What a bong is should probably be clear to most people. What it’s used for is definitely nothing new either, at least for most. There are supposedly still parents who understand and accept their children’s bong as a disguised „vase“ in their bedroom. The word bong is originally derived from the old Thai word „Baung“ and used as a term for a type of pipe made from bamboo. Nowadays, you can simply think of a bong as a smaller hookah or shisha pipe. Initially, people associate a bong with cannabis consumption, and cannabis is indeed predominantly inhaled with it. However, cannabis is usually smoked pure with a bong, unlike joints, which are mixed with conventional tobacco.
📑 Inhaltsverzeichnis
The bong is now available in many different designs, but the construction is often the same – simple and easy to understand. The effects of cannabis also differ when smoking from a bong compared to a joint. The effect is usually, logically, more intense and considerably stronger – let’s call it „high.“ Anyone who has never come into contact with cannabis smoking and wants to try it directly by inhaling from a bong should be warned.
Bong Construction
The construction of a bong is actually quite simple. Of course, there are much more complicated variants that not only look good but also provide a very special smoking experience. Basically, however, a bong consists of a large cylinder that is filled with water. There are holes on both sides, sometimes only one. The so-called kick hole is not found on all bongs. The downstem is located in the larger hole and runs upward. A screen is then inserted at the upper end, on which the cannabis is ultimately placed. Really high-quality bongs have a precooler that is filled with water, cools the smoke, and makes it less harsh. A diffuser can also be built in, which filters the smoke more strongly and thus tastes more pleasant and smoother. A catalyst can also be inserted between the bowl and downstem, which filters out residues.
How to Use a Bong
Anyone who has never smoked with a bong should have experienced bong smokers demonstrate this. Important for the first time is that you don’t inhale too deeply and don’t take everything at once. Anyone who has no experience with any kind of smoking might experience a quite oppressive feeling in the lungs. Some get shortness of breath or an extreme coughing fit briefly.
Now to usage: Most bongs have a kick hole, which is the small hole on the back of the bong (located approximately in the lower third of the cylinder). Now the mixture or pure cannabis is placed on the screen in the downstem. The cylinder, which is open at the top, must now be sealed with your mouth. With a lighter or match, you now ignite the cannabis and pull, or inhale, simultaneously with your mouth. If there’s a kick hole on the bong, it must be held closed, preferably with a finger. Otherwise, the smoke would escape through it and couldn’t be properly drawn upward. Until the smoke accumulates in the bong, you continue pulling. Of course, you can also stop and then pull again as desired. So that the bowl can be smoked quickly, it’s common to put only a little cannabis on the downstem. More cannabis can of course be shared with multiple consumers.
How to Clean a Bong
Anyone who uses a bong will notice that residues quickly accumulate there and it must be maintained accordingly. Otherwise, the residues can worsen and stink. The downstem can be cleaned with a cleaning brush. Appropriate bong accessories can be purchased online very well. Of course, cleaning with an old toothbrush is also possible. For stronger dirt and stuck deposits, sea salt can help. Salt usually removes all residues effortlessly. Dish soap or dishwasher tabs are also recommended. However, you must rinse the bong well afterward, as such products are naturally toxic and should not be smoked.
TIP: Hot water and baking soda helps not only with yellowed smoker’s teeth but also for residues in the bong.
Bong Types
Glass Bong
Glass bongs are extremely durable and are accordingly sold most frequently. Durable, of course, only until they break due to falling. Glass bongs can vary greatly in their designs, variants, and price. Cheap glass bongs are available for purchase starting at €10, while more expensive models reach three-digit ranges. Anyone who wants to try a bong for the first time should initially get a somewhat cheaper one to cautiously approach it. It’s not uncommon for many people to prefer returning to joints after bong smoking. But the opposite is naturally possible too. Glass bongs can be extremely chic and extravagant and look really beautiful. There are colorful glass bongs with patterns or extravagant designs with style. Anyone who frequently and happily consumes in company may therefore switch to a somewhat more expensive variant – after all, such a bong creates a very special atmosphere.
But: When the bong falls down, it breaks and that can be annoying.
Acrylic Bong
Glass bongs can sometimes be quite heavy and pretty impractical when you want to take them somewhere. Also, there are simply people who shouldn’t be given a glass bong. For exactly such cases, there’s the acrylic bong. These are much lighter in weight and can be taken practically anywhere. They usually survive minor accidents without any scratches and are often cheaper, but not as durable or beautiful. The construction of acrylic bongs is mostly quite simple, too simple to be able to install extras of any kind, such as a diffuser.
Acrylic bongs also have a kick hole, but cleaning it is much more difficult. The bong is much smaller and can thus be too small for brushes or cleaning supplies. Through the material (hard plastic) and the smoke, usually only hard-to-remove residues form, which can usually never be completely removed. This makes cannabis smoking with a bong somewhat unhygienic and a new purchase is quickly needed.
Dutch Bong
You can recognize the Dutch bong externally by the fact that it looks like a vase and is not shaped like a cylinder. In the middle of the bong, it narrows and becomes somewhat wider again toward the mouthpiece. The Dutch bong is perfect for telling the uninformed that this is a real flower vase. This way, everyone can perfectly camouflage their hobby. Here too, there are different colors and price ranges.
Bamboo Bong
Bamboo bongs are not really widespread here and hard to get, as there are only very few online dealers who can still sell bamboo bongs. But anyone traveling abroad should buy such a souvenir there. On many islands, bongs are made from bamboo. However, almost all bamboo bongs lack the kick hole, so the smoke cannot escape through it. Here you simply have to put your mouth to the mouthpiece and the smoke escapes by itself. However, bamboo bongs are the most difficult to clean because they are not transparent and residues can hardly be detected. But anyone who owns such a bamboo bong will probably be one of the few people in Germany who possess such a bong.
Ice Bong
An ice bong can be confused relatively quickly with a glass bong, as these two variants are quite similar. However, the ice bong has a narrowing below the mouthpiece so that the consumer can add ice cubes and the smoke can be drawn through the ice cubes. The comparison with a precooler cannot be drawn – that’s something completely different. However, you can combine a precooler with the ice cubes – promised: that really hits. The ice bong is actually a unique experience because without cooling, the smoke from another bong often tastes harsh and the consumer often gets coughing fits. The ice cubes cool the smoke.
Tip: To make the taste even more experiential, you can also add ice-cold and frozen raspberries or strawberries. Just: Please don’t eat the fruit afterward – it doesn’t taste good.
Building Your Own Bong
You can do it, but you don’t have to. Anyone who doesn’t have money for a cheap bong but does for cannabis can build a bong themselves with simple household items. There are numerous instructional videos circulating on YouTube that are more or less worth imitating. So, how can you build a bong yourself and what do I need for it?
Here’s one possible variant:
You actually don’t need much: two empty returnable bottles, adhesive tape and scissors, a diagonally cut straw, and of course the usual smoking tools – that’s all.
First, wash the bottles thoroughly so they are as dent-free and wrinkle-free as possible. Now cut one of the bottles somewhat below the middle as straight as possible and place this part in front of you on the table. The other part is now placed upside down into the first part – of course, the cap comes off first if it’s on there. (By the way: Bottle stickers are uncool – so remove them!)
The second bottle is now cut at the top of the neck (where it narrows together). You can dispose of the lower part; we take the cap off the upper part and stick it opening upward into the previous construction. Now the two bottles look almost like a whole one again. Take the cut straw and stick it into the very bottom part on one side. (Cut a small hole with a pocket knife)
Now our bong construction must of course be extremely well sealed and airtight. Use tape and adhesive tape to really reach all cut edges and seal them airtight. The opening at the top logically remains free.
Roll a tip, build a joint, stick it in the straw and light it.
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