Hello.

I have yet to use DMT, and was wondering if I could ask several general questions, but more than anything, solicit your best tips and problems when using this device to experience it. I should add that I have not had any experience using a Volcano either, but my friend and trip sitter is very experienced using it with marijuana only.

I have found the few threads on here either confusing to understand, or not entirely related, so I was hoping to generate some specific answers to some noob questions. Hopefully educating a beginner doesn't elicit disdain or a sense that I am not putting in the time nor research one expects. I have gone over the course of 18 months from hearing about DMT; the cultural origins, the early researchers and the fascinating clinical results they have yielded, Rick Strassman and Tereance McKenna's books and interviews, anything I could read regarding harm reduction and intelligent exploration of psychoactive substances, extraction methods, sourced my own materials, found teks, failed extractions, found my own mistakes, refined extraction, until I found one which worked and yielded beautifully. Contributed my own data and mistakes towards the wider data pool which makes this community so special and websites like this so critical for safety and success in this great group experiment we are all apart of.

What I mean to say is that I am generally reluctant to ask for hand-holding, but I have the honesty and intelligence to ask for it when I am out of my depth and spoiled for choice it seems with vague or often conflicting advice on this DMT method. So, thank you in advance. Please answer as many as you care to, but comprehensively or with detailed instruction if you are willing:

1.) Using Volcano Classic, with Solid Valve Set.

2.) What temperature setting should we use? Have had people report best results as low as 6 and high as 9, with average being 8. Do you agree?

3.) How do we 'pack the bowl'? I have heard people using herbs and talk about layer techniques. How is it arranged?

4.) How much herb should we use (by weight)? Should it all be dried?

5.) Which herbs are best to use (I have a strong aversion to marijuana, unfortunately). We have dried peppermint, and also fresh peppermint and spearmint available. Are these good herbs in your experience? If not, what works best for you?

6.) What is your best result in terms of when to put the bowl on, what to look for or wait for, and when to put the bag on. Any details or specific advice here?

7.) Bag size? 2 hits? 3? 4? Is it best to try for smaller bags and higher concentrations of spice?

8.) Do we waste a lot of spice vaporizing? If so, how much would be reasonable to use to be comparable to a Glass Vapor Genie dose of the same size? Any other advice here, how much do you use/lose compared to other methods? How much to you put on?

9.) Any other miscellaneous tips or tricks with using the Volcano? Describe your step-by-step if you don't mind? Numbers kind of help and give me a better picture.

Thank you all, my friends. And thanks for your input and help.
-W.

Searching for 'volcano vapo' with the forum search engine turned up the following (and more):

Need your advice with Vaporizer Volcano or Glas Pipe

How much DMT do you use in your volcano vaporizer?

Volcano vaporizer - Easy Valve or Solid Valve

Whoa! Volcano Vaporizer

Changa in Volcano classic vaporizer interesting experience

Volcano Vaporizer?

Volcano vaporizer

Hopefully there's some food for thought there!

And, my own attempt:

Volcano 101

Also, never used the solid-valve, but the 'Easy Valves' can be easily recycled using the roll-material. Pry the 'clear ring' out of the orange valve, with a thin, blunt knife. Remove rubber O-ring, and clean all parts with IPA or dishwasher before reassembling with new material. A section cut to at least 63cm will make an XL bag. But for spice blends etc, you may want to aim for just 30-40cm.