The Art of the Pack

The most important skill in pipe smoking is being able to pack the bowl properly. Otherwise, you won’t enjoy the hobby as much as you could be. If packed too tightly, it will be tough to draw smoke and the tobacco won’t burn evenly. If packed too loosely, the pipe could get pretty hot and won’t stay lit for very long. That’s why the pack is important!

Unfortunately, while proper packing is an important skill, it’s also probably the most difficult to master. Even after years of smoking, you might still have a sub-par pack from time to time. However, it’s partly the fostering of patience and determination that makes pipe smoking the great form of smoking that it is.

It’s paramount not to get overly frustrated, and give up. You will master this skill if you try, and once you do, you will feel accomplished. You’ll also likely want to begin teaching others, which is equally as rewarding as doing it yourself!

There are three main ways to properly pack a pipe, and different people choose different methods. It doesn’t matter which you use, the important thing is that it works for you.