A bong is a device that allows you to smoke herbs or tobacco in a smooth and filtered way. It uses water to cool down and remove some of the harmful substances from the smoke, making it potentially healthier and more enjoyable. If you want to learn how to smoke out of a bong, follow these simple steps.
What You Need
- A bong. Make sure it has a bowl and a downstem, which are the parts that hold the herb and connect to the water chamber.
- Your favorite herb or tobacco. You can use any kind of dried plant material that you like, but make sure it is legal and safe to consume.
- A grinder. This is a tool that helps you break up your herb into small pieces that will burn evenly and fit into the bowl.
- A lighter or hemp wick. This is what you use to ignite the herb in the bowl.
- Water. You need enough water to fill the bong’s water chamber so that the downstem is fully submerged.
How to Smoke
- Prepare your bong. Insert the downstem into the hole on the side of the bong’s water chamber. Make sure it fits snugly and securely. Then, pour water through the mouthpiece, which is the large opening at the top of the bong. Fill the water chamber until the downstem is covered by about an inch of water. You don’t need more than that, or you might get splashed while smoking. If your bong has any extra features, such as an ice catch or a percolator, make sure they are in place and working properly.
- Grind your herb. Use your grinder to chop up your herb into fine pieces that will burn well and fit into the bowl. If you don’t have a grinder, you can use your fingers, scissors, or a knife, but be careful not to cut yourself. Set aside some larger pieces, about the size of a pea, to pack at the bottom of the bowl. These will prevent the finer herb from falling through the hole in the bowl.
- Pack your bowl. Take the bowl out of the downstem and fill it with your herb. Start with the larger pieces at the bottom, then add the finer herb on top. Don’t pack it too tightly or too loosely, or you might have trouble drawing air through it. Aim for a medium density that allows some airflow but also holds its shape. If you’re smoking alone, you don’t need to fill the bowl more than half full. You can always pack more later. If you’re smoking with friends, you can fill the bowl up to the rim, but not higher than that.
- Light your bowl. Put the bowl back into the downstem and hold the bong with your non-dominant hand. Wrap your hand around the smoke chamber, which is the long section that connects the mouthpiece and the water chamber. Place your mouth over the mouthpiece and form a tight seal with your lips. With your dominant hand, hold your lighter or hemp wick near the edge of the bowl. Don’t touch it directly, or you might burn yourself or waste your herb.
- Inhale slowly and steadily. As you light the bowl, start inhaling through your mouth to draw air and smoke into the bong. You should see bubbles forming in the water as the smoke passes through it. Keep inhaling until you see smoke filling up the smoke chamber. You can control how much smoke you get by adjusting how long and how hard you inhale.
- Clear and inhale again. When you have enough smoke in the chamber, stop lighting the bowl and inhale again to clear it. Depending on your bong, you might need to do one of two things: either remove your finger from a small hole on the side of the bong called a carb hole, or pull out the bowl from the downstem slightly. This will allow air to flow through the bong and push out all of
the remaining smoke into your lungs. - Exhale and enjoy. After clearing
the chamber, exhale slowly and smoothly.
You might cough if you’re not used
to smoking out of a bong, but don’t worry,
that’s normal. Just take smaller hits next time
and drink some water if your throat feels dry.
Enjoy
the effects of your herb or tobacco,
and repeat as desired.
How to Clean
After smoking out of a bong, you should clean it regularly to prevent the buildup of resin, tar, and bacteria. This will make your bong look nicer, smell better, and last longer. Here’s how to clean your bong:
- Empty and rinse your bong. Pour out the dirty water from the bong and rinse it with hot water. Do the same for the bowl and the downstem. Try to remove as much of the loose residue as possible.
- Fill your bong with a cleaning solution. You can use a commercial product designed for bongs, or you can make your own by mixing rubbing alcohol and coarse salt. The alcohol will dissolve the resin, and the salt will act as an abrasive to scrub it off. Fill the bong’s water chamber with enough solution to cover the downstem.
- Cover the holes and shake your bong. Plug the mouthpiece and the stem hole with something that fits tightly, such as rubber stoppers, corks, or plastic bags. Then, shake your bong vigorously for a few minutes to let the solution work its magic. You should see the solution turning brown as it removes the gunk from your bong.
- Rinse and dry your bong. Pour out the dirty solution and rinse your bong again with hot water. Do the same for the bowl and the downstem. Make sure there is no residue or solution left in any of the parts. Then, dry your bong with a clean towel or let it air dry.
That’s it! You now know how to smoke out of a bong like a pro. For more information on bongs and other smoking devices, check out these links:
