A bong is a device that allows you to smoke herb or tobacco through water, which cools and filters the smoke. Smoking a bong can be a fun and satisfying way to enjoy your favorite herb, but it can also be intimidating if you don’t know what you’re doing. Here are some simple steps to help you smoke a bong like a pro.
What You Need
- A bong. You can buy one online or at a headshop, or you can make your own out of a plastic bottle, a pen, and some aluminum foil. However, we recommend using a glass bong for better quality and durability.
- Some herb or tobacco. You can use any kind of herb or tobacco you like, but make sure it’s dry and not too sticky.
- A grinder. This is a tool that helps you break up your herb or tobacco into small pieces, which will make it burn more evenly and smoothly.
- A lighter or a hemp wick. You need something to light your herb or tobacco with. A lighter is the most common option, but some people prefer using a hemp wick, which is a natural and organic alternative that produces less butane and ash.
How to Smoke a Bong
- Fill your bong with water. Pour some clean, cool water through the mouthpiece of the bong until it reaches about an inch above the tip of the downstem. The downstem is the long tube that connects the bowl to the water chamber. The water should cover the bottom end of the downstem, but not too much, or else it might splash into your mouth or wet your herb.
- Grind your herb or tobacco. Use your grinder to chop up your herb or tobacco into fine pieces. This will help it burn better and produce more smoke. You can also use your fingers or scissors to do this, but a grinder will give you more consistent results.
- Pack the bowl. The bowl is the part of the bong where you put your herb or tobacco. It usually has a small hole at the bottom that fits into the downstem. Take some of your ground herb or tobacco and gently pack it into the bowl. Don’t pack it too tight or too loose, or it will affect the airflow and the quality of your smoke. A good rule of thumb is to fill the bowl about halfway if you’re smoking alone, or up to the rim if you’re sharing with friends.
- Hold the bong with your non-dominant hand. Wrap your hand around the base or the neck of the bong, depending on its size and shape. Make sure you have a firm grip on it, so it doesn’t tip over or spill.
- Place your lips inside the mouthpiece. Put your mouth over the top of the bong and seal your lips around the opening. Don’t put your lips around the outside of the mouthpiece, or you’ll create an air leak and lose some of the smoke.
- Use a lighter or hemp wick to light the bowl. Hold your lighter or hemp wick near the edge of the bowl and apply some heat to ignite your herb or tobacco. As you do this, start inhaling slowly and steadily through your mouth. You should see some bubbles forming in the water chamber as the smoke travels through it.
- Start inhaling. As you light the bowl and inhale, you’ll see some smoke filling up the neck of the bong. This is called “milking” the bong, because it looks like milk filling up a glass. Keep inhaling until you have enough smoke in the bong for your desired hit size. You can control how much smoke you get by adjusting how fast you inhale and how long you light the bowl.
- Lift up the bowl or uncover the carb hole. Once you have enough smoke in the bong, you need to clear it by inhaling all of it into your lungs. To do this, you need to lift up the bowl from the downstem, or uncover the carb hole if your bong has one. The carb hole is a small opening near the base of the bong that lets air in when you release it. This will create a rush of air that will push all of
