What's the shortest smoke you allow yourself?

[timt]

Being an ex-cigarette smoker, one of the things I told myself when I started pipe smoking was that this will be different. I don't ever want to try to squeeze in a short smoke here and there.
Now that school is getting ready to start, getting the kids up and moving, getting them some breakfast, driving them there and getting myself out the door will wreck those cherished 2 hour smokes on the deck in the morning. Not to mention, up here in Minnesota, the weather this winter will definitely shorten time spent outside and I'm not crazy about garage smoking.
I'm just curious if any of you have a minimum amount of time for a smoke and if you just forego smoking until that time presents itself. For me, I'm thinking 45 minutes to an hour, at the minimum, or it's not happening.

 

[mso489]

Shepherding lots of details and tasks in just my own life, doing care taking for my wife who has some mobility problems though very active, and attempting to keep up with household and business, I long ago fell into the incremental smoke. I do occasionally take time out to smoke a bowl from charring light to dottle, but mostly I get a nice ember going, then let it go out as necessary, and return for relights as time permits. Otherwise, I'd not often make it through a bowl. Usually, to my taste, this does not diminish the experience nor the blend; I just do it on installments.

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

I smoke when I want, for as long as I can. I sometimes like to enjoy a bowl after I eat lunch, when time permits me to enjoy it at all, but sometimes that might mean just a 15 minute smoke. Now that's not obviously long enough to finish a bowl, but I'm not really after the nicotine as I am a brief moment for myself before I go back to work. It works for me.
I keep several cobs here at the office filled and ready, so all I have to do is grab and go. I'll light up, smoke for a while, then let it go out, provide a little tamping to aid it out, then scrape off the ash, and take it back inside with me. Might take me a whole day to finish a bowl this way, but it's my way of sliding a little work stress off when I want to just relax with my pipe for a bit. I'll wait until I get home for a full bowl and a longer smoking session.

 

[prairiedruid]

Having a variety of pipe sizes helps. I have several cobs that are good for a quick 15 minute smoke. I have large ones that are good for over an hour. Sometimes I start to smoke a pipe and have to stop and comeback to it hours later; relight and we're back in business.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

The beautiful thing about the pipe as opposed to cigars or cigarettes is that you can put it in your pocket or lay it down and come back to it latter. There may be times when I have just gotten my pipe going and kicking back, when my wife has to interrupt my smoke with some chore or errand. Whereas, a cigar would taste like crap to relight, and pipe can sometimes improve with relighting.

 

[soggycitybob]

I'm of the philosophy that if I cannot enjoy a full bowl for the full amount of time, I will postpone the experience until that can happen. I like to have at least a 30 minute chunk of time to sit on the deck and enjoy the pipe experience, whereas 45 minutes is much nicer if possible.
However, I do find that I want to enjoy a quick pipe, maybe during the lunch break like CarolinaChurchWarden mentioned above. I have a few smaller-bowl pipes that do the trick. 10-15 minutes and I don't waste any tobacco.

 

[timt]

I see what you guys are saying - the ole DGT method. Kind of grazing throughout the day. I suppose the idea of only long liesurely smokes might be a pipedream. ::

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

I suppose the idea of only long liesurely smokes might be a pipedream. ::

Not entirely, at least not for me. I get to enjoy those in my last smoke of the day or maybe my first smoke. Obviously having kids to take care of can nip into that, but if you look at your daily routine, maybe you can find a good slot for that 45 minute to an hour long smoke time. The wife pretty much leaves me alone about 9pm, as she knows that's my typical back porch smoke time.

 

[jpmcwjr]

A few minutes, but seldom planned for less than ten.

 

[workman]

When I light a pipe, anything less than 30 minutes leaves me wanting. It's not a rule, but more of an observation. I smoke in the car, and my commute is often about that. But I much prefer smoking a full bowl in one sitting, so to speak, as I seldom just sit.

 

[prndl]

During the day, I'm the world's worst about setting down a pipe and walking away to putter. At night, I rarely move out of the rocker on the back porch.
I'm good either way.

 

[ray47]

Being retired I can smoke for as long as I want. My usual short smoke is reserved for the last pipe of day just before going to bed. Some 5 Brothers in an MM Huck Finn corn cob or Falcon Bantam bowl.

 

[olkofri]

1 minute. Pipe won't stay lit longer. :x
I normally keep my sessions to ~30 minutes. I'm kinda the opposite: I try to shorten, rather than lengthen the smokes. To that effect I buy pipes with small bowls and sometimes I don't even pack them full.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

With the way we absorb nicotine through the small blood vessels of the mouth and sinuses, instead "POW" directly to the lungs, really... ten minutes isn't going to do anything for you. It takes longer than that to get enough nicotine absorbed to be able to have any benefits at all. If you only have ten or fifteen minutes, you probably just need to smoke a cig.
Me? Myself, I keep a pipe in my clench all day. I really don't stop to "just smoke." So, a long leisurely smoke doesn't even interest me. However, there is always a pipe hanging out of my maw.

 

[voorhees]

I really hate to cut my sessions short, but have had to from time to time. Last time was visiting my cousin and they had a bunch of biting flies outside and I could not stand it any more than five minutes.

 

[scloyd]

I smoke one bowl a day, usually in the afternoon. If I can't sit and relax than I'll just skip that day.

 

[jamiept]

Same here for me, it depends. Minimum time is 15 minutes. That’s a small bowl loaded with a white tobacco free morning smoke. Maximum time for me is 45 minutes. It all depends on the pipe the tobacco how much time I have and what kind of mood I’m in

 

[warren]

I get to smoke while I work or rest, so I'm not limited. If I'm mucking a stall or, otherwise working around flammables, I chew. The nicotine level never drops to dangerous levels during my day.

 

[timt]

When I light a pipe, anything less than 30 minutes leaves me wanting.

I agree 100%

If you only have ten or fifteen minutes, you probably just need to smoke a cig.

Yeah, if I'm going to be honest, pipe smoking without some nicotine magic isn't going to satisfy me.

 

[brooklynpiper]

I think a natural next question is what is the most amount of time you would let a bowl sit after going out if you plan on relighting? Would you put in 10 minutes to a bowl if you knew you might not be able to relight it for 4 or 8 or 10 or 12 hours? One day?