Ok... I give

[DizzyGuy]

Can someone please tell me the correct way to pack a bowl?  I've heard several things... and before you flame me, I did do a search in the site and ended up with an article about starting a hookah lounge/restaurant.  But yeah, how do you pack it, and how high do you fill it?  I'm using a screen if it matters...

[mushrat]

Everyone here is gonna tell you something different. I actually pack in and pack it down a little. Then i try a quick pull from the bottom of the bowl  to make sure i have air flow. I leave a bit of space between my tobacco and my screen. works great.
Others are going to tell you to sprinkle it in loosely, all the way to the top, then lay the foil directly on top of the tobacco, pulling the foil taught over it (thus compressing it, never understood that)  and poking your holes.
Others will say pack it loosely almost to the top, leaving air space, then the foil, then the holes....
Getting the idea? its all a personal preference sorta thing. If you start doing it one way, you'll practice that way with your heat management etc. untill you get it to work THAT way.
So pick a way and practice.
 

[SanguineSolitude]

i think as mush said everyone packs a bowl different. A general rule,
however, is that the foil should not directly touch the tobacco. since
the idea is to not directly burn the tobacco but rather cook it, this
makes sense. you dont want the hot coal/foil in contact with the
tobacco. other than that, i usually will sort of just place the shisha
in the bowl, lightly press down and then as mush mentioned blow gently
through the base of the bowl. though to be honest after a while you get
the feel down and dont need to do this.
 OH i just read that youre using a screen. ok ive used those so i
should be of some help. The trick with those guys is to pack as i
stated above, but here it is absolutely essential that the shisha
doesnt touch the screen otherwise it will burn right from the
beginning. Ive found that screens need a little more space between the
shisha and coal because the holes are so much larger thus letting
through more heat. BUT i personally feel like the screen provides an
inferior smoke. Since more heat goes through, the coal burns faster and
so does the shisha. Ive found that the result is a shorter less
pleasant smoke. Plus shisha is wasted. so thats three strikes. I only
use my screens when im out of foil. hope that helps.

[The Dude Abides]

I don't have a problem if the foil slightly touches the tobacco.  I take a good pinch of moassel and place it in the palm of one hand, and then break it apart with my fingers on my other hand.  Once it's somewhat loose, I form a little mound, place the bowl over it, and flip over.  I then lightly tap the top down a bit and place the foil almost directly touching the tobacco.  But as mushrat says, everybody learns what works best for them.
And besides making sure you get an easy draw, its pretty much all in the way you manage your coals.  That is what determines the thickness and smoothness (or harshness) of your smoke. 

[Sonthert]

Use a shovel or at least a garden trough. Using a ball-peen hammer is not recommended.I think the foil should touch the tobacco slightly. I pack bowls based on what brand of tobacco it is...the trick is, like Mushrat said, pack some bowls and find out what works better. Don;t worry, you'll have some bowls that will work out like a screendoor on a submarine. When you adopt one way of doing things as the right way, you'll never be able to enjoy some brands, in my opinion, because they require different manners of packing.Packing is a misnomer...we don't really pack it...at least I don't.