Properly smoking a pipe is easy as can be, and set-up really only takes about 10 seconds. Think about it—most people can do it properly while high, so you can definitely do it without too much thought.

That being said, you need to know how to properly pack a pipe’s bowl (the scoop-like end where you place your herb) before you smoke. We promise: learning how to do it will take longer than actually packing a bowl, even if you’re doing it for the first time.

So, let's get started!

What you need to smoke a pipe

First, gather your materials. You’ll need:

• A pipe: Not all pipes are the same, so you’ve got a lot of choices out there. They range from tiny one-hitters to large glass pipes with a deep bowl for a longer session. Want to see what’s out there? Take a look at our smoking pipe collection!
• A grinder: From a simple grinder card to a premium  weed grinder, anything is better than herb crumbled with your fingers.
• Your preferred herb: Here’s a great post to check if you have a good herb or not.
• A flame: A lighter, a match, a toothpick fired upon the stove… As long as you can control the flame, you’re good.

Got everything? Let’s start packing.

How to smoke your pipe

Step 1: Grind your herb

Grind up your herb into a fine powder. Although you can get a good grind with a grinder card, the best results will always be achieved with an actual grinder. Whatever you use, make sure the herb is ground into fine, uniform pieces, without large chunks or lumps. That will guarantee an even burn. The finer you get it, the more compact it’ll be, and the more smoke you’ll get when burning it.

Step 2: Fill and pack your bowl

When many of us had just started to smoke, we thought we’d just dump the ground herb into the bowl, and then quickly overfilled it and made a mess. To prevent this, pinch your ground herb with your index finger and thumb to slowly pack your bowl. That way, you’ll be able to control how much you pack.

Once your bowl is full, you want to pat it down. Don’t aim to press it, just aim to pack it. You want it to be uniform, but light enough, so the smoke can travel through the bowl and into your lungs.

Make sure you’re packing your bowl over something like a tray or a plate, so you can easily retrieve anything that misses the bowl while packing it.

Step 3: Smoke!

Now that your bowl is properly packed, it’s time to light it up. Start by lighting up the herb that’s the closest to the edge. Then inhale. By lighting up the herb like this, you can make sure it lights up properly and burns everything evenly.

When using a  smoking weed pipe like the Pyptek Prometheus Pocket Pipe, you’ll notice a little hole at the side of your piece. By covering and uncovering this hole, (called a “carb hole”) you can control the flow of air through the pipe. When inhaling, you can cover the carb to close up the airflow.

Step 4: Cleaning and storing your smoking pipe

Once you’re done smoking, clean up your bowl with a blow and a few taps against the palm of your hand.

To ensure a good smoke next time, you want to make sure you’re cleaning your pipe properly. You can use soaking solutions like a Puprle Power Original Formula to completely clean your piece, maintaining it in perfect conditions regardless of how often you use it.

Getting started

Do you have all the tools you need to smoke up? You can get started with our Crazy Combo Deal which includes all the essential items you need, like a tray, metal herb grinder, and glass pipes.

Now that you know how to properly smoke your pipe, you’ll be ready to whip it out for a smoking session whenever the mood strikes.

Enjoy!