A noobs analytical approach to determining E-liquid strength

[4mehealth]

I'll 2nd or whatever number it is people have posted.

Just want to put up a caveat. If you do go with high strength, be aware of the symptoms of nicotine overdose. Listen to your body.

vaping is part of it, but the after affects too.

I just went with Don daboom vape's guide and ordered the guideline for what I smoked. And that for me, was just too strong. So I've cut it down to where I'm good. However, I'm sure vaping a lot more than I did cigs.

Good luck to you.

 

[AttyPops]

The nic in nicquid can sneak up on you. It isn't absorbed at quite the same rate so like 4mehealth said.... pay attention.

I 2nd or whatever the doublers idea so you don't lose flavor.

The easy way, of course, is to order several 3 ml sampler bottles of the same flavor in different strengths. Try em for a few days. Mix/match to desired nic level. Figure it out, and re-order. Then get into DIY. Also, get your VG (and PG too) from the e-cig vendors when you order nic-juice and flavorings. I think 8 oz VG is about $8.50 (236 ml) where I order it and I don't have to vape USP hand cream. I get the PG there too at that price/ml. There are plenty of other sources. I go with vaping suppliers since they check it out 1st and I don't have to worry about some manufacturer making changes. Others will disagree.

In any event, since your comfort zone includes DIY... you can just mix it up with flavoring to your desired strength and PG/VG ratio. I think I end up at under $.20 per ml and average 2-3 ml per day. I vape 20-24 mg, 75 PG/25 vg. Works for me.

Good Luck.

 

[staypuffed]

i smoked a pack a day when i started vaping my first juice was 16mg it got me off smoking but i found i had my e cig glued to my face i swiched to a 24mg strength and it helped me my wife thought i was crazy and thought i was quiting smoking cause of the nicotine. silly girl . i quit cause of everything else . i will vape for ever!

 

[Thulium]

It seems like noobs almost invariably want to equate how much and what they were smoking to a nicotine strength of the liquid. I was guilty of that myself. It's not something you can actually do with any degree of accuracy. I've seen people post lots of theories, but none of it really means anything. There are just too many differences between vaping and smoking. For one, cigarette smoke delivers nicotine much differently than vapors. Then the way nicotine is measured in cigarettes does not relate at all to how it's measured in juice.

I'm afraid there's just no other way than trial and error to find the strength of liquid that suits you best. I've seen light smokers use high nic and heavy smokers use low nic (like myself). Nic preference is something that varies from person to person often regardless of smoking habits. My advice is to start strong and work your way down. When trying to substitute vaping for smoking, you don't want to battle nicotine cravings.

+1

Referring to e-liquid strengths by "milligrams" is a bit misleading. Keep in mind that 24mg/ml is only 2.4% nicotine. Don't choose a nicotine strength based on how many cigarettes you used to smoke, base it on how you want the vapor to "feel". I personally prefer about 1% nicotine for a smoother flavor and just enough nicotine to get a comfortable throat hit. If I'm in a situation where I "chain vape", I might turn down the nicotine a bit so I don't get uncomfortable, but its also nice to be able to crank the throat hit up a bit if I'm craving something strong or just can't vape as much as I'd like and need to make a craving go away.

The easiest way to do that is to buy the highest nicotine content available in the flavor you want and then get a 0-nic "flavor doubler" or just dilute it with some VG or PG until you find the strength that suits your individual taste. That way, if you feel the need to wean yourself off nicotine, you can set your own pace!

 

[CraigHB]

I personally prefer about 1% nicotine for a smoother flavor and just enough nicotine to get a comfortable throat hit.

I also like 10mg or 1%. A bit odd considering I could smoke as much as 3 PAD. Though I'm also a heavy vaper so the lower nic makes more sense in that regard. I do vape a higher strength of juice when I'm in situations where I can't vape at my usual high rate.