What Is A One-Hitter And How Do You Use It?

Sometimes you don't want to pack a whole bowl or roll a joint, but you still want to smoke a little. What's a stoner to do in a situation like that? Well, my friend, allow us to tell you about a nifty little device known as the one-hitter.

WHAT IS A ONE-HITTER?

For those unfamiliar, one-hitters—sometimes called "chillums"—are small, cylindrical pipes made of metal or glass with a small bowl at the tip. Some of these are designed to look like cigarettes, others come in all manner of designs from rudimentary metal pieces to ornate options for the aesthetically inclined. These discreet and uber-portable numbers allow smokers to blaze up without drawing any unwanted attention, which is just what the doctor ordered when trying to keep things clandestine and chill.

You can often find one-hitters being sold on their own, but they can also come bundled with a carrying case, which we’d recommend picking up for reasons we’ll explain in a bit.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONE-HITTERS AND CHILLUMS

Although you might find some smokers using these terms interchangeably, there are some key distinctions between one-hitters and chillums. With hundreds of years of use in India, chillums are straight, cone-shaped pipes used to smoke herbs and other substances. The Western world adopted the chillum in the 1960s, and these straightforward pipes are still used to smoke weed today. Chillums undoubtedly birthed the streamlined design of the one-hitter, but chillums can come in various sizes, and can even hold a full bowl’s worth of herb, whereas one-hitters are made to be small. Moreover, the original chillum has some ceremonial significance, while the modern day one-hitter is more of a recreational invention.

HOW TO PACK A ONE-HITTER

So, you have the one-hitter and the carrying case, and now you’re probably ready to smoke. The first step, of course, is grinding the flower. Wax, unfortunately, won’t work here. Take some of the ground-up weed and grab your carrying case. One slot in the case is reserved for the one-hitter, and the other is for the weed. Pour it into its appropriate side, grab your one-hitter, and lightly press it bowl-side-down into the weed slot to fill it up. As with any piece, make sure not to over-pack it, as it’ll make it harder to smoke what’s in there.

HOW TO SMOKE A ONE-HITTER

Once you’ve got it packed, hold the one-hitter in your fingers like a cigarette. Then, place your lips around the mouthpiece, light it up and smoke away. After your one hit is done, you’ll have to ash it and repack for round two. This is why we suggest a carrying case. You can still smoke without it, but it makes the repacking process much more convenient.

PROS & CONS

Of course, the biggest pros of the one-hitter are portability, speed, convenience, and discretion. There’s no need to roll anything, no bulky pieces to handle, just a slim, simple pipe that slides right in your pocket. Even the carrying cases are smaller than most phones.

With a one-hitter, you can get good puffs in without worrying about wasting weed or breaking expensive glass. The straightforward design means it’s also very easy to clean when the time comes. This compactness, however, is also considered a weakness of this smoking method. Since it can only fit one hit, reloading time ends up taking longer than smoking time.

On top of that, as you spend more time smoking it, it can get quite dirty. At worst, it can potentially leave you with resin on your tongue if you don’t clean it often. That being said, this only comes with months of neglect.

KEEPING IT CLEAN

As far as cleaning it out, a soak in rubbing alcohol should take care of loosening internal gunk. Some fear rubbing alcohol will do damage to the paint. For those people, vinegar and hot water should prove effective without being corrosive. Then, use a bobby pin or an otherwise thin, long object to push out remaining resin.

Luke Sholl

Luke Sholl has been writing about cannabis, the wellness potential of cannabinoids, and the positive influence of nature for over a decade. Working with several cannabinoid-centric publications, he publishes a variety of digital content, supported by strong technical knowledge and thorough research.

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