You’re wondering how to pack a cone. Don’t worry, you’re hardly alone there. The world’s getting to be a more and more stressful place by the day. And it’s even easy to stress over the very activities that we set aside to act as an island of calm within the storm of life. But you can stop worrying about finding the perfect cones and start creating them. Because you’re about to learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about packing a cone for yourself from our easy to follow guide.
What You’ll Need
Before you begin, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got everything on hand. Not just in your home, but right within reaching distance. Learning how to pack a cone isn’t necessarily a difficult process. But it’s one that you’ll want to start and finish in the same session. Loose material has a way of spilling or getting lost pretty quickly. And you absolutely don’t want that to happen with your weed.
You’ll also want to make sure that the area you’re using is protected against stray breezes, excitable pets, etc. It’s usually a good idea to work on a flat and stable surface as well. You don’t want to work in a setting that could shift and cause all your hard work and resources to scatter.
Your prep process should ultimately be fun and relaxing. An appetizer of sorts to the main course you’re about to enjoy.
You’ll also want to make sure that the cones are all set and ready to use. Using a rolling tray and rolling paper to create a solid cone can be a process that requires a lot of extra work in the ideal cone shape. It’s a lot easier to just go with pre-rolled cones instead of trying to roll them from loose paper.
Perfect cones are a bit like a perfect sandwich. You want to focus on what’s going into the sandwich rather than working on baking two pieces of bread.
Likewise, you want to concentrate on packing the cone rather than rolling it.
Now, this might seem like it goes without saying. But you’ll also want to make sure you’ve got your cannabis all set. That doesn’t just mean having it by your side. It also means having it ready to actually go into your cone. Remember that empty space is your enemy. You want the cannabis to essentially flow like water and settle in the paper.
The best way to ensure a proper flow is by preparing your cannabis with a grinder. And make sure that you’ve got enough ground material to use. Part of what makes a perfect cone is firmness. And a huge part of what makes or breaks it is whether you’ve properly ground your supply.
You absolutely can just break the material down with your fingers. Rolling the material between your thumb and pointer fingers will generally do the trick. But make sure you’re removing any stems and fully breaking down the smaller pieces when doing this by hand. The big problem with using your fingers is that it’s time-consuming in the long run while also requiring you to essentially micromanage the process. A grinder essentially handles most of the work and quality control for you. You’ll find it to be one of your best valued cone packing accessories..
The general rule is to grind, but not too finely. This is part of what makes a grinder so useful. It helps ensure you’re hitting that sweet spot when working with the cannabis.
Filling
Filling is where all the previous work grinding your supply down comes to fruition. At first glance, the filling stage can be something of a catch-22 situation. You want to use well-ground material. But you also want to easily transfer that material to your cone. Unfortunately, that’s not always easy when you’re dealing with a small opening and even smaller material. Fortunately, there are some ways to make this go smoothly.
The first and unquestionably best option is to just use a cone loader. A cone loader goes hand in hand with a grinder. The grinder sets up the material and a cone loader will deliver it to the cone. If you’re using a cone loader, then gravity will do 99% of the work for you while ensuring a perfect fill.
However, you could also try to rig something up on your own.
A piece of paper folded in half, or a stiff index card folded the same way, can also be used to slide the material into the cone. But an actual loader is always the best choice.
You get the added certainty that the loader won’t be impacted by humidity. And you won’t have to worry about material getting caught up in the folds that tend to develop fairly quickly when using paper for a filler.
But no matter which method you use, you need to take some care with how you’re holding the cone. Remember to hold the cone securely but not tightly. You don’t want to risk damaging the filter.
Packing
It’s not enough to just fill the cone, it needs to be properly packed.
Uneven packing produces a bad burn and a unsatisfying experience.
Again, a lot of this comes down to the goldilocks principle. Things can’t be on the extreme, they need to be just right. Not too firm and not too loose. The material can also help or hinder this effect.
The best hemp cones are free from any irregular surfaces that could catch material or cause clumping. High-quality cones also ensure that those very first moments of the fill go smoothly. Think of the first bit of material as akin to a foundation when you’re building something. A solid foundation provides support and a strong surface to build on. But a weak foundation can bring down an entire building. Likewise, that first bit of material in your cone is the foundation for what’s coming.
You’ll need something to help pack when you fill the cone. You can buy a specialized cone packer, but we find chopsticks or anything of a similar size is usually great for the packing stage. Our pre-roll cones come with a straw for this exact purpose.
Packing the base of the cone improperly can cause the whole thing to fold.
And that’s obviously not going to make for a very good experience.
Packing is similar to cooking in that it’s as much about experienced technique as firm guidelines. Packing often comes down to just feeling things out based on your prior results. It’s all about finding that sweet spot where things just feel right and you know you’ve got a perfectly packed cone. The endpoint of a fill is the same no matter what your technique is. You need to aim for about a quarter of an inch of empty space at the top of the cone. This is where you’ll be twisting the cone off after the fill. But before you twist, consider which of the following two filling techniques you’ll use.
Fill Up the Cone First
The easiest way to fill the cone is to just pour everything in and pack it down with a chopstick or something similar. It’s a perfectly viable method, but it does open up the potential for minor issues to build up. If you make a mistake when filling the cone, it’ll be quickly buried out of sight as you continue the process.
Fill and Pack As You Go
This is a more time-consuming method, but will produce the best results. You essentially just fill the cone with a little material and then gently pack it down. Then you repeat this process until you’ve finished filling up the cone. Doing it this way ensures an even pack right through the cone and that allows for consistent air flow during the entire burn.
Should You Pack Cones Tight or Loose?
While it is important to fill cones well, you should not pack them too tightly. A cone that is packed too tightly will be harder to draw the smoke and is prone to an uneven burn. Also if you push too hard when you are packing the cone, you could break the stem and ruin the paper. The key is consistency, you want a firm pack but only enough to eliminate gaps and cavities. Like anything, you will get a feel for it overtime and be packing with perfect consistency in no time.
Twisting
Twisting the cone, as the name suggests, is when you twist the end to essentially tie it off. This might seem like the easiest part of the process. But there is one big thing to consider. Once you twist the top of the joint to close it off, you’re going to have a hard time getting back into it. So make sure that you’re happy with your filling and packing before you twist.
You should double-check to make sure that you have enough empty space at the top of the cone to properly twist it closed.
You’ll need just enough room so that you can essentially twist the top up like a candlewick.
Enjoy
At this point, you’ll be ready to clean up, light up, and enjoy the smoke of your labor. But keep one thing in mind. Nobody’s perfect the first time they work on a new skill. It can take a little practice to go from a really good pack to the perfect pack. What really matters is that you’re having time to really enjoy every part of the process from start to finish. It’s the delicious fruit of your labor – enjoy it!
Where To Go From Here
Now that you know how to pack a cone, it’s time to take theory into practice. You’ll want to start out by collecting all your tools and weed. Then make sure you clear out a clean surface for yourself where you don’t have to worry about any disruptions. From there, it’s simply a matter of practice and enjoyment.
