SHOULD I SMOKE, VAPE OR DAB?
There are so many products in our industry these days, it's easy for it to get overwhelming. The best way to start is to choose if you want to Smoke, Vape or Dab! In this article, we'll outline some details of each method, and point you in the direction of in-depth guides, products, and more!
SMOKING
The oldest form of consumption, smoking, involves igniting your herbs with fire and inhaling them through some sort of vessel. While smoking allows you to inhale the exhaust of the beneficial oils in your herbs, it also involves inhaling everything else from the plant, including carbon and carcinogens! As such, there has been many evolutions of the tools we use to smoke, which we will briefly detail...
SMOKING ROLLIES & CONES
Herbs rolled in leaf or paper are one of the oldest and most efficient ways of smoking, as you are inhaling smoke directly off the ember. With only the unburnt herbs providing any sort of filtration, rolled herbs can be harsh. With different shapes, sizes, and paper materials having subtle effects on the hit, rolling in itself is a craft.
We carry a variety of Rolling Papers, Tips, Pre-Rolled Cones, Rolling Machines, Grinders, Rolling Trays, and Ashtrays to help you get rolling with ease! Also makes sure to check out our Introduction to Rolling & Cones if you're new to this method!
SMOKING OUT OF PIPES
Pipes have been made for thousand of years out of wood, stone, seeds, metal and our favorite - glass! These heat-resistant materials make sure you're only burning your herbs, and the chamber volume in pipes can help cool your smoke before it hits your lips! To learn more about the different types of pipes and how to use them, check out our Introduction to Pipes!
SMOKING OUT OF WATER PIPES
Adding water to the equation is one of the greatest evolutions of the smoking pipe. From ancient hookah's to modern percolated masterpieces, water-filtration has been the preferred version of smoking for millennia! Make sure to scope our Introduction to Bubblers & Tubes so you can decide what type of Water Pipe is right for you!
VAPORIZATION
When you smoke, you are combusting all of your herb together and inhaling it. The main thing you want to inhale comes from the essential oils in the plant, not the plant material itself! Fortunately, the essential oils in herbs have a lower evaporating temperature than most other chemicals. Vaporizers were invented as a solution to inhale vaporized essential oils from herbs without combusting them. Different vaporizers do this through various designs, usually incorporating convective or conductive heat. Most vaporizers are electrically powered, either through an outlet or a built-in battery. The main setback for vaporizers has always been the "hit", as vapor is much less impressive than large clouds of smoke. But for those that are putting their health first, a vaporizer may be your best choice! Read more in depth about vaporizers in our Introduction to Vaporizers!
DABBING
Another way enthusiasts have tackled healthier consumption is through concentrate vaporization, popularly known as dabbing! Concentrates are extracts of herbs resulting from the separation of the essential oils and other desirable chemicals from the plant material. Dabbing involves placing a drop of concentrate on a hot element and inhaling the vapors.
The most popular method for this involves a heatable element (known as a nail or banger) on a bubbler (known as a dab rig). The element is traditionally heated by a torch, and after it cools to a certain temperature, a drop of oil is applied to the element and vaporizes. While it's a lot of equipment, some argue that dabbing is the best form of consumption, and no one can argue that it is not the most potent. A great balance for many people getting into dabbing are pens, as they provide a more controlled hit of your dabs. Also, modern smart rigs are torch-free, and have brought battery power and adjustable temperatures to dabbing!
For most people, one dab is the equivalent of smoking a cone or large bowl. If you're interested in getting into dabbing, do not feel overwhelmed! Our Introduction to Dabbing will walk you through everything you need to know, and help you decide what kind of dab setup you want!
SO WHICH IS BEST?
Besides the access you have to flowers or concentrates, personal preference, as well as, where you consume will play a large roll in your decisions! Blasting a dab rig with a butane torch can definitely be awkward and even alarming in mixed company! Portable vaporizers, smart rigs, and dab pens are quick and discreet, while pipes, water pipes and dab rigs are potent and require more of a ritual to use! Rollies are great for a quick spark up, but also produce the strongest smelling smoke.
In the end, we like any and all ways of enjoying our herbs, and whether you're going to Smoke, Vape, or Dab... we have all the gear you need to do it right! So start browsing our collection of products, and make sure to hit us up here if you have any questions!