I’m in the middle of remodeling my house right now, which means I haven’t been at home as much to use my daily driver like I normally would. Instead, I’ve been dabbing with one of my travel rigs. When I don’t have the comforts and tools that I have at home, I like to keep things as simple as possible. After dealing with broken glass and messy “oil spills” while out and about over the years, I’ve discovered a few tips and tricks for dabbing on the go.
Compact Size
When it comes to dabbing away from home, the size of the rig is most important to me. Keeping my travel rig small without losing functionality is absolutely essential. Rigs can get tiny these days–like ridiculously tiny. I don’t want it to be so small that I burn my eyebrows with a hot nail. Instead, I prefer something palm-sized, discreet, and easy to pack away.
(Julia Sumpter/Leafly)
I’ve been known to break glass smokeware a time or two. So, I’ll often snag an inexpensive rig with simple functionality, especially when I’m traveling to other cities and know I won’t be staying long. I picked up a Mini Bell Bubbler last time I needed a dab rig in a pinch. There’s nothing fancy about this rig. It’s a simple design that chugs nicely and provides a solid rip. I got it for less than $50, so if it breaks or gets lost, I’m not suffering any major damages.
Mess-Free
I’m definitely not the most orderly person you’ll meet. If I didn’t have a dog to vacuum them up, I’d leave a trail of crumbs in my wake everywhere I go. But when I’m dabbing on the go, I try to keep things as clean and contained as possible to avoid leaving behind sticky bits of resin and flecks of hash on other people’s tables. To help me prevent a mess, I use the standard accessories of the dab world: silicone containers and dab mats. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve forgotten a dab mat on a vacation and ended up with oil all over everything (myself included). While there’s some conversation over whether you should store terpene-rich oil in silicone containers long-term, I find them useful in the short-term.
High quality silicone is non-stick and resistant to the heat of low temperature dabs. That means I can easily scoop up every bit of hash in the container with my dab tool. It also means that if my nail is still hot at the end of a session but it’s time to go, I can use it like an oven mitt to remove it from the rig. That way I can set it aside to cool while I’m cleaning up and putting my rig away.
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Cleanability
That brings me to my next point: find a rig with easy “cleanability.” Like my daily driver, I prefer a travel rig without too many intricate pathways for the reclaim to get trapped or clogged. My travel rig is generally easy to keep clean. It gets used less often than my daily glass does, and out of necessity, I change the water before every use. Typically, it gets a thorough cleaning before a trip and after I return. So ideally, find something that is easy to clean often, and will only take a few minutes to wash with some warm alcohol.
Flavor
You’ll probably get tired of hearing me say this but: flavor, flavor, flavor! A quality dab should highlight the complex flavors of the strain it came from. Last time, I told you how I prefer quartz nails for their ability to preserve the true essence of the hash I’m dabbing. With my travel rig, I use a quartz banger. It’s a small bucket attachment made from quality quartz that retains heat well, is simple to wipe clean after every dab, and allows for dabs of any size. Most glass enthusiasts prefer quartz bangers for their aesthetic as well. The clear quartz doesn’t detract from the beautiful colors and designs that glass collectors spend top-dollar for, and avoids the more industrial look of titanium attachments.
Avid Dab of the Week
I’m still enjoying the spoils of the holiday gifting season (a cannabis enthusiast is easy to shop for). This Double Tangie Banana was one of the best cannabis gifts I received, and I’m still savoring the last few dabs in the container.
Extracted by Oleum Extracts, this Sugar Resin is a stable consistency; it’s not too sticky and easy to scoop up. It tested at 85% total cannabinoids and nearly 4% total terpenes. The strain was developed by Crockett Family Farms and has an amazing terpene profile full of overripe fruit notes bursting with decadent flavors.
How do you dab on the go? Share your setup on Instagram and tag me (@the.avid.dabber) and use #aviddabber. Or tell me what’s up in the comments section below. Standby for next week when I’ll breakdown dabbing at different temperatures. In the meantime, ONLY DAB THE BEST!
