Packing methods

[webjunkie]

I was wondering how everyone else went about filling their pipes.

Recently I've been getting some good smokes using the air pocket method, which at least for ribbon cut tobacco seems to be fairly fool proof. Heck if I can, then anyone should be able to.

I've tried using the Frank method, but it just seems to be too fiddly, and it makes quite a large mess (at least when I do it).

So, what do you guys do?

[b0rderman]

Noob alert: I'm not sure what the proper terms are...but really i just take a wad of tobacco and cram it in the pipe leaving 1/8-1/4'' open at the bottom. I have great success and very few relights compared to when I try to do multi-stage packs. I can appreciate the ritual and finesse of the 3+ stage fills, but really I view them the same as I view the post-modern prose...it's just arbitrary bs :) I just put the tobacco in the pipe and remember to tamp, the smoke has been rising nicely.