Older Folks and Vaping Front Porch - Part Three

[MikeE3]

Older Folks and vaping Front Porch - Part Three

Welcome to the ‘Front Porch’ for Older Folks and vaping. This thread is a continuation of the original started almost 2 1/2 years ago by ˇTxtumbleweed’. It grew to over 21,000 posts and the ‘part 2’ continuation thread was begun about a year ago. The ‘part 2’ thread over the last 11 month’s hit 15,000 posts, so now it’s time for a ‘part 3’.

The original and 1st continuation threads are still around and you can find them here:

Original (now closed):
Older Folks and Vaping

Part 2 (now closed):
Older Folks and Vaping Front Porch - Part 2

The Porch for Older Folks is dedicated to Tex. He started the ball rolling and helped so many of us when we first started our vaping journey. He offered us encouragement, shared his knowledge and told us great personal stories ranging from riding the rails as a kid, working as a lineman, lumberjack and fishing the cold waters of the Bering Straits.

Randall (Tex) has since passed on and we are honored to continue the Older Folks and Vaping Front Porch in his memory.

The mods have asked us to stay on topic about vaping in this thread. Please adhere to this guideline.

Feel invited to join us in the lounge where we can chat about vaping and any other ‘topic of the day’ that meets your fancy.

Older Folks and Vaping Back Porch - Part 2

Older People 55 and Up (original, now closed)

 

[MikeE3]

The opening post from Tex:



5/21/2012 Txtumbleweed wrote:

I thought I would start a thread mostly for older folks but everyone is welcome. It is primarily to help longtime smokers to get off cigarettes and stay off by sharing our vaping experiences. Most everyone reading this has already started vaping so our goal is to support one another and help those beginning the vaping journey.

I have been vaping 2 1/2 years after smoking off and on for 60 years. I inhaled my first cigarette at 10 and by the time I was 15 I was smoking a pack a day. I've struggled with quitting smoking for 30 years and discovering the e-cig and vaping has been a life saver for me. I was diagnosed with COPD about seven years ago and my health was deteriorating rather quickly with loss of breath and coughing continuously. Since I started vaping my health has improved tremendously so that is why I'm so adamant about helping others make the same decision.

I have been vaping for 2 1/2 years but I'm far from an expert on vaping equipment but I have tried most devices or similar ones out there so I do have an opinion on most of them. We are all different when it comes to vaping and one thing doesn't work for all in fact very few of us will settle on using the same juices and PV's. That is what makes having a thread that we can discuss all e-cig related stuff without arguing about what is best is a good thing.

I have found that most of us older folks and long time smokers like the no muss no fuss PV's especially in the beginning. We would like to hear all of your stories and vaping experiences and what devices you started with and your journey to what you use now.

Us older folks do like to socialize along with our vaping but we need to keep this thread mostly about vaping or it will be moved to a social forum. We do have another thread in the Lounge Forum that is both social and vaping related. http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/lounge/289745-older-people-55-up.html {editor note, this is a link to the original thread in the lounge, please see above for our new Back Porch thread in the lounge)

 

[MikeE3]

But don’t be fooled by the old folks in the title. The range of vaping experience and gear spans a wide gap. We’ve got folks content with basic setups using carto tanks and we’ve got folks that just jumped on the new Provari P3 and KFL V4.

So if you’re just starting out or your more experienced this is the place to be for us older folks. You got a question - we’ve got an answer or three. (And we're good at spending other people’s money - so be forewarned). So pull up a rocker and make yourself at home.

And - oh, oh, oh - there’s no age limited or checking done here. Most of us can’t see good enough to read your legal id anyway. The only age criteria is that today your a day older than yesterday.

I going to ‘prime the porch’ with a few posts from the early days. It’s fun to look back just a few years and see not only where we where but were the state of vaping was w/ respect to equipment.

 

[MikeE3]

Another of our dear departed friends is ‘elbertdee’, who I can't (won't) forget. He was a Native American Indian. Elbertdee was an Indian story teller. He shared a new perspective to the use of tobacco many of us were unaware of as well as many other stories about his people. He passed on, and is now with his ancestors and I'm sure he is still telling and learning stories. Thanks Elbertdee for the time you spent and shared with us.



5/21/2012 elbertdee wrote:

61 yr old Smoked 49 of it.

Got my volt on May 7,
Been going ok. Still not ready to complete let go of my friend tobacco. But every day gets a little closer.

Last few day 2 or 3 tobaccos.

Love the Volt and getting more used to the 555 juice.
Like a little VG in my juice as it produces more e-smoke and smooths the TH for me.

I can say of the times I have tried to stop smokeing tobacco this is the first time I know it will work.
Im just letting my body make the changes on its own as It is starting to like the Vaping more than the Tobacco


Tx thanks for starting this up. I may be new but I have learned a lot and want to help anyone who is willing to accept it.

My Mother smoked for 20 or so years and quit. 10 years later my sister was getting married and mom started smoking again.
She told me in that 10 years a day never went by that she did not want a tobacco cig.
wish E-cigs had been around then.


Im only at end of week 2.
And I still have 2-4 tobaccos and slowly my body is backing off wanting the tobacco.

I got the small order of flavor and juice today.

I really like Dr. Pepper. The first little batch was 2 light on the flavor so I added some more in. 70/30 and Dr. Pepper.
Never ever in my wildest dream think I would really enjoy vaping a Dr. Pepper flavored juice. Bit Well I LIKE IT.
Even the slightly weak stuff I mixed
I am still bumfusled by the fact that It is really nice.

What is the best way to fill the Boge cartos?

Will non flavored Nic change the taste of the Dr Pepper?

 

[MikeE3]

And a message from one of our favorite ladies who has been around ECF quite some time.

5/21/2012 my4jewels wrote:

Hi, everyone!! I just celebrated my one year vapeversary!! I smoked for nearly 40 years, knew I had to quit. I had been lucky for too long, no smoker's cough, no breathing trouble, no discernable problems. I hope my luck holds out... The day I picked up an ecig was the day I had my last ciggie.

I started with Greensmoke. I returned it, but it showed me that was possible to quit smoking with vaping, I ordered a few ego batts and lr cartos, and I was set for a while. I kept reading about VV vaping, so, of course, I had to try it. I ordered a VV boxmod from MV, and melted it the first day, LOL. I did some well needed reading about ohms, voltage, and amperage, and got most of that sorted out. I decided to start diying my own juice right about the same time. I realized that I am a "flavor junkie".

I vape only on VV devices now. I am particularly drawn to the custom wood mods. I also use carto tanks exclusively, and I have a collection of about 30 different tanks filled with various flavors. I am very satisfied with my vaping experience right now, until the next thing comes along...

 

[MikeE3]

5/21/2012 BacsiBob wrote:

Hey folks, young and old (wise). I'm 65, smoked for 50 yrs. and been vaping for about two months. I started with an Apollo Extreme kit , augmented with two extra batteries and another charger and I used cartomizers. That was good until I started hanging here and then I had to move up a notch.

I liked Apollo's service, quality and free shipping so I got a TGo kit which is compatible with the Extreme. I did not have any luck using the atomizers so I stuck with cartomizers. I vape a lot and the constant filling was cutting into my leisure and nap time. Well, hanging here I learned about dual coil MEGA cartomizers and they helped because they hold so much more juice. Also, cooler vapor and better flavor has been my experience. Reduced battery time has not been an issue; the 900 mah batteries keep up with one in use and one charging.

Then I found out about tanks and had to have one. It came today and I love it. Of course, the TGo batteries won't last forever so I've ordered a Gripper, batteries and charger and MEGA single coil cartos for it . It's a good thing my wife has begun to use the Extremes so I could make more room on my desk.

I can pass on one pearl beyond satisfying my need for nicotine and new toys. The 2nd and 3rd generation e cig products produce a more consistent and satisfying vapor. I am cutting my juice back from 24 mg. to 12 mg and hope to keep going to zero. I don't know if I'll ever quit vaping...I'm having a lot of fun and meeting a lot of nice people.

 

[MikeE3]

5/21/2012 yiddleboge wrote:

Hi
I smoked for 50 years and kind of slid into vaping sideways. Had tried every other way to quit and it never worked. Let me also say that I was VERY addicted to it. Heaven help anyone in my way if I was out of smokes! However am living on a small fixed income and it had reached a point where I just couldn't afford it. I was really trying to find something I could afford, didn't think I could quit. Started out with the disposables from the gas station. 400 puffs, Hah! So started searching online.

I spent a few weeks lurking on ECF and spent all the money I had budgeted out for smokes on a kgo and juice. Didn't have any choice but to vape and the funny thing is that it wasn't even a problem. Haven't had an analog since.
This month I added an ego PT for backup, some phoenix cartos, fluxomizers, vivi nova, and a couple of phoenix tanks.
I'm amazed at all the MODS that are out there, but as long as this is working for me I'll stay with what I've got (other than new goodies to try on them)

 

[MikeE3]

Introducing Semiretired, who goes totally off the ‘grid’ a few months each year when he visits family and friends on a remote Philippine Island.

5/21/2012 Semiretired wrote:

Well, I am 55 (almost 56) - smoked cigs for over 40 years. Started vaping in Sep 2011. My daughter, who does not smoke pointed me towards ecigs, but I procrastinated on them for over a year before I bought one. I finally gave into her nagging and went to Google and found this place. I had refused to use the gas station versions, so I had to see what else was available and found out there was lots...

I use Joye products, Volts, and one 18650 mod (least used due to size factor). I also DIY - jumped into it almost immediately. Initially bought some flavors and used them to accent tobacco flavored juices and now have ventured into coffee extracts and mixing what ever sounds good. I like to experiment every time I mix a batch and one of these days I need to start writing it all down ...

I use cartos, clearos, and drip a lot... I have found the same juice taste differently depending upon how I am vaping it and some taste better being dripped, while others taste better in a carto (go figure), but that is my experience to date. I will help where I can in the thread.

Cannot believe how many lurkers came out in the open... Thanks for the support. Also Tex - thanks for starting the thread so we can continue our try with this...

 

[MikeE3]

Our resident DJ and music historian over on the Back Porch.

4/21/2012 Uncle Willie wrote:

Sorry, I did not know .. my post #53 from the original thread ...

I decided to quit telling my age some time ago, and would quit birthdays as well if folks around me did not just have to remind me .. suffice to say, I qualify to post on this thread ..

40+ years / at least a PAD / believed the word "Light" actually meant they were not as bad for you .. it was the cool thing to do when I started .. no health facts were well known .. and that first smoke about made me cough up a lung .. but I hung in there ... gas was about 20 cents a gallon in my neck of the woods and when I joined the Military, smokes were around 25 cents a pack ..

Heart attack and 2 stents about 3 years ago .. first thing I did when I got home from the Hospital was, guess what .. ?? Light up a Marlboro .. sadly, true .. the power of addiction ..

One day, maybe a year after the heart attack, I saw an expensive e-cig in the local smoke shop .. paid over $100.00 for it, used it for a month, maybe .. put it away, back to the analogs .. about a year ago, I broke it out and decided to give it a try again .. nosed around the Web for supplies and accidentally stumbled on ECF .. read / read and read some more .. ordered a proper PV kit and some liquid ..

In the last year, I'll admit to having 3 analogs .. each time at a family function, each time as Jack Daniels had losened my resolve ..

Now, I need to start the "Battle of the Bulge" and try and shed those extra pounds I've put on due to my inability to resist cuisine that now makes even a Big Mac taste like gourmet ..

 

[MikeE3]

Your's truly and my beloved wife.

5/21/2012 MikeE3 wrote:

Hello everyone.

Nice to run into some old friend here and even nicer to be meeting some new folks. Some many wonderful success stories already posted. Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks. You'all have proven that to be wrong, what with you saying good-bye to the cigs and moving on to e-cigs and vaping.

My wife and I started in Sep. 2011 looking into e-cigs. I started smoking at a much older age than a lot of you, I didn't seriously start 'till I was 17 or 18, then smoked for the next 48 years. Only stopped once for about 1 1/2 years. What with the expense and knowing it's not healthy I was talking with wife for quite a while we should stop. She never was ready, so it was real easy for me to not attempt stopping.

Then last September, out of the blue, she says lets get some of those electronic cigarettes and stop smoking. I has sampled one at the local mall once and thought 'yuck', I didn't like that thing at all. So we turned to google and among other sites we found ECF. A week of googling and ECFing we bought our first starter kits. She went with an 808 and carto's, I went with a Joye 510, attys, and carts.

The 510's were fine as a starter, but soon became tedious alwasy recharging the batts, replacing attys, etc. etc. So a month later, I moved onto Joye eGo's and carto's. This was way better, a lot less hassle as 2 or at most 3 batts lasted me all day. Next I tried out tanks as I did not like the relatively short life of a carto and even a carto needs frequent topping off. Tanks were an improvement. I started with Baby Notta tanks but moved quickly to DCT Tanks. I didn't like dual coils, didn't seem to improve the vape or flavor and just burned up juice faster. So I cut all my DCT tanks down in size to fit a standard Boge 3.0Ω carto. That's now my favorite carto/tank combination.

About 2 months later, I still wasn't getting the satisfaction from vaping as I was expecting, so .... I moved onto Variable Volt vaping. And I moved straight to a ProVari. I figured I'd already spent money on two starter kits and might as well head to the front of the class. What can I say I like it a lot. I've also become primarily a 'dripper'. I use IKV i06 attys on the ProVari and keep some tanks around for when I'm away from home.

My wife stopped cigs the day she started vaping. It took me about 6 weeks to cease and desist with cigarettes. I went from 2+ ppd to 1/2 doz right away but I couldn't get away from 3 or 4 a day until I got some WTA juice. The same day I started with WTA, is the last day I had a cigarette.

My best moment since starting to vape was on my son's birthday. I told him it was also my 1 month smoke free anniversay. He said 'Pop, that's the best birthday present you could give me'. It's still my inspiration to stay away from cigs. I've been smoke free for 7 months now. I still get the urge at times but I vape my way past it.

5/21/2012 Janet H wrote:

Well, I guess you heard my story already. MikeE3 is my other half and we started vaping together after way too many years on the analogs. I was sitting on the back deck having a cigarette when the mail arrived with our first eCigs. After my first vape I was so shocked at how much I liked it I never smoked the rest of the analogs! FREEDOM!!! That first eCig was the 808. Like most people I wanted something that was close to an analog and quickly moved on from there. I went to the manual eGo 650 and have several of them.

I got frustrated with the cartos though and started looking into the tanks. Along with dripping with the IKV i06 I was really liking the Stardusts but they develop cracks at the bottom and start leaking. I recently got a Phoenix 3ml tank and was loving it for 2 days and suddenly started getting an awful burned taste. It turns out I have to take a puff on it before I push the button to vape and then it's fine. It gives great flavor with lots of vapor. There's always new and improved ones coming out so I'll be watching for those. Meanwhile I hear they're going to be selling the Phoenix tank itself without the cover so I may opt for a couple of them to see if this is a fluke. It's still a lot cheaper than buying analogs which are about $6/pack around here.

Welcome to the new people and glad to see the lurkers. Thanks Tx for getting this going. Looks like it's taking off and that's a good thing.

 

[DancingHeretik]

My original post from 2-17-2012:

55 here!

I had smoked for 37 years. I NEVER thought I could quit!! Never, ever, ever! I had only gone without smoking 2 times for one day each in all those years. And, both times it was because I was very sick. Just the thought of quitting (or of running out) made me smoke more!

Like artt, I thought that "If it seems too good to be true, it probably IS." Between that and the fact that I never knew anyone who quit smoking using one, I thought it was all just a scam.

Then my brother decided to quit smoking using electronic cigarettes and did the research. So, I finally tried it. And, after 2 days of working the bugs out, no more cigarettes! Just like that! The last cigarette I smoked was on Feb. 27, 2011.

No temptation to go back. The only thing I miss is the ease, not the cigs.

What's funny is that it seems that ecigs help long term (older), heavy smokers the most. It doesn't seem to help young people as much because they learned to smoke during a time when you had to go outside to smoke.

When I started smoking, people smoked in the grocery store, in restaurants, even in classrooms. Smoking was part of every moment of every day. Anyone who started smoking in the last decade or so just never got a chance to develop the same kind of habit that we did.

I'm not sure how much it's because it's a different kind of habit or how much it's because us older, more long term smokers are just more desperate. Yes, I think desperation may be a big part of it.

But, to me, it was a miracle!

And, btw I haven't saved a penny yet. But, I think I may be finally starting to get the toys out of my system. So, I may start saving soon?

 

[Legolas]

Nice post Mike and Janet

 

[2legsshrt]

YeeHaw. Here we go

 

[Iffy]

Awesome 3rd 'Grand Opening', Mike!

 

[3mg Meniere]

I started looking. Since bigbells and I were born in the same month, I looked for him, too.

Decided to read the whole thread. Plan abandoned after first 80 posts when I saw I was less than 1% of the way.

I'm 61. Smoked 2.5 packs a day for 45 years. Vaping only for 20 days. Collapsed lung back in July stopped me for the 3 days I was in the hospital plus one more after I got home. (Spontaneous collapse, occurred while I was sleeping, arguing with one lung with the dispatcher who couldn't relate to me being perturbed that I could see the ambulance head down the path of the neighbor on my right, then the path of the neighbor on my left, without spotting the overgrown path to my house. Fun!)

Out of the blue five weeks ago I was shooting the breeze with my baby brother via email, and he put forth the idea of e-cigs. I knew absolutely nothing about them beyond the fact that they existed. All little bro knew about them was that he'd used them in directing the low-budget movies which he writes, produces and directs. (Sci-fi stuff that so far, sells better overseas than in the US.)

I still have never seen anyone other than myself vaping, except for the videos I've watched since getting into it. Anyway, I embarked on an intensive 24-hour search to educate myself. Only thing available locally was Blu. I passed. More research led to Apollo and I got the Superior Ego kit along with an additional 2 30ml bottles of juice to make sure I didn't run out before I could order more. It was important to me to get something that did NOT look like a cigarette.

First 24 hours was great, then relapsed for another week and resumed my Newport habit.

Now I was in a better position to give vaping another try... out of analogs and had given some thought to my vaping method. Hard to quit when there are still analogs around. Vaping takes some getting used to.

I refuse to look at vaping as something I have to do. I have, though, become convinced it's better than cigarettes. THAT I can deal with. I didn't give up anything; I replaced a habit with a better one.

3/8/13 Evidently he is just a tad older than me.

 

[Legolas]

Pre-ordered my kayfun 4 knockoff from Kidney Puncher over the weekend. I have this need to have them all. The funny part is I just started using my kfl plus v2 last week. I have had it for 6-7 months. I only realized it has 2 air holes when I was filling it up.

 

[2legsshrt]

As you can see I have been a member of ECF since 2009 but I just found out about these forums about a year ago. They are the best darn forums with the best darned people there are. I love it here. I smoked a PAD+ for 45 years. I started vaping a little in 08. Things were not what they are now. I got interested in RBA's and DIY about 1 1/2 years ago and that is when I discovered these Forums. Now I am on here almost everyday and have met some really great people. I don't think I have ever read the posts without thinking these are a great bunch of people. Need some help, they are there, need some advice they are there, just need to vent a little they are there. I can't tell you how much I enjoy being part of these groups. It has become such a big part of my life it is amazing. I love these people and hope to meet more. Thanks for the time and everything else.

 

[Rotowoman]

I'm a relative newbie to the Vapor World, (about 3 mos) but I do qualify in the "older folks" category. Heh heh. I smoked for 43 flipping years!! I'm struggling right now, but I'm hanging in there. I'm so weary of being a slave to cigarettes.

 

[Legolas]

Welcome to the porch Rotowoman!!
It is a struggle at the start of your vaping journey. It is worth the effort.There is plenty of help to be had on this porch so don't be bashful to ask if you need any.

 

[therussellv]

While we are reintroducing ourselves...
I have been vaping about a year, I do rebuldables (kfl) and drippers, I spin my own coils and make diy juice.
I am half Comanche and half Scotts Irish, and take neither (or anything else for that matter) seriously. I live in the Dallas area, and I love to antagonize people (especially bells).
I am an amateur chef and am constantly experimenting with new juice flavors.
I must say that I would not have made it through the last few months without the support I have found on the porches. I don't talk as often as most folks here, but I like my quiet little corner of the porches where I can watch and listen, and plan.....