Indian food, Indian spirituality, art, music... etc...

I would do, and eat everything I could. I'd do all their street vendor tobaccos, I'd eat their street foods. I would not visit any brothels, but that's mainly because I am in a relationship, but if I wasn't... well, I don't know. But I'd also want to make it a spiritual pilgrimage, and visit the Ganges, and Temples.

Soex is an Indian company that makes loose snus, and portion, these are called filter snus. Dholakia also makes snus in India. Now I have no idea of snus' popularity or availability, I've never been to India in this incarnation.

[highanddry]

^^ If you ever do get the chance to visit India, for the love of god don't eat the street food haha. It may look, smell, taste and feel good but it has crazy indian bacteria that Northerners are not immune to. I certainly have gotten violently ill that way and its not fun in a 3rd world country, but hey... to each his own!

[deebocools]

I would pack a big cheekful of betel right now if I could. Always thought it sounded awesome. Someone should make some dip or snus that causes red spit