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If you are looking for a smooth, clean and potentially healthier way to enjoy your herb or tobacco, you might want to try using a bong. A bong is a pipe that uses water to cool and filter the smoke, producing an especially satisfying smoking experience. In this blog post, we will show you how to prepare, smoke and clean a bong step by step.
What You Need
Before you start smoking out of a bong, make sure you have the following items:
- Your favorite strain of herb or tobacco
- A bong. Be sure your bong has a downstem and a bowl.
- A lighter or hemp wick
- Water
- A grinder
- For cleaning your bong, you will need zipper-top plastic bags, plugs that fit the holes in your bong, and a cleaning solution (either one designed specifically for bongs or a combination of rubbing alcohol and coarse salt).
How to Prepare a Bong
The first step is to get your bong ready for smoking. Here’s how:
- Insert the downstem into the hole on the side of the bong. Make sure it fits snugly and securely.
- Pour water into the mouthpiece, which is the large opening at the top of the bong. Fill up the water chamber until the bottom of the downstem is fully submerged. You don’t need more water than that.
- If your bong has an ice catcher, which is a series of notches inside the tube that hold ice cubes, you can add some ice for extra cooling.
- Grind up your herb or tobacco using a grinder. This will give you a more even and consistent burn.
- Break off a couple of larger pieces of herb or tobacco, about 0.5 cm (0.2 inches) long and wide, and pack them at the bottom of the bowl. These pieces will prevent the finely ground material from getting sucked through the bowl as you’re smoking.
- Pinch some of the ground herb or tobacco between your fingers and drop it into the bowl. Don’t pack it too tightly or air won’t be able to pass through it. If it looks too compacted, use something small and thin like a paper clip to stir it up and loosen it.
- If you’re smoking alone, don’t pack the bowl more than half full. You can always pack more later. If you’re smoking with friends, pack the bowl so the herb or tobacco comes up to the rim of the bowl.
How to Smoke a Bong
Now that your bong is ready, it’s time to enjoy it. Follow these steps:
- Get into a comfortable position with the bong. If you’re new to smoking bongs, take a seat near a table or stand so you can set the bong down if you start coughing. Sit near an open window if you don’t want the room to fill with smoke. Make sure there are no flammable objects nearby.
- Hold the bong with your non-dominant hand. Wrap your hand around the smoke chamber (the long section that connects the mouthpiece and the water chamber) or hold the bong from the bottom.
- Place your mouth over the mouthpiece and form a tight seal with your lips. Don’t put your mouth inside the mouthpiece, just around it.
- If your bong has a carb hole, which is a small hole on the side of the bong near the bowl, cover it with your thumb. If your bong doesn’t have one, don’t worry about it.
- Light your lighter or hemp wick and hold it over the bowl. Tilt it slightly so that the flame touches the edge of the herb or tobacco.
- Inhale slowly and steadily through your mouth. You will see the smoke travel from the bowl, through the downstem, into the water chamber, and up into the smoke chamber.</li
