Air Pocket Method

To be honest, I don't find, this method provides a superior smoke to the classic packing methods. I have tried it and it provides an open draw and generally good burn characteristics, but usually it's too much of a hassle to use it. Just scoop the pipe through the pouch a few times, finish it off with a good press of the index finger and smoke it. Works just as well (IMO).

Personally, like the rest of the book, I found it to be a bunch of hot air.

I've tried all of the fancy packing methods at one point or another and never use any of them (I pretty much just shove tobacco in until it is full!). Knowing proper moisture level for your tobacco, cadence, and pipe tool use will guarantee a very high rate of perfect smokes. I also check the draw after packing, about 1/50 times it is too tight and then I'll reload.

I've tried a bunch of these methods as well before I took a few years break from pipes. The Frank method was pretty popular at the time. For me, the good old "stuff and puff" method still works best. Just load the pipe, test draw a few times to make sure the draw is how you want it and off you go.

I've used the "Codger Pinch" but over the past couple of years I've used the "twist" method with good results. I guess both accomplish the same thing so I'll continue to "twist the night away".

I'm still trying different methods of packing but for some reason i find i get my best smokes when i just dont overthink it and just do it

I confess I've never heard of Mr Hanna or his (apparently contentious) book, but I realised from your description that I use the 'air pocket' method quite a lot! I'm very happy with Peter's 'scoop and press' technique for loose cut tobacco but I mainly smoke coins and some flake, so I fold and stuff a lot, If I'm smoking a decent size bowl - group 4 or above - then I don't push the wad of folded tobacco all the way down the bowl and so end up with an air pocket in the bottom third by default. It's true that the smoke is cool and draws well initially, but it's fiddly and requires repeated tamping as the tobacco burns away to keep any pressure in the draw. I can't see me ever using this as my pack of choice.
Andy

@bryanf - that has got to be the most 'right on' comment about that book. I just stuff the pipe, press down, add some more and check the draw and fire up. I suppose each to his own!

Amazing how thread topics here and what I sometimes have going on pipe and tobacco wise, sync up.
What Fred and many others write about is and should always be taken with a grain of salt because as it's so often said, ymmv.
The method can and does improve the smoking experience....sometimes. For me it's got to be the the perfect pipe storm if you will, the right tobacco cut, moisture content and the bowl size of the pipe selected. Just minutes ago, before viewing this thread title, I returned to a pile of SG's Squadron Leader that I had spread out on a sheet of paper for the last 1-1/2 hours and I bought it in bulk form which means it consists of long ribbon cut and after separating the clumps, picking out 1 or 2 stem pieces, I just gathered it up and loaded it ala Fred Hanna into a medium/large billiard. What you need to know when using this method is that after it's screwed into the bowl, you must tear off the remaining strands sticking up and only use the pad of your thumb to press the clump just below the bowl rim. After it's going you will notice that it won't allow itself to be tamped. The plug becomes very hard and if carefully sip and enjoy it'll stay lit quite a long time. After about the half way mark the weight of your tamper will collapse the ash and that's all your after to this point. A relight and some more quality time enjoying your bowl and it will finally allow you to push what's left of the plug to the heel of your pipe where you will finish down to nothing but ash.
I don't use the method a lot and I'm batting about .500 on my technique and it's important to note here that if you do try it and it doesn't want to draw properly before lighting, dig it out and start over, it is not a forgiving packing method and there's no tithing your way through it.
As we speak the flavor complexity of this particular bowl of SL is amazing, I'm getting hints of sweetness and nuttiness much sooner than I'm used to using the conventional 3 step method. Give it a try, the worst that can happen is you might have to relight a bunch of times.

I used to do the 3 part method, then the twist, then the air pocket, then the bob method. What works the best? Just gabbing some damned tobacco and shoving it in the bowl... That's it. That's the secret. My smoking enjoyment increase ten fold when I stopped trying to pack according to rules...

Agreed with ithelouniverse.Been giving them all a good chance the best one so far is the stuff and puff of course using your own judgement on how tight the pack and so on but usually comes out good.Keep the tamp on here and there give it a few puffs not to far apart and she stays lit pretty darn good.But this is just me i am still learning but trying for perfection.

I guess I could say more. I always use a tobacco pouch. I used to reuse my old Condor pouches, until my wife bought me a leather pouch here in France. That said, it is convenient to just dip my pipe into my pouch and scoop with my finger. I confess that I never check the draw until my lighter is lit, and don't think I've ever had to repack. I also smoke much flake tobacco, which I usually just fold and stuff tight. I do prefer ready rubbed flake, though, as I do not pre rub my flakes before loading my pouch.
If you want to read the best pipe book ever written, read "My Lady Nicotine.". I loved every moment of that book and will read it again many times, I'm sure.

I find this method very satisfying to pack, but rarely to smoke. Somehow there's something very cathartic in stuffing a wad of tobacco in a hole.
I smoke flake quite a lot too, but I just can't fold and stuff, it just somehow doesnt work for me. I do tend to use this method after Ive rubbed it out though.

I use the air pocket method when it is extremely humid outside, and I find that it helps considerably. For normal smoking however, I always use the swirl method.

Many times I leave a pipe cleaner in while packing the bottom of the bowl which leaves a small air pockets and helps eliminate clogging giving a better draw.

The air pocket method is supposed to make any pipe into a type of calabash, but my argument is that you just can't cool off the smoke less than room temperature. And, if you smoke slow enough as in a breathsmoke style, you're never going to need a gimmick pipe as in (hard to clean) calabash or a churchwarden. But, I did try the air pocket method, since we were playing with the idea at a pipe club meeting, but the first time you lightly tamp, the tobacco drops to the bottom, LOL.
Personally I think all of these packing methods are for beginners to get an idea of how tight the draw should be. After a few bowls to get the idea, I say just do what you want. If I can't fold and stuff, I'm a codger scooper.

+1 Parker
This is what I do as well. Far too much emphasis is placed on packing methods. Do what works best for you but do take the moisture level and the cut of the tobacco into consideration, i.e., you can’t use one packing method for all cuts of tobacco. The easiest tobacco to pack is cube cut – just gravity fill and fire up.

The air pocket method is supposed to make any pipe into a type of calabash, but my argument is that you just can't cool off the smoke less than room temperature.
Cosmic, I don't recall reading that in Fred's essay.
I should not recommend this as a beginners method and subscribe to the 3 pinch and pack method for 90% of the time. Fred Hanna's intent, I believe, was to simply throw an option out there to stretch open the pipe smokers tool box. I'm not trying to pick sides here, just trying to keep the concept un-cluttered. It's a simple packing technique, nothing more.