What is a Bong?

A bong is a device used for smoking herb. Unlike its relatives, the joint and pipe, it uses water to cool down the smoke and gives the user a smoother way to inhale.

Aright, I get it, but how does it work?

Bongs are like guns. Though they all work very similarly, some have a few key features that make them different. I have attached a VERY simple bong, that covers the two basic parts EVERY smoker should know. The Stem and Chamber. Firstly, the Stem (often called the billy piece, bill piece, bong piece, bowl piece and so forth) is a tube with a bowl shape on one side. This is where you put the weed and later light it. The cylinder-like end of the Stem then connects to the Chamber. This is what makes up most of the bong, is where the water is put and is what the smoke travels through in order to reach you. Now, referring to this picture, when I put my lips on the top of the Chamber 

and inhale, i would be pulling air through the bowl part of the Stem, down into the water, up the chamber and into my lungs. To actually use the bong, I must pack a bowl (Place about 0.15 grams of tobacco into the bowl part of the Stem), light it, and inhale. Guess what? THATS IT! You know now the BASICS of how to use a bong for smoking the oh-so-terrible-herb.

Okay, I can handle the “basics”, bring it on! What else is there to a bong?

(Nobody says “bong usage” and from now on I will refer to “bong usage” as taking a “hit”)

After hitting a bong many smokers realize…the meaning of life…lol nah I’m just joking. Anyway, with that aside, after taking a hit some people see that after taking in a much smoke as possible, the Chamber still has smoke in it. This means that the bong was not “cleared”. Not everyone has the lung power to clear a big Chamber full of smoke, and this is where the “non-basic” bong parts come in.

Firstly, there is the “Carb“. Don’t let the name confuse you, it is literally JUST a hole in the Chamber. To use it, you simply keep a finger over it (keep it covered) when lighting your weed and inhaling, to keep the bong   air tight. After you feel you’ve inhaled enough smoke, you simply take your finger off the hole, and allow fresh air into the Chamber, and this quickly pushes or “cleares” the smoke out and into your lungs.  

The hole on the side is the Carb ->  

The second feature is more of an innovation then an actual new part, but I still feel that it is too confusing to call “basic”. It is a “Pull-Piece“. Hold on a minute right there!! I’ve heard the word “piece” before, wasn’t that another name for “Stem“? Why, yes it is, good sir, yes it is. This device is a normal Stem but it can, as the name suggests, be pulled! *gasp*. When taking a hit and trying to clear the Chamber, if there is a Pull Piece in the bong, you simply pull it out, creating a Carb where the piece used to be. Hence clearing all the smoke out as explained in the previous paragraph. However, don’t go pulling on every piece thinking its a Pull Piece.

Congratulations! You now know every part of a bong that requires movement to use while hitting. The only aspects left are, what I like to call, “Mods”.

Mods? 0.o

Whats not mod-able these days? You can get a body kit for your Honda Civic, a water cooling system for your computer, so why shouldn’t you mod your bong? From here on I will just name the mod and explain it.

Perculators & Diffusers

A perculator is an attachment to your bong that works as a second chamber. It allows the smoke to be in contact with water for a longer period of time, making the hit cooler and smoother. Not to mention, it makes both your hits and bongs look fu**in nice. As for Diffusers, these are Stems but instead of being hollow cylinders, they look similar to test tubes, with little holes on one end that break up the smoke into bubbles, allowing for even greater smoke-to-water contact. Here are a few pictures, I tried to use the pictures that show the “mods” as best as possible.

A Diffuser -> A Perculator ->   

I strongly beleive that Ice Catchers and Ash Catchers  are self explanatory and really, you don’t need to worry about them unless you choosing which bong to buy, but that’s a whole other tale, for another time. I might make a Guide to Bong Buying if this one does well.

Now I will include some of my tips.

• Never and I repeat NEVER breath INTO the bong
• If you don’t own a bong, don’t talk shit about someones
• If you using someones bong make sure you place it somewhere safe after using (a place where it will not fall, ect..)
• RELAX, your not being judged, just enjoy yourself.
• Most importantly, have fun

I’m at home, don’t have a bong, but I want to smoke one…NOW!

No worries, a bong doesn’t have to be glass and have an Ice Catcher. Remember, all you need is a chamber and a stem. The most generic chamber, used by most teens, is a water bottle. Simply find one, and then you have a chamber. As for the stem, I would suggest buying one for like 6 bucks at your local convenience store, but hey, not everyone can I guess. Simply find a highlighter, take of the white part on the back with and the inside with scissors, and basically just empty it out, to create a stem. Now, take some tinfoil, make a bowl like figure out of it and place it into the end of the highlighter with the bigger opening. Now poke a few small holes in the tinfoil and you have your stem! Then all you need to do is make a hole so the highlighter stem can fit into the water bottle. Just look at the first basic-bong-parts picture in this guide and you’ll see how you should putt the pieces together. After, add some water, and you have you cheap-basic-crappy-homemade bong.

A few things you should keep in mind however are:

• Smoking with tinfoil may lead to Alzheimer’s
• You have to make sure the bong is air tight
• This type of bong should not be used for more than 2 sessions

Note: There are other homemade-bong options, but I feel that this is the easiest one to make.