Dab Checklist: Everything You Need to Get Started Dabbing
Posted by Craig Jones on Aug 01, 2018
Purchase all of the following for a great dabbing experience:
Step 1: Select a Dab Rig
Step 2: Select a Quartz Banger with the proper size (to the mm) that fits the joint on the dab rig. The most common size for bangers is 14mm male, however, there are rigs that require other sizes or even female bangers. Nails may also be used, but the experience is typically not as good as a quartz banger. For more info on bangers check out our blog.
Step 3: Select a Butane Torch for heating the banger. For more info on torches, see our blog.
Step 4: Select a Dab Tool for scooping the concentrates to put into the heated banger.
Step 5: Select a Carb Cap for capping and directing the airflow for optimally vaporizing the concentrates in the quartz banger.
Everything You Need to Get Started Dabbing and Dab Like a Pro
The numerous accessories required in order to consume wax and other concentrates can be confusing for people that are new to dabbing. There are several necessary and optional tools and accessories required anytime someone wants to smoke concentrates. This blog will pertain to those who are interested in acquiring a full setup and will also serve as a checklist to ensure all requirements are met before you get to dabbing.
Absolutely Necessary Dabbing Tools and Accessories
First, let's go over a short list of the required tools for a beginner level dabber. The following items can be picked up on our website or at any of our locations. You can purchase them all at once, or purchase them separately at your convenience. This is the list of bare-bones tools and accessories that are absolutely necessary:
- Dab rig or waterpipe
- Banger or nail
- Dab tool
- Butane torch
- Carb cap
These items are the basic necessities of any dabber and are absolutely required to have a full dabbing experience. We have discussed nails, bangers, and torches in a separate blog post, so, for this reason, we will not be discussing their many variations. A dab rig or waterpipe can be picked up at a wide range of prices depending on quality, amount of filtration, size, and quality of glass. A few good companies to look into for the purpose of smoking concentrates are Helix, Hard Times, Medicali, Grav Labs, Illuminati Glass, and any of our local artists made heady glass pieces featuring all American made glass. This being said it is possible to purchase a concentrate nail or banger for nearly any waterpipe on the market.
Dab tools and other tools for manipulating concentrates are also necessities. This is because wax is very sticky and if handled poorly can become extremely messy. The tools help to scoop and portion out properly sized hits. These tools are available in multiple materials, most commonly metal, ceramic, silicone, glass, or quartz.
Using a butane torch is also a necessity due to the need to heat the banger to a very high temperature and the fact that butane is the best fuel to provide a healthy dabbing experience. A carb cap will be essential in providing the dabber flavorful and well-rounded hits at lower temperatures. Carb caps circulate and direct airflow inside the banger and allow the concentrates to vaporize at the optimal internal temperature.
Complete List of Dabbing Tools and Accessories
A more advanced dabber may also require a few more tools and accessories beyond the bare bones setup previously mentioned. This is because most advanced dabbers prefer to get the maximum flavor, and effect, out of their concentrates. Those who seek a more refined and flavorful experience would require a setup containing the following tools and accessories.
- Dab rig
- Quartz banger. Be sure to try thermal, diamond knot, or reactor bangers.
- Dab tool
- Butane torch
- Directional glass carb cap
- Silicone container or silicone slick
- Natural additive free Q-tips
- Silicone mat or dab pad
- Reclaim catch
Silicone containers or slicks are a good addition for a more advanced dabber or any dabber that receives concentrates in a form packaged inconveniently. These silicone containers allow users to safely store and preserve their wax in a tidy manner.
Natural additive free Q-tips are also in order, as they are used for cleaning the still warm banger immediately after a hit. Keeping the banger clean allows for more flavorful hits. The natural additive free part is also important as it means no residual factory chemicals will be left behind on the banger after the cleaning process.
A silicone pad or some form of dab pad will keep the area the dabber keeps their rig and wax in clean, and free of sticky residue. Commonly, dabbers will set their tool down on the table next to their rig without thinking about the sticky residue left on it. This means the tool can leave a sticky spot on the table which after drying becomes hard to remove. A dab pad or silicone pad will ensure no residue is left behind on a table or counter after your dabbing experience is finished.
Reclaim catches are optional, however when smoking concentrate a small portion of the vaporized wax gets left behind which is referred to as reclaim. Reclaim, is not as potent or flavorful as the original concentrates, however, it can still be vaporized a second time, allowing for a more conservation of your product.
These checklists should help any prospective or current dabber ensure they have everything necessary to make their dabbing experience pleasurable. While all of these products’ variations allow you to personalize and customize your dabbing experience to meet your needs, everything on these two lists is either necessary or recommended to ensure a complete dabbing experience. All items on these lists can be found on our website or at any of our locations in order to get you started dabbing.
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*These statements have not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
**The beliefs and opinions expressed in this blog are not those of Waterbeds ‘n’ Stuff.