Here is something I posted. I have only only been smoking for a little bit as well, I started the end of february. I think its very appropriate to your situation. The one other thing not listed below is making sure you dry out your tobacco enough.
What I learned from the slow smoking pipe competition
Being a new smoker and doing what I consider to be frequent relights, I was very surprised to have one a local slow pipe smoking competition. Going into the competition I was assured with the fact that I would be the first person out and would be lucky to make it to the 5 minute mark, never mind 42 minutes without having to relight. While I may not be ready for the international's, winning this competition did teach me a thing or two about the most refined method of tobacco ignition known to man.
Too hell with your light bowl packing - After reading so many things on how to properly pack a bowl, I was scared to death of packing the bowl too tight. My caution of not overpacking was to the point where I was packing it too loosely. Article after article dictates that we have to always pack lightly, being careful to never over pack. To this I say rubbish.
When I got my standard issue pipe and 3gs of tobacco, I found that I could not fit all the "baccy" in the bowl. This is while all of the other contestants were happily packing in and fitting it all snugly into the pipe. What I found was that my normal pack was just too light. I took a note from these guys, kept my first two loads as is and then tamped the hell out of the 3rd pack until I the bowl was filled to the same level as everyone else, about the 3/4 of a bowl mark. Next thing you know, the bowl was done, and I did not need a single match after my char and true light. From that moment on, my 3rd pack will always be a very good compression, but will keep the first two relatively light.
Practice keeping that bowl lit- I truly believe that before you will truly be able to enjoy the full offering of pipe smoking you will have to know how to keep a bowl lit. My suggestion, practice and really focus on keeping the pipe going without any relights. I am not talking about making this a normal habit, but if you dedicate a couple of bowls to letting the bowl get hot and getting some mouth bite, you will learn valuable lessons on how to manage your bowl with tamping and stoking that you will never get from reading and article. Yes, the tobacco will taste horrible and your mouth will be numb but I guarantee it will be a learning experience. After a couple successful attempts, stop worrying about it and embrace a relight or two while enjoying your tobacco at a slower and cooler pace. The knowledge you learned from smoking your bowl to the bottom will help in your normal smoking routine.
Pipe smoking is about enjoyment, not competition - While I was very happy to take home a trophy, and a new Savinelli pipe, I did not enjoy the actual bowl of tobacco. The routine act of smoking is for relaxation and enjoyment. Don't be embarrassed about how many times your relight, or if your not getting the full flavor from you favor bowl of Frog Morton. Instead, just sit back, sip that smoke, relax and enjoy the experience.
