Maybe you’ve had a few joints in your time. You enjoyed it, and, fingers crossed, it has recently become legal in your state or country. You’re aware that the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks, and you’re considering increasing your cigarette consumption! You’ve seen a bong in action on TV, but you’re not sure what it takes to make one.
Have you tried looking at bongs but been overwhelmed by the designs, attachments, and functions you’re unfamiliar with? So, in this article, we’ll show you how to use a bong and how to choose the appropriate one for you.
What Ingredients Go Into a Bong?
First and foremost, let’s go over the various pieces of a bong so you know precisely what you’re looking at and what to look for while shopping. Bongs are available in a variety of forms and sizes, as well as various attachments, accessories, and add-ons. Check out these links for a comprehensive list of high-quality bongs.
The Subway
The bong’s main body and the place where smoke accumulates. It’s also referred to as the chamber. It’s usually attached directly to the base and extends all the way to the mouthpiece.
The Carburator is a device that burns fuel.
In a basic bong, there’s a small air hole that, when pressed, generates a vacuum in the chamber, which is how you collect the smoke (also known as “cooking” the chamber). This is referred to as the carburator, carb-hole, or shotgun hole. When you breathe in while simultaneously releasing the air-hole, all of the cooled smoke rushes into your lungs for a tremendous dose.
The Foundation
This is where the smoke enters the bong and cools before being absorbed in the tube. It is almost always filled with water. It also purifies the smoke by removing harmful pollutants. The smoke thickens as it rises into the tube, making you feel it more as it fills your lungs. The difference between most of the types of bongs currently on the market is the size and form of the base relative to the tube.
After your session, you’ll see that the bong water has become a muddy yellow color. The benefit of a bong performing its job is that undesired chemicals and dirt are filtered out of your smoke. The bong should be wiped out as soon as you’re finished.
The Piece for the Mouth
Doesn’t it seem to explain itself? This is where you take that big, hearty draw once you’ve cooked your chamber to your preferred density. The airholes that are required to draw the vacuum are usually found on or around the mouthpiece.
The Substrate
Other than your chamber tube, this is the second tube that extends through your bowl. The Downstem is one of the most critical parts of the bong because it must strike the base at an acute angle to the tube and the exit must be under the cooled water to cool the smoke and clean it out.
The Super Bowl
Where do you place your herbs that are going to be burned? It’s joined to the downstem’s other end, and when you draw via the mouthpiece while the herbs are burning, the smoke is pulled through the downstem and into the base. By the time you’re finished, you’ll have a lot of residue in the shape of burnt herbs and gunk, so make sure you clean it out periodically.
What Bong Should You Buy Now That You Know This?
Styles of Bong
As previously stated, the most significant distinctions between bongs are in their base versus their tube. They aren’t merely for show; the majority of the designs have a purpose. There are several different styles, but the two most common are straight and beaker.
Beaker Design
Bongs in the Beaker Style are usually the ones you see on TV. They have cylindrical tubes that stretch outward and upward from bases that resemble scientific beakers, almost always spherical but occasionally shaped like a rounded pyramid. There’s still a downstem, but the water level in the bong normally doesn’t rise above the circular base.
Straightforward Design
A straight bong has an even cylinder form all the way down the body and no obvious base to indicate where the water level should climb to. There is still a downstem, and how much you want to fill it is a personal option as long as the water is poured well above the downstem to allow time for the water to cool.
So, why should you choose one over the other?
As previously stated, there is a distinction between these two methods, and these distinctions could have a significant impact on your session and how you wish to smoke it.
There’s more volume to play with with the beaker design, so you can take greater rips and create larger and denser plumes of smoke to draw from.
The straight type, on the other hand, is easier to draw from due to its cylindrical, un-contoured body, making it excellent for long sessions, especially if you’re a beginner.
If you’re buying a bong for the first time and have only had a little experience or have only smoked joints, it’s a good idea to look at these two different models first. There are other additional styles, but these two are the most basic and extensively utilized.
The smoking paraphernalia industry is also currently booming, and the most famous brand in this industry is Eaglebongs. This is one of the best bong brands, which offer you quality bongs.
Other Suggestions
Glass of Superior Quality
If you can learn more about the materials used to make the bong, keep in mind that the thicker the glass, the better. It won’t improve the flavor or cleanliness of your bong, but trust me, out of all the glassware in your house, your unclean bong is the last thing you want to break, especially if it cost you an arm and a leg. Getting the thickest glass you can with your bong provides some protection against your future, half-baked self.
Downstem
You should be on the lookout for two types of Downstem: natural and physical. Both aren’t absolutely necessary for a nice smoke, but one is significantly superior to the other, and that’s the one you’d likely purchase for a much greater price, so keep an eye out if money is an issue.
Downstem in its natural state
Natural downstems are integrated into the base of the bong and continue vertically down to meet the base towards the bottom. Make sure you purchase a good one if they’re incorporated into the bong. If you want to personalize your downstem with anything like a perculator (more on those later), now is the time to do so because once you buy a natural downstem, you’re stuck with it.
Downsizing Physically
Glass tubes that may be withdrawn from the base are known as physical downstems. Physical downstems are far more customizable. Many higher-end manufacturers will sell a range of different physical downstems specifically to cater to the unique consumer, so if you’re searching for a downstem, a real one is absolutely the way to go. It may be a little more expensive up front, but once you’ve gained some expertise, you’ll know a lot more about percolators and ash-catchers, and that’s where the customization option will really come in handy.
Maintenance
Cleaning your bong is highly crucial, and failing to do so can impair your experience in the long run. There are a few holes and grooves that might become clogged with dirt, and simply washing out your base thoroughly can make a huge difference.
One thing to look for is an ash-catcher on your bowl, so that any burnt material can fall to a safe location rather than on your table or, even worse, inside your base. It’s considerably easier to clean an ash-catcher than it is to clean an ash-riddled bong. If you can locate a bong with an ash-catcher, we strongly advise you to do so.
We’d use alcohol and salt for just normal cleaning. Non-toxic. It won’t alter the flavor of your cigarette and it gets the job done. Rinse out your bong after each use, and give it a good cleaning once a week. If you accomplish that, you’ll have a bong that will last you a long time.
Percolators
Okay, percolators are tricky, largely because there are so many different types, and each one affects the flavor or density of the smoke in a different way. They’re also not entirely required, so if you’re a first-time buyer with little to no experience, I wouldn’t stress about it too much and instead focus on the overall style of your bong.
Percolators are essentially extra water tools that fit into your bong’s tube. It’s a secondary cooling system that removes any remaining heat or harshness from your smoke. They’re always helpful, but once you’ve gotten some practice, you’ll find that you can smoke just fine without them.
Showerheads, Palm Trees, Chandeliers, and Fritted Disks are just a few of the percolator variations. If you’re serious about getting a percolator, do some additional research to identify the best one for you. If you’re in the market for one, make sure it has a good combination of drag resistance and smoothness to get the most bang for your buck. The smoothness helps clean your smoke for a better draw, while the drag resistance makes it easier to inhale.
Genders Who Work Together
Gendered joints are common in bong accessories, especially on the top end of the market. If you have a separate bowl from your downstem and your downstem has a female joint, your bowl must have a male joint and must be inserted inside the downstem. If your downstem has a male joint, the opposite is true.
That’s all there is to it: a thorough description of what you’ll need and what you can expect from your bong.
Lastly, recommending a bong brand, Eaglebongs. It sells highly recommended bongs.
