Add Another Happy New User to the List

[Hangar]

I received my very first e-cig in the mail just the other day. As of this writing I've been using it now for just 24 hours in total so I thought it might be helpful to someone who's hasnt yet ordered or received theirs, if I posted what my initial thoughts are about using this device, how it compares to real cigarettes, etc.

First, let me preface my remarks by stating that they are coming from a 1-1.5 pack/a/day smoker for 31 years (Newports)...and also you must understand that this is my subjective opinion only...your mileage may vary, naturally.

Ok, my very first impression upon taking my first few drags and inhaling was that YES, it DOES feel alot like real smoking...mostly because when you inhale you can feel it in your throat much the same way you feel it with a real cigarette. This effect varies according to the equipment used and how much vapor you are able to drag out of the puff. It takes a bit of technique to get consistant results but its not exactly rocket science and should not turn you off if you are serious about getting off of analogs (real cigarettes).

Next, although I was very excited to find that it FELT just like real smoking, after a few hours i began to realize 3 things that stick out in my mind. One is that it does NOT give me the same "calming or sedative" effect that a real cigareette offers...it feels very nice when you are vaping but after you stop you might feel the need to do it again much sooner than you would need to smoke again if it were a real cigarette. After smoking a real cigarette i feel pretty relaxed for at least 20-30 minutes after finishing a smoke...but after vaping, as soon as im done im already watching the clock wondering how long i should wait to do it again...an e-cig doesnt keep you entrenched in burning smoke all around the room the way a real cig does so once you are done vaping and put it aside theres no lingering vapor to breathe in, this is nice in some ways but it can leave a heavy smoker with somewhat of a feeling of finality, heh...its over till next time you pick it up...and you will want to pick it up again much sooner than if you were really smoking because the post-smoking effects just dont last very long. So in other words, for ME, its not quite as satisfying as a real smoke.

Although it DOES seem to do a good enough job at keeping me away from real cigarettes most of the time, it DOES require SOME willpower to not smoke the real ones at all. In my first 14 concious hours after the e-cig arrived I only smoked 3 real cigarettes (where without the e-cig i would have smokd about 15)...not bad for my first day trying this out, right? Today so far in the last 5 hours i have only smoked 1 real cigarette and I have about 55 inhales on the e-cig. Again...this is not completely without effort...I WANT to be able to get away from real smokes due to health concerns after smoking for so many years now...but i LOVE smoking and dont really want to stop. You DO need SOME willpower but its not much because the e-cigs really do help a great deal.

Well thats about it for now...i need to vape because im craving a cigarette, lol

 

[Catanonia]

Keep going mate. I have had mine for about 5 days, and only touched real cigs when my e cig died (atomiser failed).

Now I have spares etc and not touching the real uns after 20+ years of smoking.

 

[alex1407]

What model did you get?Also haw strong is the cartridges?

 

[Hangar]

What model did you get?Also haw strong is the cartridges?

Hi Alex...I purchased a 401/402 model (only difference between them it that the 401's battery is 1/4 inch longer...the 402 is slightly shorter than a real 100 cig and the 401 is slightly longer)

Hard to answer your question about cart strength because its really a matter of taste and its so subjective of an opinion...all i can say is that ive tried both the cartridge that it came with AND some e-liquid i purchased (both menthol/mint) and they both seem fairly similar to me..not exact, but similar in taste...and as far as strength goes if you get a good enough drag (slow and deep) you will get almost the same exact feeling in your throat when you smoke a real cigarette...sometimes it can feel a little weaker than a real cig, yet other times it can actually feel stronger than my Newports, hehe...i have to say that im not able to be very consistent yet as far as drags...im working on it though.

 

[JustJulie]

Hangar--Your experience mirrors that of many, many people when they first start vaping. Yup, you tend to vape A LOT more than you smoked. And with a cigarette, there's a natural stopping point (unless, of course, you're a chain smoker). With the e-cig, though, you're kind of guessing--because you don't get down to the end of the cig, you just kind of feel like you're not quite done yet.

Remember--the first several days the only thing you have to compare vaping with is cigarette smoking. After awhile, though, you stop comparing it to tobacco and you start appreciating it as something different, something even better in its own way.

While you're making the transition, you might try vaping a low or medium nicotine concentration and then spiking the cartridge with a drop or two of high when you start feeling the urge. That way you can vape more or less continuously without too many ill effects.

And most of us do calm down on the vaping after awhile. Then again, some of us don't.

 

[ozrick]

These are all very good comments and congratulations on your new e-cig! I find myself mindlessly vaping, not even realizing I do it. I'm not sure if I vape less than I smoked as I typically take a few drags and put it down for a few minutes then pick it up and repeat.

Quitting analogs:

What worked well for me is that I timed me running out of analogs with the delivery of the e-cig so I had NOTHING to smoke in the house. The e-cig took some time to get used to, initially I was vaping constantly trying to find my stride. I then realized that the medium nicotine carts weren't cutting it and started using the high nic ones which helped. I was 1.5 ish pack a day smoker myself for 20+ years but was smoking lights. I figured I'd be more of a medium nic liquid person but apparently not. Upping the NIC content in your carts/liquid may be more satisfying.

As you said, it's all personal choice and it's different for everyone. Thanks for posting!

 

[alex1407]

Hi Alex...I purchased a 401/402 model (only difference between them it that the 401's battery is 1/4 inch longer...the 402 is slightly shorter than a real 100 cig and the 401 is slightly longer)

Hard to answer your question about cart strength because its really a matter of taste and its so subjective of an opinion...all i can say is that ive tried both the cartridge that it came with AND some e-liquid i purchased (both menthol/mint) and they both seem fairly similar to me..not exact, but similar in taste...and as far as strength goes if you get a good enough drag (slow and deep) you will get almost the same exact feeling in your throat when you smoke a real cigarette...sometimes it can feel a little weaker than a real cig, yet other times it can actually feel stronger than my Newports, hehe...i have to say that im not able to be very consistent yet as far as drags...im working on it though.

Good luck Hangar!!I've set my mind on 901 (just trying to figure out from witch site to get it from).

 

[Huxley]

I'd agree with what you say, but you learn as you go along. I'd probably not get too hung up about getting off the analogs completely. That'll probably happen naturally over a short time if you like vaping. There are a couple of things that can obviously affect your level of satisfaction. One is obviously finding a juice that suits your needs both in terms of strength and taste. The other is the type of e-cig itself. Different e-cigs, to my mind, give very different vaping experiences, for example when relaxing or needing that smash you in the face hit.

 

[Hangar]

thanks everybody...and although i DO have major concerns over the lack of long term testing and regulation for the liquid, Im certainly feeling positive for the first time in my adult life about being able to get away from tobacco cigarettes. I just hope this turns out to TRULY be a healthier (albeit itll never be healthy) alternative to smoking.

The last thing I want to do is get into the habbit of Vaping MORE than i smoked in the first place...for my personal goals that would only be counter-productive...so im trying my best to limit myself to 10 minutes of total vaping time per hour...or about 10-15 drags per hour in total...which is about the same way i smoked real cigarettes...afterall I dont want to NEED to be vaping ALL the time whereever i go as if becoming a chain-vaporer, lol (not funny really)

..be careful folks...try to use it intelligently at all times, remembering that it IS a drug linked to heart disease and taking in more of it is probably not a wise choice (as im sure most of us here already fully understand this).