How should I travel with my deck?

Short answer: keep the deck in one padded case, upright, and never loose in a bag.

The case

• A small zip pouch or hard card box with a stiff back. The main risk is bending, not loss.
• If the box is new or borrowed, dedicate it to this deck — don't store two decks together, edges will cut into each other's corners.
• Cloth over paper: a zip-lock sleeve inside the case protects against humidity and sand.

Packing

• Hand luggage, not a checked bag. Checked bags get thrown and lost; this is one thing worth keeping on you.
• Middle of the bag, not the bottom or a side pocket — a bag set down hard puts the most load on the edges.
• Away from anything warm: a car dashboard, a laptop sleeve, a sunlit windowsill. Heat and humidity curl the cards first.

While you're on the road

• Shuffle on a flat surface or in the lap, not standing up.
• Laying out a full spread needs a table or a bed; a bench or a café tray will do, but bring something to weigh the corners down.
• Sleeve or case back on between readings, cards face-down or squared. Corners are the part that wears out.

Two things people forget

• If your tradition holds a deck as consecrated or set apart, it travels in the same sleeve it lives in, kept separate from a practice deck.
• Crossing a border with cards is almost never an issue for a normal deck, but if you're carrying antique or unusually old cards, check the destination's cultural-property rules before you fly. Most modern decks are fine.

If you'd like, I can pull one card for the trip itself — what to watch out for on the road.