I just e-mailed this to a friend interested in vaping. I figured I might as well share it here as well. I did this on here a few weeks ago, but this one is a little different. It's long and will probably fade into the abyss in the blink of an eye, but I'm posting anyway so it'll be saved in my profile for easy future access.
Hey XXXX (and Mrs. XXXX!), theres sort of a lot to know about e-cigs and it can be confusing going through it all on your own the first time. Ill try to break down the different pieces and explain some of it, then Ill share my experiences and opinions. Its really a lot easier than it all sounds, its just a lot of new terminology and nuances. Definitely check out www.e-cigarette-forum.com !! Read there before you buy anything, see what people have to say about it! Same with websites, check them out first to see if they have good customer service and fast shipping, etc. The people at that site are really helpful and really honest they will definitely steer you in the right directions and help you avoid bad buys! Its also a GREAT support system. Quitting smoking is tough (vaping made it VERY easy for me, I actually prefer this to smoking!), so its nice to have people going through the same thing to talk with, and help you with all this electronic stuff!
Also, Im not going to tell you to buy this or that, just sort of explain it all. Its all really personal preference, so Ill try to arm you with a little knowledge so you can make some more informed decisions. In the end though, Ill be happy to recommend places to purchase from, but itll be easier if I know what style systems you want.
An e-cigarette is primarily composed of 2 pieces the battery and the heating element. For reference, if you ever saw an e-cig that looks like a cigarette, the long part with a light on the end is the battery, and the heating element is the filter, also known as a cartomizer.
Batteries come in various power ratings and sizes. Some are small (like a cigarette), and others are very big (thicker than a AA battery and as long as a straw). Some people like small batteries because it feels similar to a cigarette, but they require more maintenance you have to constantly charge them or have plenty of spares to keep switching them out, as they typically only last a couple hours. Some of the bigger batteries out there can last 6-12 hours or so, and the battery I have in my device lasts over 3 days. Theres no right or wrong battery for you, its really all personal preference. Also, some batteries are manual and some are automatic. On a manual, you have to push a button while you inhale, whereas there is no button on an automatic, you just breathe from it and it starts up. Again, this is personal, but I prefer a manual button. I thought it would be weird, but it feels natural and I dont even think about it. Automatic batteries sometimes go off on their own (changes in pressure, loud noise, etc), so thats why I went with a manual to start with. Youll also see that some e-cigs just have a cartomizer that screws directly onto the battery, and some are devices that you place a battery inside.
The heating element is what turns the nicotine liquid (e-liquid, nicquid, juice) into a vapor. These are the most important part of the whole system, and probably the most confusing. Ill try to break it down:
Atomizer a bare coil with a tiny amount of wick, usually used in a dripping fashion. Typically, you drip a few drops of liquid into it, take a few puffs, drip some more repeat. They are known to have the best flavor, but they can be a hassle especially on the go.
Cartomizer an atomizer stuffed with cotton. Instead of dripping a few drops, these can hold about 30 drops of liquid and the cotton filler will keep the coil wet. These are more convenient to use than atomizers, but they tend to mute the flavor. Also, if you ever burn the cotton on the inside, you will never get rid of the awful taste.
Clearomizer a small tank you can pour liquid into. It has wicks inside that draw the liquid into the heating element. These hold the most liquid and have ok flavor, but they sometimes leak.
Those are the 3 basics, and they can get more complicated. For example, some people place glass tanks over their cartomizers so they can self feed their juice and go all day without topping off. A regular cartomizer or a clearomizer seems to be the easiest to use when first starting out (sort of depends on your battery/device). Youll see they come in different resistance ratings (Ohms), the lower the number, the warmer the vapor will be and youll get a cooler vapor from the higher numbers. Id suggest starting somewhere in the middle (2.0-2.5) so you can get a feel for what you might prefer.
Juice the fun part!! Juice comes in literally just about any flavor you can think of. Fruits, desserts, drinks, food, tobaccos, etc., and some even let you create your own! This is obviously very subjective, so I wont go into my favorite flavors, but Ill explain what youll see when ordering. First, youll choose your nicotine strength. 24mg is known to be strong, 18mg is regular, and 12mg is light. Youll also have an option (at most websites) for your PG/VG ratio. PG is propylene glycol and provides more throat hit and carries flavor better. VG is vegetable glycerin and produces more vapor. Its all a trade off here, you kind of have to choose between flavor, throat hit, and vapor, because as 1 rises, the others become lower. However, you can always ask for extra flavor! I recommend starting with 50/50, and if you want more throat hit, raise the PG if you want less, raise the VG.
(I know I said I wont tell you what to buy, but for juice, www.mtbakervapor.com is AWESOME!! Ive tried a LOT of juice from a LOT of different companies nobody beats their prices or their fast shipping, and they were all really delicious!)
And now for my story: I started with a Smokeless Image Volt X2 manual battery with clearomizers. I liked it for a while, but then I got a bad batch of clearomizers (tasted funky and didnt work properly), so I started looking at other options. It was the taste I wasnt liking, so I figured Id try atomizers but wasnt to keen on dripping all the time. Thats when I found bottom feeder devices. Instead of dripping liquid into the atomizer, theres a bottle of liquid built into my device that I can squeeze and send juice up into the atomizer, and all the excess juice gets sucked back down into the bottle when I release it. All the benefits of an atomizer without the drawbacks! I got a Vapage Vmod XL, which I LOVED until it broke. I think there was a short in the electrical connection, because the plastic on the inside of the device melted. I just replaced it with a REO Grand, which is basically the same thing, just milled out of a solid block of aluminum nothing in there to break or melt! Now, Im getting into rebuildable atomizers I just ordered my first one, so I dont have experience with them yet but instead of paying $5-10 for new atomizers, I can rebuild the insides in a few minutes for about 10 cents worth of cotton and kanthol (wire).
To start out, I would recommend an Ego style battery. They are slim and pocket/purse friendly, and will last about a solid day without recharging (the more mAh the battery is rated, the longer it will last between charges). When youre trying to quit cigarettes, theres nothing more prohibitive than having a dead battery! The ego is essentially the same as the Smokeless Image Volt X2 I had, but the threading on the Ego is a more standard size (510 threading on the Ego, X2 is 808). More companies make stuff in 510 than 808, so that just means that youll have more of a selection in cartomizers/clearomizers, and itll be easier to find deals and sales. Also, most cartomizers sold around town (Walmart, Walgreens, Smoker Friendly, etc.) are 510, so you could always use them in an emergency (theyre usually junk, but damned great if in a pinch)! They also have ego twists (sometimes called spinners) now which seem pretty nice, they let you adjust the voltage of the battery to better match your preferences. If I had no experience with e-cigs, and knowing what I know now, I would start off with something like that. These will get you in the game relatively cheaply and will perform pretty well. Id adivse AGAINST the small cigarette style batteries because they dont have enough oomph to curb cigarette cravings, and the constant recharging will become a hassle. However, everybody is different and that may be exactly what you want! Nothing wrong at all with that! Basically, the rule is, the best is whatever works for you!
Theres a ton of devices out there, some with huge juice capacities, really big batteries, variable voltage, variable wattage, puff counters, digital displays, etc. etc. etc. Youll probably find yourself gravitating towards these soon after you get started. Due to the cost and learning curve, I cant in good faith recommend these right out of the gate. Try it out with something cheap to see if you like it, learn what you like and dont like, go through the trial and error process and make your mistakes and realizations, then move onto something else, if you so desire. That way, youll even have a backup for when something goes wrong!
Once you get started, my best advice is to stay stocked up! Have plenty cartomizers or whatever youll use on hand and stock up on juice! If your goal is to get rid of cigarettes, you dont want to be left without supplies! Its not good to wait until last minute, because then you gotta wait a few days for shipping! If you ever need juice or a carto or anything, and if I have anything that will work, Id be more than happy to help you out!!
Sorry for all the reading I just made you do, lol, but please ask any questions if you have them! I kind of became the go-to guy around my circle of friends with this stuff, I LOVE helping people on this life-saving journey!
Heres a link to a discussion I had with XXXX. Theres a lot of similar stuff there that I said here, but theres some other good info there as well. http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/365070-my-conversation-friend.html
And for ....s and giggles, heres my reaction to my first few hours vaping: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/351942-im-convert-initial-reaction.html
Hey XXXX (and Mrs. XXXX!), theres sort of a lot to know about e-cigs and it can be confusing going through it all on your own the first time. Ill try to break down the different pieces and explain some of it, then Ill share my experiences and opinions. Its really a lot easier than it all sounds, its just a lot of new terminology and nuances. Definitely check out www.e-cigarette-forum.com !! Read there before you buy anything, see what people have to say about it! Same with websites, check them out first to see if they have good customer service and fast shipping, etc. The people at that site are really helpful and really honest they will definitely steer you in the right directions and help you avoid bad buys! Its also a GREAT support system. Quitting smoking is tough (vaping made it VERY easy for me, I actually prefer this to smoking!), so its nice to have people going through the same thing to talk with, and help you with all this electronic stuff!
Also, Im not going to tell you to buy this or that, just sort of explain it all. Its all really personal preference, so Ill try to arm you with a little knowledge so you can make some more informed decisions. In the end though, Ill be happy to recommend places to purchase from, but itll be easier if I know what style systems you want.
An e-cigarette is primarily composed of 2 pieces the battery and the heating element. For reference, if you ever saw an e-cig that looks like a cigarette, the long part with a light on the end is the battery, and the heating element is the filter, also known as a cartomizer.
Batteries come in various power ratings and sizes. Some are small (like a cigarette), and others are very big (thicker than a AA battery and as long as a straw). Some people like small batteries because it feels similar to a cigarette, but they require more maintenance you have to constantly charge them or have plenty of spares to keep switching them out, as they typically only last a couple hours. Some of the bigger batteries out there can last 6-12 hours or so, and the battery I have in my device lasts over 3 days. Theres no right or wrong battery for you, its really all personal preference. Also, some batteries are manual and some are automatic. On a manual, you have to push a button while you inhale, whereas there is no button on an automatic, you just breathe from it and it starts up. Again, this is personal, but I prefer a manual button. I thought it would be weird, but it feels natural and I dont even think about it. Automatic batteries sometimes go off on their own (changes in pressure, loud noise, etc), so thats why I went with a manual to start with. Youll also see that some e-cigs just have a cartomizer that screws directly onto the battery, and some are devices that you place a battery inside.
The heating element is what turns the nicotine liquid (e-liquid, nicquid, juice) into a vapor. These are the most important part of the whole system, and probably the most confusing. Ill try to break it down:
Atomizer a bare coil with a tiny amount of wick, usually used in a dripping fashion. Typically, you drip a few drops of liquid into it, take a few puffs, drip some more repeat. They are known to have the best flavor, but they can be a hassle especially on the go.
Cartomizer an atomizer stuffed with cotton. Instead of dripping a few drops, these can hold about 30 drops of liquid and the cotton filler will keep the coil wet. These are more convenient to use than atomizers, but they tend to mute the flavor. Also, if you ever burn the cotton on the inside, you will never get rid of the awful taste.
Clearomizer a small tank you can pour liquid into. It has wicks inside that draw the liquid into the heating element. These hold the most liquid and have ok flavor, but they sometimes leak.
Those are the 3 basics, and they can get more complicated. For example, some people place glass tanks over their cartomizers so they can self feed their juice and go all day without topping off. A regular cartomizer or a clearomizer seems to be the easiest to use when first starting out (sort of depends on your battery/device). Youll see they come in different resistance ratings (Ohms), the lower the number, the warmer the vapor will be and youll get a cooler vapor from the higher numbers. Id suggest starting somewhere in the middle (2.0-2.5) so you can get a feel for what you might prefer.
Juice the fun part!! Juice comes in literally just about any flavor you can think of. Fruits, desserts, drinks, food, tobaccos, etc., and some even let you create your own! This is obviously very subjective, so I wont go into my favorite flavors, but Ill explain what youll see when ordering. First, youll choose your nicotine strength. 24mg is known to be strong, 18mg is regular, and 12mg is light. Youll also have an option (at most websites) for your PG/VG ratio. PG is propylene glycol and provides more throat hit and carries flavor better. VG is vegetable glycerin and produces more vapor. Its all a trade off here, you kind of have to choose between flavor, throat hit, and vapor, because as 1 rises, the others become lower. However, you can always ask for extra flavor! I recommend starting with 50/50, and if you want more throat hit, raise the PG if you want less, raise the VG.
(I know I said I wont tell you what to buy, but for juice, www.mtbakervapor.com is AWESOME!! Ive tried a LOT of juice from a LOT of different companies nobody beats their prices or their fast shipping, and they were all really delicious!)
And now for my story: I started with a Smokeless Image Volt X2 manual battery with clearomizers. I liked it for a while, but then I got a bad batch of clearomizers (tasted funky and didnt work properly), so I started looking at other options. It was the taste I wasnt liking, so I figured Id try atomizers but wasnt to keen on dripping all the time. Thats when I found bottom feeder devices. Instead of dripping liquid into the atomizer, theres a bottle of liquid built into my device that I can squeeze and send juice up into the atomizer, and all the excess juice gets sucked back down into the bottle when I release it. All the benefits of an atomizer without the drawbacks! I got a Vapage Vmod XL, which I LOVED until it broke. I think there was a short in the electrical connection, because the plastic on the inside of the device melted. I just replaced it with a REO Grand, which is basically the same thing, just milled out of a solid block of aluminum nothing in there to break or melt! Now, Im getting into rebuildable atomizers I just ordered my first one, so I dont have experience with them yet but instead of paying $5-10 for new atomizers, I can rebuild the insides in a few minutes for about 10 cents worth of cotton and kanthol (wire).
To start out, I would recommend an Ego style battery. They are slim and pocket/purse friendly, and will last about a solid day without recharging (the more mAh the battery is rated, the longer it will last between charges). When youre trying to quit cigarettes, theres nothing more prohibitive than having a dead battery! The ego is essentially the same as the Smokeless Image Volt X2 I had, but the threading on the Ego is a more standard size (510 threading on the Ego, X2 is 808). More companies make stuff in 510 than 808, so that just means that youll have more of a selection in cartomizers/clearomizers, and itll be easier to find deals and sales. Also, most cartomizers sold around town (Walmart, Walgreens, Smoker Friendly, etc.) are 510, so you could always use them in an emergency (theyre usually junk, but damned great if in a pinch)! They also have ego twists (sometimes called spinners) now which seem pretty nice, they let you adjust the voltage of the battery to better match your preferences. If I had no experience with e-cigs, and knowing what I know now, I would start off with something like that. These will get you in the game relatively cheaply and will perform pretty well. Id adivse AGAINST the small cigarette style batteries because they dont have enough oomph to curb cigarette cravings, and the constant recharging will become a hassle. However, everybody is different and that may be exactly what you want! Nothing wrong at all with that! Basically, the rule is, the best is whatever works for you!
Theres a ton of devices out there, some with huge juice capacities, really big batteries, variable voltage, variable wattage, puff counters, digital displays, etc. etc. etc. Youll probably find yourself gravitating towards these soon after you get started. Due to the cost and learning curve, I cant in good faith recommend these right out of the gate. Try it out with something cheap to see if you like it, learn what you like and dont like, go through the trial and error process and make your mistakes and realizations, then move onto something else, if you so desire. That way, youll even have a backup for when something goes wrong!
Once you get started, my best advice is to stay stocked up! Have plenty cartomizers or whatever youll use on hand and stock up on juice! If your goal is to get rid of cigarettes, you dont want to be left without supplies! Its not good to wait until last minute, because then you gotta wait a few days for shipping! If you ever need juice or a carto or anything, and if I have anything that will work, Id be more than happy to help you out!!
Sorry for all the reading I just made you do, lol, but please ask any questions if you have them! I kind of became the go-to guy around my circle of friends with this stuff, I LOVE helping people on this life-saving journey!
Heres a link to a discussion I had with XXXX. Theres a lot of similar stuff there that I said here, but theres some other good info there as well. http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/365070-my-conversation-friend.html
And for ....s and giggles, heres my reaction to my first few hours vaping: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/351942-im-convert-initial-reaction.html
