The G-Bong and an efficiency breakdown

[2600]

A recent thread reminded me of the few times I have resorted to the gravity bong in the past. Usually it was when I had been smoking too way too much and had a ridiculously high tolerance, so that was the only way I was really going to get high.

So if you've been there, you also know that after you hit one, you are done for the day (in terms of just being able to hit a normal piece, or roll a j and expect to get anything from it after hitting a gravity).

Now if you guys do g'bongs the way we used to (slooow draws with a 3l bottle or bigger in tubs), it's nearly impossible to physically inhale the dense clouds they form, filled. And even if you could, it IS impossible to keep it down long enough to absorb that mass in your lungs. It's a waste. You can actually take a bigger hit than what you can absorb in one inhalation from a normal 2-3 foot b Think of all the smoke you blow OUT from any giant hit (=waste). So the gravity bong (5), I would rank last in terms of efficiency (although the most dominant force; like what Shaq is to the NBA.)

Next would be the blunt(4). They are great, because much "burn horsepower" is at your disposal with very little draw (big fire at the end, large volume to draw through means you don't have to suck hard for smoke). However, with that large fire, comes large waste. WHen you stop the draw, the fire is still burning fierce for a time after wards, and much excess smoke escapes. So they are great for when you are drunk, because the big fire keeps them from going out quickly, and you don't give a fuck about the burnoff, because you are smashed.

With similiar pros and cons as the blunt, the joint(3) ranks slightly more efficient, because while there is still burnoff, the radius is not as large,so its waste is not as significant. Also a bonus for the joint and blunt are the "self resinating" nature. Remember those pipes with a chamber in the middle you could put weed in, and after you smoke enough bowls through it, using the weed inside as a sort of filter, that stash comes out caked in resin? The same principle applies to j's, because as you get towards the end, the weed has filtered unto itself (when you break up roaches, you'll notice the resin factor). BUt still ultimately inefficient.

The most efficient of course are normal bowls(2) of varying sizes (the smaller the bowl, the more efficient the device, less backsmoke), with one hitters(1) being the most efficient.

Now a caveat to my efficiency scale. I tried to isolate the function of EFFECTS in terms of AMOUNT SMOKED (mass). You could operationally define efficiency however you wanted. Some might choose EFFECTS in terms of TIME SPENT SMOKING (duration), in which case, my rankings would be almost exactly in reverse order. And if you are a lightweight (like taken off 8 months!), then it doesn't matter. One hitter, blunt, whatever. If it;s potent buds, you[re going down.

Another note on the distinction between normal B's and G-B's. While both utilize water, only a normal B takes full advantage of it's benefits- the water in a G-B is only there as a mass to draw in smoke. It wouldn't make much of a difference if it were a giant rubber plunger instead-smoke does not "bubble" through the water as it does in a normal water B. Because when the smoke is filtered through the water, two things happen: The first, making the hit smoother, is an opinion, although newtons law of cooling is not. When a hot mass comes in contact w/a cold one, depending on mass ratio's and cooling coefficients, heat is transferred from one to the other until homogeny is reached. So, the smoke loses heat, and the water gains it. I consider this a smoother hit, but some don't. The other benefit of filtering through water is the hydration of the smoke itself. Tiny particulates in the smoke become trapped in airborne water molecules and are inhaled. The hydration facilitates absorption (I don't know for sure, but it seems like ice, while cooling more, may hydrate less b/c colder temp means less evaporation).

I am sure I left some devices out, which might fall in and between my efficiency categories- auto (mechanical) pipes, screw on bowls for bottles (pre fab for two liters bottles, comes w/tubes etc), and of course eating is not very efficient, but is on a completely different continuum all together I think. Vaporizers are pretty efficient (since you still have all your weed left afterwards! I'd say infinite efficiency is good!), but not on the same scale, since the buds are not combusted.

Also, you CAN make any device extremely efficient, simply by learning exactly how much weed goes into one hit. For example, if you draw a bong dark from a full bowl, when you stop, the backsmoke pours out from what's left in the bowl burning. However, just pack the amount that filled that one hit, and hit it until it flushes. Everything burned is now in the bong, not in the air (until you exhale it).

Point is, if you are short on weed, take smaller hits, hold them in longer, pack what you hit, and smoke out of the smallest device you have (as long as it's not metal or foil or something dangerous; also holding hits in longer=more harmful effects, but hey, so does smoking more weed)!

2600 Reviewed by 2600 on 03-20-2005. The G-Bong and an efficiency breakdown A recent thread reminded me of the few times I have resorted to the gravity bong in the past. Usually it was when I had been smoking too way too much and had a ridiculously high tolerance, so that was the only way I was really going to get high. So if you've been there, you also know that after you hit one, you are done for the day (in terms of just being able to hit a normal piece, or roll a j and expect to get anything from it after hitting a gravity). Now if you guys do g'bongs the Rating: 5

[2600]

Oh, and despite discussing at length normal bongs, I left them out of the ranking. I would have them somewhere b/t bowls and j's.

[Rarrr]

I think the most efficient way of be to pack a bong pull it slowly so no debree falls through and have it at a perfect amount to your lung capacity but that may be i little too techniqual i think ill just stick to smokin it

[hoodedclum]

Id say the gravity buket is the most efficient by far if u take it up in one sup.. how can it be the least for you, you must be doing them wrong.
I always take them in one hit and hold them, you just need to get used to em

[Rarrr]

but i wouldnt hav a clue hahahaha

[hoodedclum]

yer what ever just smoke it

[2600]

Id say the gravity buket is the most efficient by far if u take it up in one sup.. how can it be the least for you, you must be doing them wrong.
I always take them in one hit and hold them, you just need to get used to em

Yeah, you can pack just what you are going to hit, and that makes it better; but what I am talking about is a point of limiting returns. There is a size limit at which your lungs cannot absorb any more smoke in one hit (unless you are capable of holding your breath for minutes on end). The amount of smoke that goes into your lungs from a super dense g-bong hit can not be fully absorbed- they get all they can, but then too much is left over for exhale. It's overkill, and the price is unnecessary loss of weed.

In terms of what you can get out of one hit, or even in terms of time (unless you count setup), the g-bong wins of course- from what else can you get such a powerful hit? But as I pointed out, my operational definition of efficiency was to minimize mass of weed smoked. I don't think the gb does so well in that regard.

(thanks for bringin back Jack)

[hoodedclum]

Yeah, you can pack just what you are going to hit, and that makes it better; but what I am talking about is a point of limiting returns. There is a size limit at which your lungs cannot absorb any more smoke in one hit (unless you are capable of holding your breath for minutes on end). The amount of smoke that goes into your lungs from a super dense g-bong hit can not be fully absorbed- they get all they can, but then too much is left over for exhale. It's overkill, and the price is unnecessary loss of weed.

In terms of what you can get out of one hit, or even in terms of time (unless you count setup), the g-bong wins of course- from what else can you get such a powerful hit? But as I pointed out, my operational definition of efficiency was to minimize mass of weed smoked. I don't think the gb does so well in that regard.

(thanks for bringin back Jack)

lol...

Theres a pretty simple way around that 2600, do smaller hits so you can take it all at once and hold it. You aint loosing much smoke that way.

[2600]

I think the most efficient way of be to pack a bong pull it slowly so no debree falls through and have it at a perfect amount to your lung capacity but that may be i little too techniqual i think ill just stick to smokin it

Yeah, that's actually a confounding variable I was thinking of when arguing for packing smaller amounts. The more bowls you smoke, the more often that happens (regardless the amount the bowl contained). That little bit you see flush through the stem that isn't completely spent is painful.

Slow draws keep that from happening as much. And if you cap your bowls (eg put a lighter over it right after you draw to extinguish), I think the tradeoff is still less (for smoking more small bowls).

[2600]

lol...

Theres a pretty simple way around that 2600, do smaller hits so you can take it all at once and hold it. You aint loosing much smoke that way.

Exactly. Read the last paragraph in my initial post ("Point is...").

If we agree that taking sesible hits (that we can hold anyways) is preferable, then my whole argument was to stick w/a normal size bong, since the purpose of a G-B is to "force feed" GIANT hits (or at least it always was for us).