Best way to protect/store/transport uncured art doll over several days?

[ShammyCrafty]

My boyfriend & I are going to Cabo San Lucas for 7 days. I've decided that that would be the best time to teach myself to sculpt art dolls, since it's rare that I get a full 7 days free to devote to a project. Anyhoo, I started the skull, and plan to finish the doll in Mexico, but since we will be in a hotel, without an oven, I will need to protect the completed doll for the trip home.
I have never had to transport an uncured piece before. Matter of fact, I normally bake my pieces immediately. So I was hoping that some knowledgeable Craftster would have some suggestions on how I could protect and transport the piece. I thought about wrapping it in damp paper towels, and putting in a little box surrounded by cotton balls or bubble wrap. One of my main concerns is that one of her arms or legs will break off in transport. Since we will be flying there, I'm SURE that I will have to put the piece in my checked luggage, and that makes me really nervous.
So any suggestions would be much appreciated. I would be devastated to have something that I worked so hard on destroyed due to my ignorance.
Thanks for reading!!

[Diane B.]

Hmmm.... that's a kind of hard thing to do, especially if you're making whole figures with projecting arms and legs.  Bags can get thrown around a lot!

However, you can read a few tips about "traveling with clay" on this page at my site for some suggestions:
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/storage.htm
...click on Miscellaneous/traveling
And perhaps some of the "shipping" tips on this page could be helpful too:
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/business.htm
...click on Shipping

You can "partially bake"/firm up your clay though (or at least the outer portions) which could help some, and complete curing can even be done with other things besides regular ovens (heat guns/hair dryers--though might need adapter, and other things). 
There's info on both those topics on this page:
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/baking.htm
...click on Multiple Baking & Partial Baking
...click on Other Ways to Cure
And perhaps there's a bit more on partially curing sculpts in particular, here:
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/sculpture.htm
...click on General Info... then scroll down to the "Partial Baking, etc." area


Maybe it would be better to take the time to learn to make heads alone, or arms/hands, then put them together later or just with fabric or wire bodies, etc.... or to learn to make "abstract" figures, or small ones**
... or to just learn to make certain kinds of beads instead


HTH,
Diane B.

** http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/sculpting_body_and_tools.htm
...click on Abstract and/or Jointed figures


.

[ShammyCrafty]

Thanks Diane. I will check out those articles. I did consider just making a bunch of heads and limbs and then putting them together when I return. But I will check out the articles before I decide what I will do.