We all have our favorite PV's, mods and juices that we recommend on a regular basis. Whether it's the new person here on the forum or someone out in the world, the curiosity about vaping and the number of vapers seems to be growing. We vapers love it when someone new comes into the fold and gives up analogs, but like all forms of technology, it doesn't seem to be for everyone. There is a learning curve to vaping and there are going to be some people who just either can't deal with it, or don't want to be bothered with it. I think if my mother were still alive she'd be one of the people who just wouldn't be able to deal with it. It took her months to figure out how to get her voicemail from her cell phone and how to use the remote control for her TV/VCR. Granted, she was of an older generation and was pretty resistant to technology, but I don't think she would've enjoyed vaping at all.
Before you think that I'm being cynical, let me assure you that I'm not. This is just the reality of our world. Just because it's for me doesn't mean it's for everyone. We vapers get the in's and out's and we're willing to deal with those. We love it when new models and mods come out and we're happy to share our knowledge about what works and what just really sucks. Some people just aren't going to care and don't want to go beyond pulling an analog out of the pack, putting it in their mouth and lighting it. Ce la vie.
Vaping requires a certain amount of patience and planning, especially in the beginning stages. Most people came into the vaping world insisting that they want an e-cig that looks and tastes like a cigarette. The reality is that there isn't an e-cig that will fulfill both requirements completely. Sure, you can get one that looks like a cigarette, but the battery life is going to be horrible. There isn't any way around this. The smaller the battery, the shorter the charge is going to last. Since most starter kits come with only one or two batteries, the heavy smoker is going to spend more time charging batteries than actually using them. The only way for a heavy smoker to make this type of system work is to have at least 10 or more batteries at the ready to get through the day. At around $20 per battery this just isn't economical, especially for the new person. Do you see where I'm going with this? So this is the first bubble I'm going to burst. If you're a light smoker, you can probably go with the e-cig that looks like a cigarette. You might be happy with this, you might find out later that you aren't. If you're a heavy smoker, then you'll probably need to go with something that looks less like a cigarette and is bigger in size. That's just how it is.
Then there's the insistence that it taste like your brand of smokes. I'm going to be as frank and honest as I possibly can about this. Ready? There isn't one. No matter how hard you try or where you look, no matter what anyone tells you, there is NOT going to be a nicotine juice that tastes exactly like your Marlboro Ultra Light 100 Menthol's or your Camel Turkish Silvers. Some tobacco flavors might come close, but you'll never find a duplicate. They just don't exist. Besides, if you only want the flavor of your analog, then you're missing out on one the biggest positive aspects of vaping and that's FLAVOR VARIETY. Vaping opens up a world of flavor you will never find with analogs. You can start your morning with vaping a delicious Cafe Mocha with your coffee and end up vaping Apple Pie for dessert after dinner. Can you do that with your analogs? Absolutely not! Second bubble burst, moving forward.
Here are some more bubbles I'm going to burst:
I don't care what the website or the guy at the mall kiosk told you. Cartridges and cartomizers ARE NOT going to last the equivalent of half a pack or a pack of analogs. They might last the equivalent of 5 analogs, but really it's completely dependent on you and how much you vape. They might last 30 minutes, they might last a couple of hours.
Cartomizers are disposable, but that doesn't mean they can't be refilled at least a couple of times before you toss them. Making you think that you can only use them once is a marketing ploy to convince you to spend more. I call bullocks. There is absolutely no reason why anyone should be spending $18 or more for 5 regular sized cartomizers. While I'm on the subject of replacing hardware, there is absolutely no reason why you should have to spend more than $25 on any battery. Even my eGo 900mah only cost $22. If you're e-cig website is saying that you need to shuck out $50 for a new battery, then you're getting ripped off and you need to look elsewhere. It's just that simple.
Juice is super cheap and there are many online vendors who make tasty batches of it. If you're being told that you need to spend $25 or more for 15ml, then you need to walk away quickly. I'd rather order online and wait a couple of days than fork over my hard earned money for something that might last me a few days.
Once you've figured out which model you want, you have to buy extra equipment for your PV and juice. You have to learn about which hardware is compatible with your PV and how to use it properly. You have to spend time figuring out if you like the atomizer/cartridge over the cartomizer and whether dripping is going to be a good alternative. You have to experiment with juice to figure out which flavors you like, PG/VG ratios and which nicotine level is going to work best. Some people go through the experimentation stage in a couple of weeks. For others, it can take a month or more.
Vaping can be, and is, much less expensive than smoking, but only if you're willing to assume some responsibility. Atomizers can last for a couple of weeks or more if they're properly maintained and handled. Cartomizers can last through several refills when the user pays attention and handles them with care. Batteries can last for several months or longer as long as they aren't abused and neglected. Cartridges and fillers can last for months at a time with regular cleaning and proper use. Filler is also cheap, cheap, cheap to replace.
Hardware and juice don't last forever and must be replaced at some point. Doing this isn't going to be as quick as running down to the gas station for a pack of smokes. Very few vapers have the luxury of a local brick and mortar storefront they can go to, so most everything needs to be purchased online. New vapers will find out quickly that there really isn't just one online store that will meet their needs for both juice and hardware, and online vendors sometimes run out of stock. A lot of us buy hardware from one or two vendors and juice from a couple of other vendors. That's just the way the vaping world works right now. You either learn to deal with it, or you stop vaping. Some people have learned the hard way that you need to have more than a couple of atomizers or cartomizers and few little bottles of juice on hand. Most of the experienced vapers have at least a handful or a drawer full of replacement atomizers/cartomizers, a lot of juice, and spare batteries. Nothing kills the vaping experience and is more frustrating than running completely out of these things and not being able to vape.
Learning to use cartridges and cartomizers presents a challenge. Refilling with juice and replacing the filler so they don't flood your atomizer and leak everywhere takes some practice and finesse. Even dripping takes a bit of practice to get it right. Patience and persistence are going to be key here. Take your time and keep trying. Once you get a feel for it, refilling becomes easier and quicker. There are also plenty of cartridge and cartomizer modifications you can try once you get comfortable with the basics.
Inhalation technique is still another challenge for the new vaper. It was easy to inhale on an analog because as long as you sucked on it, you'd get smoke. Since PV's don't produce smoke and don't burn constantly, the technique is different. A lot of people make the mistake of trying to inhale the same way they did when smoking and it almost never works. Most of the time long, slow, gentle draws on your PV are going to produce more satisfying results. Again, practice makes perfect and given enough time, patience and persistence inhaling will become second nature.
Are you still here? Still interested? Awesome! What I've written is just a condensed version of what to expect from vaping. The New Member forum is going to be a great wealth of information and that's where you should start. Read everything, watch the videos and ask lots of questions. Be prepared to go in with a realistic outlook and you'll enjoy vaping more than you ever expected.
Before you think that I'm being cynical, let me assure you that I'm not. This is just the reality of our world. Just because it's for me doesn't mean it's for everyone. We vapers get the in's and out's and we're willing to deal with those. We love it when new models and mods come out and we're happy to share our knowledge about what works and what just really sucks. Some people just aren't going to care and don't want to go beyond pulling an analog out of the pack, putting it in their mouth and lighting it. Ce la vie.
Vaping requires a certain amount of patience and planning, especially in the beginning stages. Most people came into the vaping world insisting that they want an e-cig that looks and tastes like a cigarette. The reality is that there isn't an e-cig that will fulfill both requirements completely. Sure, you can get one that looks like a cigarette, but the battery life is going to be horrible. There isn't any way around this. The smaller the battery, the shorter the charge is going to last. Since most starter kits come with only one or two batteries, the heavy smoker is going to spend more time charging batteries than actually using them. The only way for a heavy smoker to make this type of system work is to have at least 10 or more batteries at the ready to get through the day. At around $20 per battery this just isn't economical, especially for the new person. Do you see where I'm going with this? So this is the first bubble I'm going to burst. If you're a light smoker, you can probably go with the e-cig that looks like a cigarette. You might be happy with this, you might find out later that you aren't. If you're a heavy smoker, then you'll probably need to go with something that looks less like a cigarette and is bigger in size. That's just how it is.
Then there's the insistence that it taste like your brand of smokes. I'm going to be as frank and honest as I possibly can about this. Ready? There isn't one. No matter how hard you try or where you look, no matter what anyone tells you, there is NOT going to be a nicotine juice that tastes exactly like your Marlboro Ultra Light 100 Menthol's or your Camel Turkish Silvers. Some tobacco flavors might come close, but you'll never find a duplicate. They just don't exist. Besides, if you only want the flavor of your analog, then you're missing out on one the biggest positive aspects of vaping and that's FLAVOR VARIETY. Vaping opens up a world of flavor you will never find with analogs. You can start your morning with vaping a delicious Cafe Mocha with your coffee and end up vaping Apple Pie for dessert after dinner. Can you do that with your analogs? Absolutely not! Second bubble burst, moving forward.
Here are some more bubbles I'm going to burst:
I don't care what the website or the guy at the mall kiosk told you. Cartridges and cartomizers ARE NOT going to last the equivalent of half a pack or a pack of analogs. They might last the equivalent of 5 analogs, but really it's completely dependent on you and how much you vape. They might last 30 minutes, they might last a couple of hours.
Cartomizers are disposable, but that doesn't mean they can't be refilled at least a couple of times before you toss them. Making you think that you can only use them once is a marketing ploy to convince you to spend more. I call bullocks. There is absolutely no reason why anyone should be spending $18 or more for 5 regular sized cartomizers. While I'm on the subject of replacing hardware, there is absolutely no reason why you should have to spend more than $25 on any battery. Even my eGo 900mah only cost $22. If you're e-cig website is saying that you need to shuck out $50 for a new battery, then you're getting ripped off and you need to look elsewhere. It's just that simple.
Juice is super cheap and there are many online vendors who make tasty batches of it. If you're being told that you need to spend $25 or more for 15ml, then you need to walk away quickly. I'd rather order online and wait a couple of days than fork over my hard earned money for something that might last me a few days.
Once you've figured out which model you want, you have to buy extra equipment for your PV and juice. You have to learn about which hardware is compatible with your PV and how to use it properly. You have to spend time figuring out if you like the atomizer/cartridge over the cartomizer and whether dripping is going to be a good alternative. You have to experiment with juice to figure out which flavors you like, PG/VG ratios and which nicotine level is going to work best. Some people go through the experimentation stage in a couple of weeks. For others, it can take a month or more.
Vaping can be, and is, much less expensive than smoking, but only if you're willing to assume some responsibility. Atomizers can last for a couple of weeks or more if they're properly maintained and handled. Cartomizers can last through several refills when the user pays attention and handles them with care. Batteries can last for several months or longer as long as they aren't abused and neglected. Cartridges and fillers can last for months at a time with regular cleaning and proper use. Filler is also cheap, cheap, cheap to replace.
Hardware and juice don't last forever and must be replaced at some point. Doing this isn't going to be as quick as running down to the gas station for a pack of smokes. Very few vapers have the luxury of a local brick and mortar storefront they can go to, so most everything needs to be purchased online. New vapers will find out quickly that there really isn't just one online store that will meet their needs for both juice and hardware, and online vendors sometimes run out of stock. A lot of us buy hardware from one or two vendors and juice from a couple of other vendors. That's just the way the vaping world works right now. You either learn to deal with it, or you stop vaping. Some people have learned the hard way that you need to have more than a couple of atomizers or cartomizers and few little bottles of juice on hand. Most of the experienced vapers have at least a handful or a drawer full of replacement atomizers/cartomizers, a lot of juice, and spare batteries. Nothing kills the vaping experience and is more frustrating than running completely out of these things and not being able to vape.
Learning to use cartridges and cartomizers presents a challenge. Refilling with juice and replacing the filler so they don't flood your atomizer and leak everywhere takes some practice and finesse. Even dripping takes a bit of practice to get it right. Patience and persistence are going to be key here. Take your time and keep trying. Once you get a feel for it, refilling becomes easier and quicker. There are also plenty of cartridge and cartomizer modifications you can try once you get comfortable with the basics.
Inhalation technique is still another challenge for the new vaper. It was easy to inhale on an analog because as long as you sucked on it, you'd get smoke. Since PV's don't produce smoke and don't burn constantly, the technique is different. A lot of people make the mistake of trying to inhale the same way they did when smoking and it almost never works. Most of the time long, slow, gentle draws on your PV are going to produce more satisfying results. Again, practice makes perfect and given enough time, patience and persistence inhaling will become second nature.
Are you still here? Still interested? Awesome! What I've written is just a condensed version of what to expect from vaping. The New Member forum is going to be a great wealth of information and that's where you should start. Read everything, watch the videos and ask lots of questions. Be prepared to go in with a realistic outlook and you'll enjoy vaping more than you ever expected.
