How to Smoke a Bong

Ten years ago, few predicted that over 1/2 of the United States would legalize cannabis in some shape or form by 2020. What’s more, experts expect that marijuana will be legalized across the United States only a few years from now.

When stress is high, nothing hits the spot quite the same way that weed does. When cash is low on top of the stress, it’s vital to get the most out of your flower. For those reasons, it’s time to learn how to smoke a bong if you don’t already know.

While beginner tokers are often introduced to pot through pipes and joints, smoking that way means that hits are harsh and ashy. These methods also burn through your stash faster, so there’s no upside aside from portability.

If you’re wondering what to do instead, try smoking out of a 3d printed bong. Using a bong is a popular way to reduce heat and particulates inhaled from smoking marijuana.

If you never thought you could use a bong because it’s too complicated or expensive, think again. Here are some hot tips on how to smoke from a bong to dispel the myths.

The Ins and Outs of a Bong

If you’ve only ever smoked a pipe or a joint, smoking a bong can be intimidating. In reality, learning how to smoke out of a bong isn’t much harder than learning to smoke from a pipe.

Bongs aren’t so scary once you know all the parts. Here’s what you need to know about the parts of a bong, from top to bottom.

First up: the Mouthpiece

The mouthpiece of a bong is at the very top, connected to the chamber. Unlike in a pipe, a bong’s mouthpiece is far from the bowl. The distance allows the smoke to cool as it rises. This is a big part of why bong hits are smoother than pipe hits.

The Main Part: the Bong Chamber

The bong’s body and neck are grouped together and called a chamber. The water filters heat and particulates from the smoke. Bongwater is the other major reason hitting a bong is as comfortable as it is.

The Rare Bong Carb

The hole on a pipe or bong that you cover while lighting up is called a carb. You uncover the carb right before you inhale, pushing smoke into your lungs.

Most bongs don’t have a carb because removing the bowl serves that purpose. Your bong might have one if it’s made of china or wood instead of glass.

The Downstem and Bowl

As with a pipe, the part of a bong that you pack is called the bowl. Sometimes, it’s also called a slide. The bowl sits in on the downstem, which in turn is in a hole in the chamber near the bong’s base.

A small tube known as the downstem connects a bong’s bowl to the chamber. Often, it’s detachable for cleaning purposes. However, some bongs have built-in downstems.

Filling the Bong Chamber With Water

The first step before you can use a bong is to fill it with water. Pour water of any temperature through the mouthpiece. A lot of people opt for cold water, and some add ice to cool the smoke even more.

When filling the chamber, make sure water covers the downstem’s lower opening, but stops below the carb if there is one.

How to Smoke a Bong for Beginners

Once you fill the chamber, it’s time to pack a bowl and smoke.

If your weed isn’t already ground, break it down. Then, if you have a glass bong, remove the bowl to pack it. If you have another kind of bong, your bowl could be built-in.

If you notice that the hole at the base of the bowl is bigger than your ground weed, it’s probably a good idea to look at new bongs online because you can do better. In the meantime, use a small nugget of weed or pipe screen to block the hole before packing it with finer weed.

To avoid losing smoke, don’t go over the rim of the bowl. Pack the bowl tightly, but make sure you can still draw air through.

To smoke the bong, set it on a flat surface like a table or your lap. This is important, because coughing after a big bong rip is a great way to lose control and shatter expensive glass.

Make a seal by placing your lips a little bit into the mouthpiece. Don’t put your lips over the mouthpiece to inhale. Not only will you look like a fool, but it’s also bad smoking etiquette.

Hold the chamber with your non-dominant hand and cover the carb, if there is one. Light the bowl and start to inhale, but remove the bowl or uncover the carb before your lungs are spent.

The hit will be smoother than one from a joint or pipe, but you might get more smoke than you bargain for, so be careful.

Keep Your Bong Squeaky Clean

Keep your water pipe clean for easy smoking. Cannabis leaves ash and resin on the walls of your pipe. This is that amber, brown, and black-colored stuff that makes dirty bongs look so gross. It also makes them harder to inhale through and smoke from.

Alcohol and salt work just as well as any commercial formula. The bowl and downstem are the parts most important to clean to keep the bong functioning. Give the chamber a good scrubbing every once in a while, too.

You do need additional brushes or cleaning equipment to wash out a bong. You can submerge the average dry pipe to clean it, but most bongs are too large.

A pro tip is that cleaning up that nasty resin leaves you with smokable product. It makes cleaning a pipe or bong harder, but it’s a good way to come up with weed in a pinch.

Lifestyle Advice for Family Night and Alone Time

Now that you know how to smoke a bong like a pro, you can chill out during trying times. Make use of your downtime by learning new and interesting information.

We know that you want to do everything you can for your family, so we have plenty of articles for the mom on the go.

At the same time, everyone needs time alone to recoup from a hard day of working a job or working for the family. Articles like this are just what you need for self-care, so try another now!