There's a lot of different packing methods. Bob has a link to some really good instructional videos on the different methods that you should check out. Another word of advice on the draw is to pack the pipe and check it before lighting up, that way you know if you packed it too tightly or not. Having it packed the right amount will help with keeping it lit. Also with keeping it lit comes the moisture of the tobacco. A lot of blends, especially aromatics, come pretty moist to give the tin a longer life. A good thing to do is check the moisture and if the leaf sticks together too much when you pinch it between your fingers you should probably let it sit out for a half an hour or more to try depending on how moist it is. Some guys just fill the bowl of the pipe they want to smoke and let it sit a while before smoking it. Another point with keeping it lit is tamping. Every so often you should tamp the ashes down. If I remember right it helps the unburnt tobacco stay closer to the ember and keeps the bowl burning more consistantly.
As for the bowl getting too hot too fast that's just puffing in order to try and keep the tobacco lit. Things go much more smoothly if you give a char light, tamp it down after the tobacco expands initially, and then give it one more lighting. From then on if you sip on it lightly and less often then you are now it'll stay lit, cool, and you'll taste the flavor of the blend much better. It's a skill that's definitely acquired, keeping a pipe lit. In time you'll get the feeling of when it's starting to go out and needs a tamp. Don't worry about re-lights, because even seasoned veterans will have re-lights. I've been smoking a pipe daily for a little over a year and a half now and I usually have three or four re-lights per pipe.
Continue smoking and enjoy.
