Introduction
Bongs are an excellent option for smokers. However, to have a great smoking experience, one should know the right way to use a bong. Irrespective of your smoking experience and knowledge, you should know how to smoke your favorite herbs from a bong in the correct manner.
It may seem overwhelming initially to determine the right kind of bong you need to enhance your smoking experience. But some research about the purpose of bongs and how to use them properly can make your task easier. This article will discuss everything you need to know about using bongs.
Understanding the Parts of a Bong
Before explaining the right usage of bongs, we will learn the basics – its different parts. Every bong is not created equally or serves similar functions. Although all bongs are used to boost one’s smoking experience, they have unique functionalities and features. But almost all bongs have the following main parts.
- Bowl: The bowl piece, or a slide, is a small bowl-shaped container used to hold all your dry herbs. It is this bowl piece where bong smokers pack their herbs. When you are ready to smoke, it’s time to light the dry herbs in the bowl. However, ensure that the bowl piece is thoroughly cleaned, and you should do it regularly to ensure there are no clogged areas that might restrict the airflow while inhaling.
- Downstem: Downstem or Perc connects the bowl piece to the bong. Classic bongs usually contain a downstem that makes your smoke pass through the water while inhaling. However, some modern and cool bongs have replaced the downstem with percolators, which have the same functionality but a slightly different design.
- Base: The base of a bong is the water pipe’s bottom. This portion is mainly filled with water; hence, it is also known as the water chamber. It functions as a filter of cannabis smoke. The smoke is cooled down in the water chamber, making it suitable for inhaling.
- The base of the water chamber sets bongs apart from the traditional smoking pipes, which do not use any water-based filtering system. Bongs may have either a beaker chamber or a straight tube chamber. So, try a beaker bong if you prefer more water and like to enjoy a safer smoking experience.
- Tube/Neck: A bong’s tube or neck is the most visual portion of the smoking apparatus. The smoke gets collected in this pipe from the bowl piece and travels upward to the mouthpiece. The neck is the bong’s longest part, and it extends to the water chamber or base. So, you can enjoy the filtered smoke. Necks also come in different shapes – while some necks are straight, others are curved or have more unique shapes.
- Mouthpiece: The bong’s mouthpiece, as the name suggests, is the top opening of the device where smokers put their mouth to inhale the smoke after lighting the herbs. You may either put your lips inside the mouthpiece or around it, depending on the size of the opening and your preferences. Whichever way you feel comfortable, it is vital to create a tight seal between your mouth and the mouthpiece.
Choosing the Right Bong
For an ultimate smoking experience, choosing the right kind of bong is essential. Determine your comfort levels. For example, identify whether you prefer a small, medium, or large bong. Also, check the durability and material of the bong. And if you wish to keep the cleaning process simple and easy, go for bongs with long necks or tall heights, as shorter ones are usually delicate, making them more difficult to clean.
Preparing the Bong
Also, fill up the bong with the right amount of water. Maintain a proper water level, so you won’t get any water in your mouth while inhaling. As a general rule of thumb, the water level should be just above the downstem.
Moreover, you can add ice to your bong if you wish to cool down the smoke a bit more and be more pleasant for consumption. Unlike traditional water pipes, the coolest bongs allow users to add ice cubes. And keep track of your water level after adding ice cubes. Besides, before adding the herbs, perform some practice hit sessions to check whether the water is coming to your mouth while inhaling.
Packing the Bowl
Next, it’s time to add your favorite dry herbs to the bowl piece. While packing the bowl, you should ensure it is not getting clogged. Therefore, use a grinder to grind your herbs into smaller pieces to prevent clogging of your bong parts. Also, never over-pack the bowl piece, as it may prevent the proper airflow. Uninterrupted air circulation is necessary to ensure an even burning of the herbs.
Lighting and Inhaling
Once ready, light up your herbs and take that long-awaited hit. You can use a lighter or a hemp wick to ignite the dry herbs. After lighting up and in between inhales, check whether the pipe is properly filled with the rising smoke.
Keep the smoking apparatus in a convenient and relaxing position for a better experience. For example, you can either place the bong on the table and secure it with one hand or rest it on your stomach while sitting back in a relaxed position.
Clearing the Bong
Always ensure that every part of your bong is free from dirt or debris, especially the bowl piece. After smoking, now comes the final and necessary step – clearing the smoke in your bong. If you leave the smoke with its ash, tar, and other debris inside the bong for too long, it will go stale and start losing flavor and potency.
Besides, it will also make the smoke nasty and ruin your next smoking experience. Therefore, before passing the used bong to your friend, clear all the smoke from the bong, And consider finishing up all the herbs in one go. Keep it fresh. Therefore, it would be wise to light your herbs in small amounts during every smoking session.
Conclusion
We hope the above guide will help to boost your herb-inhaling experience. Learning the appropriate way to use a bong becomes necessary to get the most out of your herb smoking sessions with friends or alone. Furthermore, maintain some smoking etiquette, especially when you are sharing a cool bong with your friends. It will enhance the overall experience for all your fellow smokers.