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The 5 Best Gifts for Herb Smokers
As more and more people find that smoking herb is the right choice for their lives, more friends and family members are struggling with knowing what gifts for smokers to get. After all, despite the fact that many people choose to partake of their chosen smoking material with others present, plenty are still private, whether out of necessity or courtesy, making smoking a very personal part of someone’s life. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t some great gift ideas to help them get a better smoking experience.
A Better Way To Smoke
The image of smokers as lazy, shiftless do-nothings is a piece of “Reefer Madness” hysteria we all wish would fade away. The truth is many people use their herb as a way to do more with their lives through the health and wellness benefits it gives, while others just prefer to accentuate their adventures with a couple tokes along the way. One of the coolest gifts for smokers you can give is an easier way for them to take their favorite smoking material on the go.
An all-in-one smoking kit is a perfect choice for smokers who love to experience everything life has to offer. This innovative take on the dugout pipe concept gives them a storage place for their herb, grinder, and a multi-hitter pipe to pack and puff, all in a package that’s smaller than a pack of cigarettes. It’s lightweight, durable, easy to carry, and even easier to use. Whether they’re an outdoor enthusiast or someone who just likes to hit a smoke break after lunch, it’s one of the coolest gifts for smokers you can buy.
A New Way To Carry
Finding the perfect way to carry herb isn’t always easy. Sure, your Smokit will hold a couple of nugs, but if you’re out for the day or hanging with friends, having a little more on hand helps make sure you don’t run out. At the same time, you don’t want to load yourself down with bulky stashes. That’s why Storage Soles are some of the best gifts for smokers.
Storage soles make a perfect hidden stash box. They trim easily to fit most men or women’s shoe sizes and come with a rugged box that nestles in the sole to hold your extra herb. The location adds no discernable bulk to your clothing, it’s easy to get to when you need it, and it keeps even the skunkiest smoking material far from the noses of people who don’t need to know you’re carrying your smoke with you.
Gear Repping Iconic Smokers
Look, not everybody loves Cheech and Chong, but cool people do. Of course, there are other icons of smoking culture, like Snoop, Marley, Tupac, Willie, and the list continues to grow every day. Getting your friends and family the gear that lets them show off their passion is a great way to show you support them and their choice of smoke.
Whether it’s our own Chong’s Choice Smokit, their favorite musician's latest album, or a DVD collection that will leave them in stitches, there are plenty of possibilities for the perfect gifts for smokers in your life.
A New Piece
You might feel like your friend has plenty of pipes. They don’t need to be a glass-head to want another new way to smoke. Every pipe has a different draw, and that affects the way the smoke feels and hits, making a broad selection desirable, as you never know when you might need something a little different. What we’re saying is, if you’re drawing a blank on what gifts for smokers are needed by your loved one, it’s a pipe.
Our accessories page offers several multi-hitter designs to round out their collection. They can keep things on the down-low with our cigarette-style multi-hitter, meant to mimic the shape and appearance of a standard cig, or let their inner emo out with our black metal multi-hitter. You can also grab our grinder card that’s perfect for every wallet or a pipe tool for keeping their gear ready for the next smoke.
More Smoking Material
Be careful, and always follow your state’s laws regarding the purchase and possession of herb, but if your state allows it, get your bud some of their favorite bud. Smoking isn’t cheap, and one of the surest ways to make sure you’re getting gifts for the smokers in your life that will get used is to get them their favorite smoke. Get enough, and they may even share.
Give Better Gifts
When you need something special for your smoker friends and family, we’ve got you covered. Order the smoking pipes and accessories they’ll appreciate from Smokit today.
Everything You Need to Know About Herbal Grinders
An herbal grinder is a handy tool that makes it easy to prepare your dry herb for smoking, vaping, or making edibles. Most grinders are circular devices that fit in the palm of your hand, although there are other styles available, such as our ultra-portable Grinder Card. Grinders save you the time, hassle, and mess that comes with breaking up your smoking material by hand.
Herb Grinding 101
Here’s a quick tutorial on how to properly use a traditional circular grinder:
- If necessary, break up your smoking material into small chunks by hand.
- Open the top lid of your grinder, and push the chunks of smoking material into the grinder’s teeth.
- Push the lid back on.
- Twist the lid back and forth. You’ll feel resistance at first, and then the rotations will become smoother as the smoking material is ground.
- Remove the lid of the herbal grinder to reveal your newly ground herb, or if your grinder has a chamber below the teeth level, unscrew the grinder’s middle level where you’ll find ground smoking material in the chamber below.
How to Use a Grinder Card
A grinder card fits right in your wallet, and it’s the perfect companion to a one-hitter. A grinder card works similarly to a cheese grater—simply hold the card over a tray or other receptacle, and then rub the smoking material briskly against the card. That’s it!
What Is a Pollen Catcher?
Some grinders have a third (or even fourth) section called a pollen catcher. This section of an herbal grinder can be identified by a mesh screen with very tiny holes. After grinding, the ground smoking material falls into the chamber below where you can leave it until you’re ready to use it. Over time, the fine ‘pollen’ particles naturally fall through the mesh into a chamber below.
Pro tip: If you want to extract more pollen faster, you can place a coin in the chamber above. When you move the grinder around, the coin knocks pollen off the dry herb to the chamber below.
Once your herbal grinder has accumulated a good amount of pollen, the highly concentrated material can be used in a number of ways. Some smokers like to use a pollen press to turn the pollen into dense pucks that can be smoked. Others like to sprinkle the powder on top of their usual smoking material to increase its potency.
Cleaning Your Grinder
Over time, it’s normal for some herbal residue to accumulate on your grinder. Fortunately, cleaning it is a breeze. You may be able to remove the residue just by scraping it with an old toothbrush.
However, if you want to restore your herbal grinder to like-new condition, you may want to use a pipe cleaner or a mixture of salt and rubbing alcohol as a cleaning solution. Be sure to let your grinder air dry before using it again.
Do You Really Need a Grinder?
You may be wondering if you actually need a grinder. After all, hands or scissors get the job done, right? While it’s true that you can break up your smoking material manually, there are some drawbacks aside from the obvious extra labor and time spent.
Properly ground herbs burn more evenly, allowing you to enjoy a smoother smoking experience. An herbal grinder gives you a finer, more consistent finished product. Ground herbs are especially useful if you’re rolling your own cigarettes, as they burn more slowly and evenly. Have you ever had a pre-rolled cigarette burn faster on one side? A grinder helps to prevent that.
Additionally, as you touch the smoking material while breaking it up by hand, the fine pollen sticks to your fingers. Not only does the residue leave your hands sticky and smelly, but you’re missing out on smoking the most potent part of the plant.
Order Quality Grinders Today
If you’re looking for the ultimate in convenience, you simply can’t beat our wallet-friendly Grinder Card. Our 2” All-in-One Smoking Kit and our 3” All-in-One Smoking Kit are also fantastic choices, as they include everything you need to smoke on the go, including a built-in herbal grinder.
Want to know more about our grinders? Our helpful experts are more than happy to answer any questions you might have. Contact us now for assistance with your purchase, or simply place your order online now.
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Featured image is from 'Girls All Around' https://www.girlsallaround.com
How to Clean a Pipe: Simple Steps for Cleaning Your Smoking Devices
Every smoker should know how to clean a pipe. While it’s not the most exciting or glamorous smoking-related activity, it’s a necessary one. After all, over time, your pipe is going to develop a stinky layer of resin that’s quite unpleasant to smell or taste. A clean pipe lets you fully enjoy the unique characteristics of your smoking material.
Additionally, that tarry goo that builds up over time can actually be detrimental to your health, and smoking it often causes headaches and other undesirable side effects. Fortunately, some basic maintenance is all it takes to keep every session clean.
Basic Cleaning by Hand
The easiest way to clean a pipe is to take a pipe cleaner and push it through the pipe multiple times until the resin falls out. If you don’t have an actual pipe cleaner, you can use a paper clip, bobby pin, or other similar long, thin device.
If the debris is caked in your pipe firmly, you may want to apply a bit of heat with a lighter, but only if it’s a glass pipe. Be very cautious, as too much heat can cause a glass pipe to crack. Don’t touch the pipe directly with the flame, and be sure to move the flame around so you’re warming the residue without causing the pipe to overheat.
Once you know how to clean a pipe, you should also pay attention to when your devices need some attention. Water pipes should typically be cleaned every day. Standard dry pipes can usually go a week or so before they need maintenance. Of course, those timeframes may vary depending on your smoking frequency.
Cleaning with a Solution
If your smoking device hasn’t been cleaned for a long period of time, you may need to break out the big guns. In most cases, cleaning your pipe by hand should get rid of most of the tar, but if you really want a spotless piece, you need to know how to clean a pipe using a wet solution.
While some smokers may recommend boiling your pipe, that method can weaken or even crack some pipes. A better option is to use a pipe cleaning formula that’s made specifically for cleaning pipes—especially water pipes. Usually, you simply fill the pipe with the solution, shake it around, pour it out, and then let the piece air dry.
If you don’t have a designated pipe cleaning solution, you can also make your own natural cleaning agent. The most common method is to combine rubbing alcohol with coarse salt, although vinegar and baking soda can work too (just make sure you do it over a sink, as it will foam).
If you’re going to clean a pipe, it’s absolutely crucial that you only use natural, safe cleaning supplies. Never use any sort of household cleaning product that contains chemicals.
Make Cleaning Your Devices a Habit
The first time cleaning a dirty pipe can be a difficult and eye-opening experience. And, after smoking from a sparkling pipe, you’re going to see what a huge difference it makes. Fortunately, you should only have to do that major clean once. Try to make maintaining your pipe a habit. Whenever you notice that it’s getting dirty, just give it a quick cleaning. It only takes a minute.
Shop the Best Smoking Accessories
A poker/scooper tool is a must-own accessory for smokers. You can use it to clean a pipe, pack a bowl, clear blockages, and so much more. You don’t realize how useful a designated poker really is until you have one on hand and ready. Contact us now if you have any questions about our poker/scooper tool or any of our convenient smoking products.
Tips for Storing Your Dry Herb
Storing dry herbs properly isn’t difficult, but many smokers overlook the importance of proper storage techniques. While herbal smoking materials tend to be quite resilient, they can dry out, lose potency and flavor, and even grow mold if you don’t take steps to preserve them. Read on to discover the most effective short and long-term storage solutions.
Why Proper Storage Is Necessary
Like any plant, your smoking material is going to degrade naturally over time. In addition to ruining what would have been a pleasant smoking experience, smoking old, moldy herbs can be harmful to your health. With that fact in mind, your goal when storing dry herbs is to create an ideal environment that prevents degradation and mold.
The Ideal Temperature Zone
If you store your smoking material within a temperature range of 77° and 86° F, you’re risking mildew and mold growth. Try to find a dark, cool place with a temperature that’s lower than 77° F. You may be tempted to store your smoking material in the fridge or freezer, but that can cause the pollen to separate from the rest of the plant, resulting in a loss of potency.
Prevent Airflow
A sealed glass jar is the most common storage receptacle because it prevents air from drying out the herbal material excessively. Whether you’re planning on storing dry herbs short-term or long-term, an airtight glass jar—the kind used for pickling is a great choice— should do the trick. For long-term storage, you may want to use a vacuum sealer to eliminate air exposure entirely.
Reduce Humidity
Most experts recommend between 59% and 63% relative humidity (RH). Of course, the average smoker isn’t going to be able to measure humidity. That said, passionate smokers or growers may choose to use a hygrometer to monitor humidity fluctuations.
When it comes to long-term storage, a simpler solution is to add a humidity pack or two to the jar. These handy packs help to regulate the humidity inside the jar. You can find them online or at your local smoke shop.
Block UV Rays
The sun’s UV rays can degrade your smoking material. Have you ever noticed how some plants turn brown when exposed to too much sun? It’s the same principle. When storing dry herbs, you should always keep your herbs in a dark place such as a drawer or cabinet.
Another option is to use a brown jar instead of a clear one. There’s a reason why beer brewers don’t usually use clear bottles: the contents inside of the bottle are affected by the sun. Using a brown jar is a simple solution that’s especially helpful if you want to have quick and easy access to your stash.
Separating Strains
If you have different types of herbs, it’s important to keep them separate. Each plant has its own terpenes that provide their characteristic scents, flavors, and effects. Although storing dry herbs together won’t cause any degradation or mold, they will lose their unique profiles. It’s better to use multiple jars and label them.
Short-Term Storage
If you plan on smoking your dry herbs within a few days or even weeks, you shouldn’t need to worry about storage. Of course, best practice is still to follow the procedures above, but there’s nothing wrong with keeping your smoking material in a grinder or dugout so it’s always ready to smoke when you are.
Shop Portable Storage Solutions
Our all-in-one dugout kits are perfect for short-term storage and for bringing your smoking material on the go. You should be storing dry herbs in an airtight container when you’re not enjoying them, but it’s nice to have a handy, pocket-sized storage solution while you’re out and about or just relaxing at home.
Our Storage Soles also offer a clever and discrete solution for bringing your stash with you. The comfortable soles slide right into your shoes, and they have a pocket for storing any small valuables that you want to stay hidden. Shop our portable storage solutions now, and see why seasoned smokers use Smokit products.