There are diverse ways to smoke cannabis, but perhaps none are as widely known as smoking a bowl in a hand pipe or a bong. Despite their prevalence, many people are confused about the best way to load their chosen bowl. Studying how to pack and smoke a bowl properly is an essential lesson in cannabis consumption that both experienced smokers and newcomers can benefit from.
Nobody doesn't want to get the most bang for their buck, and the tips in this article will help you get the best rip from your bowl, whether it's in a bong or a hand pipe. So let's look at how to pack a bowl.
What is a bowl?
A bowl is one of the indispensable components of a pipe or bong. It is a rounded sunk part which you pack the weed in. When you ignite the cannabis and inhale through the mouthpiece, the smoke travels through the pipe and into your lungs. Bowls look and function slightly differently according to whether they're in a regular hand pipe or a bong.
Generally speaking, the bowl on the end of a pipe has a hole on one side called a carb, which plays a vital role in controlling airflow. Covering it allows the smoke to accumulate in the chamber, and releasing it delivers thorough airflow, quickly clearing the chamber of smoke as you inhale.
Bowls used on a bong usually have no carb. Instead, you can control airflow by sliding the bowl in and out of the bong's downstem. Some bongs also have carbs on the chamber rather than removable bowls — you'd better check it before lighting up.
What to prepare before packing a bowl?
Before packing a bowl, make sure you get everything ready to do it. To smoke weed out of a pipe or bong, you’re going to need a few essential items to get started. Other than the basic pipe or bong with a bowl, it would help if you had the following gadgets.
1. Herb Grinder
As you know, a grinder is a tool to break your cannabis up into small bits for smoother-hitting bowls or for wrapping in rolling papers. There are many different ways to grind cannabis without a grinder, but using it will speed up the process and achieve better grinding results with less hassle.
2. Heating Tool - a lighter, hemp wick, or glass wand
The best-known heating tool is lighter. Traditional butane lighters work well, but if you want to avoid a butane flavor in your bowl, there are several non-butane heating elements there for you to choose from. Some consumers prefer to light their bowls with hemp wick, a waxy piece of hemp string that ignites easily, maintains an even burn, and never gives off any undesirable aftertaste. Another alternative heating element used often is a glass wand that can be heated to a certain degree where it will vaporize your herb on contact, perfectly eliminating combustion smoke while still delivering flavor as fascinating as a lighter hit.
3. Pipe Tool (optional)
Pipe tools help load ground material into a device as you smoke. They also contribute to cleaning out bowls and popping out screens, no more extinguishing a bowl with the end of a lighter or waiting for it to go out on its own.
How to pack and smoke a bowl?
Step 1. Grind the Weed
It's of great importance to grind your cannabis for an even smoke because small pieces of similar size burn more evenly and consistently. How to grind weed? The best way to realize this is using a grinder. Put a medium-sized nug into the chamber where the grinding teeth are located. Cover the cap and twist it back and forth until the nug is thoroughly ground. If you have no grinder, you can replace it with clean, sharp scissors or your hands to break your nug into small, evenly-sized pieces.
Step 2. Pack the Bowl
In order to pack a bowl of weed properly, you have to start small. Slowly squeeze the materials into your bowl and regularly add some to the bowl. Our goal is not to pack the bowl too loose or too tight, making the bowl difficult to hit effectively. Get the ground bits evenly packed in the bowl, but don't press them down so hard that airflow will be restricted. You can make a quick airflow check before lighting. A perfect packing results in a bowl that stays lit and is easy to inhale. Additionally, if possible, stuff slightly bigger pieces of pot at the very bottom of your bowl so you won't inhale actual bits of ground weed. You can also use a screen if you have one.
Step 3. Light and Smoke
When using a pipe, hold it in one hand, with your thumb or finger covering the carb hole, and then place the pipe to your lips. Light a corner of the bowl using the heating tool with your other hand. Once the weed sparks, take away the flame and inhale gently. When you're ready to inhale fully, remove your thumb from the carb and make a significant drag. Then all the smoke that has built up inside the pipe will now dash into your lungs.
For a bong, place your lips close to the mouthpiece and ignite the weed in the bowl. Inhale gently when the piece is filled with smoke. Before you are ready to fully inhale, remove the bowl from the downstem, and inhale hard. If there is a carb in the chamber of your bong, use it just like a pipe.
Step 4. Ash the Bowl
The processes of ashing a bowl on a bong or pipe are similar. Several methods are recommended here:
Tap – Take the bowl out of the bong and turn it upside down. Then tap on the bottom with your lighter, tamper, or other objects, and then the ash will drop out. For a pipe, just turn it upside down and do the same thing.
Scoop – Use anything, such as a pipe tool, even your finger, to scoop the ash out of the bowl.
French Blow – The method is only for pipes! If you do this on a bong, it will end up messy.
Vacuum – This way is only for bongs. Remove the bowl from the bong and turn it upside down into the stem. Inhale through the mouthpiece, and the airflow will suck the ash out of the mouthpiece and into the water. It will stay in the water until you eventually clean it.
Conclusion
Perhaps you won't get this right for the first time unless you're a cannabis connoisseur. But in fact, packing and smoking a bowl is pretty simple and something anyone can do with a bit of practice. Until you've fully mastered the procedures, refer to the above steps as a guide, and soon you'll marvel at how much progress you've made.
