Dude.... I don't think about it a whole whole lot... I just smoke....... but I just put herb in the bowl.... sometimes its broken up smaller pieces and sometimes its whole nugs just stuck in dah biotch...... my pipes get cleaned and clogged once a week......... Im more worried about the bowl being clogged before I pack it, then my process of packing the bowl...... and yeah, Im just bored right now talking out of my ass......
Buddy of mine who grows for dispensaries up north smokes like that... Breaks off a nug, throws it in... BUT, he smokes until it gets a bit black, then packs another. Dude has so much weed to just DO that with hahaha.
Everyone down here was like "WTF WASTING ALL THAT WEED?!?!".
Pretty much to each his own, everyone has there ways whether it's to better the smoke, conserve weed, or to just get it over with and smoke the shit haha.
Anyways I'll shut up and get on to the techniques!
I have always liked to break up my bud with my fingers. I love the residue it leaves, the smell, and hell even sometimes the taste (yeah I lick my crystal covered sticky fingers =D ). I brought it to an almost art with the way I bust it. Feeling it with my fingers on how the buds are growing I peel away parts by going opposite of the way the bud grew so I don't squeeze and smash the bud. Snap that piece in half if it was too big etc. Get it into perfect pieces, not too big to waste weed in the middle and not small enough to burn it all up or fall through. It stays a lil bit bigger than grinded bud. Then depending on if I'm toking with anyone or myself I size the bowl accordingly on how baked we/ I wanna get or to balance out potency.
Honestly you can think it's dumb and takes up time but it comes naturally... I don't put effort into remembering and following my steps like I'm OCD, this way just came about happening after a few years haha.