How To Use A Bong

If you want to learn how to use a bong then you have come to the right place. Using a bong is a unique experience for the cannabis consumer. These iconic items are steeped in stoner culture. The history of bongs is actually a really interesting story because Homo sapien has been using implements and gadgets to smoke things for thousands of years. The archeological records show many examples of smoking devices. Truly old-school bongs were typically made of clay or wood. There definitely wasn’t any glass or plastic around for our early bong enthusiasts.

Historically it is highly likely that bongs were used for more than just cannabis. However humans have a very intimate and long standing relationship with the hemp plant. As with finding bongs in the footprint of the earth, we can see evidence of cannabis consumption in ancient culture too. Recipe books containing cannabis references have been found dating back to 1000BC. It seems fairly obvious that our ancient ancestors would be enjoying marijuana in their bongs in much the same way we do today.

 

 What Is A Bong?

A bong is a fairly simple device that can be used to smoke a wide range of cannabis products. There is a mouthpiece for you to insert your face and a bowl to insert your cannabis. Whether your bong is made from glass, plastic or clay, all bongs work in a very similar way.

 

How Does a Bong Work?

The basic premise of a bong is that flower is burned in the bowl and sucked through to the chamber. The scientific explanation relates to negative pressures exerted by a human vector pump, but for the purposes of this guide it is easier to say that sucking one end pulls the smoke through. The aim is to fill the chamber with smoke and then when you are ready to rip you simply remove the bowl. This rapidly increases the air flow and fills your lungs with smoke  That isn’t quite the full story though because not all bongs were created equal.

Water Bong

A water bong is literally just a bong with water in the chamber. The water filters and cools the weed smoke as the bowl is burned and smoke sucked into the chamber. Water bongs create an incredibly smooth hit and the water goes some way to making hits less harsh. If you want to go a step further then an Ice bong is the water bong’s cooler sibling.

Ice Bong

Ice bongs are specifically designed to hold ice cubes in the tube. In conjunction with the water in your chamber, ice will super cool the smoke. This is a really cool way to use a bong and an experience that comes highly recommended.

 

Step By Step Guide For How To Use A Bong

When using a brand new bong for the first time it is advisable to give everything a good wipe. Once you are sure it is clean just try assembling the bong and do a dry run. Heat up the bowl to make sure any residues are burned away before you use it to smoke weed.

If you have a water bowl then get enough water in the chamber to cover opening of the stem inside the chamber. It is important to make sure not to use too much water in order to avoid any bong water ending up in your mouth (it isn’t very tasty). Include ice if you have an ice bong and you are pretty much good to go.

Please note there are some differences when it comes to using a bong for hash or for dried flower. You may actually find a dab rig is better suited to smoking hash, so in this guide we will be talking about using bud. Once you have your bong ready it’s time to get started.

 

Pack The Bowl

When it comes to knowing how to pack a bowl there will be some trial and error. This is because everyone is different. Some people may prefer a huge rip that they can share with friends, others may prefer a small hit to themselves. Either way it is important to learn how to pack for yourself and get used to smoking self-packed bowls.

Whilst not everyone likes to use one, a gauze is a great thing to include in most bongs, but especially plastic bongs with metal bowls. The gauze is a mesh that is usually made from metal. It simply stops your herb falling straight through the stem and into the chamber. The alternative to using a gauze is to include some tobacco in the bowl to do the same thing. However this is not ideal for people who do not wish to consume tobacco products. If you want to use tobacco just press a layer of the brown stuff at the bottom of the bowl.

Grind your cannabis flower and make sure that it is properly homogenised. A herb grinder makes the job really simple, but if you do not have one then try using these common household items to grind weed.

Pinch some of the ground flower between the thumb and finger and make sure to press it into the bowl. Be careful not to press too hard, but make sure the flower is properly compacted. A thumb will do, but there are also bowl presses that are a luxury item for the bong smoking aficionado. Just remember the more compacted your bowl, the harder you will need to suck.

 

Light The Bowl

Once you have everything packed it is good to get yourself set up. At very least this means having a lighter ready – if the idea of butane doesn’t float your boat then try hemp wick instead. But you may also want to have an ash tray and a heat proof mat to make sure everything is ultra safe.

You can either pick the bong up and bring it to you, or take yourself to the bong. Whichever you choose it is time to place your face in the mouthpiece. Try to get a tight seal around your mouth. If your bong has a carb hole then you will need to place a finger over this to maintain pressure, and once you are comfortable, it is time to introduce the flame and begin slowly sucking. The technique is a sucking that is more akin to taking a drag on a cigarette. The idea is not to inhale straight away, but to fill the chamber by sucking air. Imagine a gulping fish and you will be nearly there.

Once the cherry is going you won’t need to hold the lighter. Just keep sucking until you are happy that your flower has been burned. At this point you will see the smoke inside the chamber.

Once you are ready to rip you should remove the finger that is covering the carb hole (if the bong has one), or remove the bowl from the stem. The result is that air flow through the bong will no longer be hampered and you will be able to take the hit without struggling to suck air through.

If you would like to learn more about bongs and bong care then check out the selection of bongs in our online shop.

 

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