September 30, 2013
Wow! How the time and vapor has flown by. As of September 27th I passed the one year tobacco free mark. What a difference!
I posted my experience after just one month in this forum, and thought I might reprise that effort from the year long perspective.
First, what I'm vaping:
I still have the 510XL batteries and they're going strong. I picked up a couple manuals and lost and replaced one of my automatics. Instead of the fussy 510T tank/atomizers I switched to the Vision Nano in 1.8ohm. Works like a charm and great for out and about with class in a suit. No big clouds, easy to stealth vape, and easier to explain to the casually curious.
I still use my black eGo 1000mA batteries and I added two eGo Twist 1000mA. I use the original eGo's on an EVOD style BCC tank while keeping the Vision CE4 V2 clearomizers on the twists. Using 1.8ohm for all. They are my "flavor stix" that I keep loaded with some one or other of my tasty blends.
I added a couple Kamry (KTS) X6 batteries and a Smok Pyrex Vivi-Nova style tank for the daily device. Simple, reliable and 1300mA I don't worry about running out of juice, liquid or otherwise. My all-day vape goes in here. The Pyrex really helped the flavor stay clean and makes a bullet proof rig that takes a LOT of abuse and keeps vaping strong.
Speaking of juice. I learned to blend my own. The first attempts were barely passable crap, I learned that making e-liquid is a lot like cooking, you have to let the ingredients marry for a while before the dish tastes right and sometimes you need an unexpected seasoning to set off the full flavor palate of the dish. In doing my own juice I have developed a deep respect for those who blend commercially and do it well. I also developed an appreciation for changing PG/VG ratios. My own flavors are:
Raspberry Kreme: Just like raspberries in whipped cream or a Krispy Kreme Raspberry filled doughnut. Smooth, sweet and tangy. Takes about a 2 weeks for the blend to bloom.
Chocolate Covered Cherry Deluxe: This one was a real pain to get right. Truth told I thought this would be simple. Ha!
Root beer: Another flavor that seemed so simple. Not! I found the secret here on the forums, a microscopic bit of menthol!
and my all-day go-to vape:
Turkish Delight: What I used to call Bruce's blend. A very complicated tobacco blend that took me 6 months of tweaking to get right. I started out blending a couple off-the-shelf flavors from MyFreedomSmokes (see my original one month post), then I began to blend the tobaccos directly and experiment. This blend has nine different flavors, three of them tobacco, in its 11% flavoring and blooms only after a three week steep. It's also an odd 65/35 PG/VG to get the 'hit' just right.
I buy a few from my local vendor, Plumes (now open in Bellevue [closer to home]):
Coffeeshop Hodgepodgery: A very complex coffee blend that is marvelous. Seems Sam took a long time to make his signature too!
Creme de Menthe: A simple sounding flavor, but Plumes blending elf does it proud. Again, it isn't as easy as it looks.
I buy most of my DIY stuff online from MyFreedomSmokes. Chris Yeltsin and crew have been with me on this journey from the very beginning.
To manage my formulas I found a wonderful program at Composed Chaos (eLiquid Recipe Pro) that is so worth the $3.99. It keeps track of everything and allows me to use multiple ingredients, account for my changes, and it works on my Kindle.
I ended up with a multi-drawer toolbox for my vape supplies. I always have extra heads, spare batteries, chargers, syringes, flavors, bottles, Q-tips, (because I'm a nurse) the ever present 18ga IV needles bent in various geometries, and a few Starbucks drink stoppers (great for moving wicks and unscrewing heads in the CE4 and ViviNova).
As for maintenance, I revive my heads about two or three times before the wicks are shot. I use an Everclear soak, a water rinse and dry them out. Then dry burn them and, after they've cooled I blow them out with some Dust Off. That's been working perfectly and I think its still pretty close to what I learned a month in. I stopped obsessing on spending money for new heads, I buy a few every time I order or go into a store so I've always got some fresh wicks to switch to. I suppose I've become a little fussier about the flavor performance too. I'll toss a head if it doesn't perform well after cleaning. For the batteries, I've broken one eGo Twist and lost one of my 510XL auto batteries. The rest of them are still going strong after a year of use. I bought original Joyetech batteries and haven't been disappointed with their performance. The Kamry X6 is also very reliable, though I've only used them for about 4 months. I get a lot of comments on the styling and oohs and ahs at their simplicity in a VV mod.
What's next? Well there are some really cool looking mechanical mods coming out and the Smok Kick will turn them into a VW mod real quick. Maybe for Christmas? I'm liking the newer Bottom Coil Cartomizer configurations too. Thinking of a ProTank. The allure of a DCT tank is on the horizon, and I might just get an RBA for drip testing using a screen instead of a wick. I'm still trying to get a blend that my wife likes, I'm getting much, much closer. Hopefully I'll get it and she'll join our ranks soon. [Yes, it's hell living with an active smoker. I really can't believe it smelled that bad, but the proof is sleeping next to me. She's been kind though and smokes in her office, keeping it pretty low key everywhere else in the house. I just don't have the heart to kick her outside. The things we do for love, eh?]
I've become an active advocate for vaping as an alternative to smoking. If I could make it after failing everything else there may be hope for others. As a working nurse I have a unique opportunity to educate folks on where to find information to make their own choice, and a powerful personal story to share. Medically, I was diagnosed last year with Stage II COPD. Today my lungs are healed enough to change my diagnosis to Stage I. I can go up all 5 floors of stairs at work, where I could barely make one without wheezing.
Even spending money on equipment and juice, I saved enough from my cigarette budget to buy a new GMC Terrain. It amazed me how long a new car smell will last when you don't smoke in the vehicle
.
Most of all, thanks to this forum and my local store I have discovered a diverse community of vapers that can't be beat for support, fellowship and fun. Vaping saved my life and you all made it possible for me to find my way easily and with strong support.
If your new, nearly new, or renew good luck and vape on!
-bruce
Wow! How the time and vapor has flown by. As of September 27th I passed the one year tobacco free mark. What a difference!
I posted my experience after just one month in this forum, and thought I might reprise that effort from the year long perspective.
First, what I'm vaping:
I still have the 510XL batteries and they're going strong. I picked up a couple manuals and lost and replaced one of my automatics. Instead of the fussy 510T tank/atomizers I switched to the Vision Nano in 1.8ohm. Works like a charm and great for out and about with class in a suit. No big clouds, easy to stealth vape, and easier to explain to the casually curious.
I still use my black eGo 1000mA batteries and I added two eGo Twist 1000mA. I use the original eGo's on an EVOD style BCC tank while keeping the Vision CE4 V2 clearomizers on the twists. Using 1.8ohm for all. They are my "flavor stix" that I keep loaded with some one or other of my tasty blends.
I added a couple Kamry (KTS) X6 batteries and a Smok Pyrex Vivi-Nova style tank for the daily device. Simple, reliable and 1300mA I don't worry about running out of juice, liquid or otherwise. My all-day vape goes in here. The Pyrex really helped the flavor stay clean and makes a bullet proof rig that takes a LOT of abuse and keeps vaping strong.
Speaking of juice. I learned to blend my own. The first attempts were barely passable crap, I learned that making e-liquid is a lot like cooking, you have to let the ingredients marry for a while before the dish tastes right and sometimes you need an unexpected seasoning to set off the full flavor palate of the dish. In doing my own juice I have developed a deep respect for those who blend commercially and do it well. I also developed an appreciation for changing PG/VG ratios. My own flavors are:
Raspberry Kreme: Just like raspberries in whipped cream or a Krispy Kreme Raspberry filled doughnut. Smooth, sweet and tangy. Takes about a 2 weeks for the blend to bloom.
Chocolate Covered Cherry Deluxe: This one was a real pain to get right. Truth told I thought this would be simple. Ha!
Root beer: Another flavor that seemed so simple. Not! I found the secret here on the forums, a microscopic bit of menthol!
and my all-day go-to vape:
Turkish Delight: What I used to call Bruce's blend. A very complicated tobacco blend that took me 6 months of tweaking to get right. I started out blending a couple off-the-shelf flavors from MyFreedomSmokes (see my original one month post), then I began to blend the tobaccos directly and experiment. This blend has nine different flavors, three of them tobacco, in its 11% flavoring and blooms only after a three week steep. It's also an odd 65/35 PG/VG to get the 'hit' just right.
I buy a few from my local vendor, Plumes (now open in Bellevue [closer to home]):
Coffeeshop Hodgepodgery: A very complex coffee blend that is marvelous. Seems Sam took a long time to make his signature too!
Creme de Menthe: A simple sounding flavor, but Plumes blending elf does it proud. Again, it isn't as easy as it looks.
I buy most of my DIY stuff online from MyFreedomSmokes. Chris Yeltsin and crew have been with me on this journey from the very beginning.
To manage my formulas I found a wonderful program at Composed Chaos (eLiquid Recipe Pro) that is so worth the $3.99. It keeps track of everything and allows me to use multiple ingredients, account for my changes, and it works on my Kindle.
I ended up with a multi-drawer toolbox for my vape supplies. I always have extra heads, spare batteries, chargers, syringes, flavors, bottles, Q-tips, (because I'm a nurse) the ever present 18ga IV needles bent in various geometries, and a few Starbucks drink stoppers (great for moving wicks and unscrewing heads in the CE4 and ViviNova).
As for maintenance, I revive my heads about two or three times before the wicks are shot. I use an Everclear soak, a water rinse and dry them out. Then dry burn them and, after they've cooled I blow them out with some Dust Off. That's been working perfectly and I think its still pretty close to what I learned a month in. I stopped obsessing on spending money for new heads, I buy a few every time I order or go into a store so I've always got some fresh wicks to switch to. I suppose I've become a little fussier about the flavor performance too. I'll toss a head if it doesn't perform well after cleaning. For the batteries, I've broken one eGo Twist and lost one of my 510XL auto batteries. The rest of them are still going strong after a year of use. I bought original Joyetech batteries and haven't been disappointed with their performance. The Kamry X6 is also very reliable, though I've only used them for about 4 months. I get a lot of comments on the styling and oohs and ahs at their simplicity in a VV mod.
What's next? Well there are some really cool looking mechanical mods coming out and the Smok Kick will turn them into a VW mod real quick. Maybe for Christmas? I'm liking the newer Bottom Coil Cartomizer configurations too. Thinking of a ProTank. The allure of a DCT tank is on the horizon, and I might just get an RBA for drip testing using a screen instead of a wick. I'm still trying to get a blend that my wife likes, I'm getting much, much closer. Hopefully I'll get it and she'll join our ranks soon. [Yes, it's hell living with an active smoker. I really can't believe it smelled that bad, but the proof is sleeping next to me. She's been kind though and smokes in her office, keeping it pretty low key everywhere else in the house. I just don't have the heart to kick her outside. The things we do for love, eh?]
I've become an active advocate for vaping as an alternative to smoking. If I could make it after failing everything else there may be hope for others. As a working nurse I have a unique opportunity to educate folks on where to find information to make their own choice, and a powerful personal story to share. Medically, I was diagnosed last year with Stage II COPD. Today my lungs are healed enough to change my diagnosis to Stage I. I can go up all 5 floors of stairs at work, where I could barely make one without wheezing.
Even spending money on equipment and juice, I saved enough from my cigarette budget to buy a new GMC Terrain. It amazed me how long a new car smell will last when you don't smoke in the vehicle
.Most of all, thanks to this forum and my local store I have discovered a diverse community of vapers that can't be beat for support, fellowship and fun. Vaping saved my life and you all made it possible for me to find my way easily and with strong support.
If your new, nearly new, or renew good luck and vape on!
-bruce
