Already Decided on a Starter Kit - Need Help on other options

[arvindunit]

Hello Everyone,

I already decided on a Starter Kit, The SLB KGO:

KGO kit 1100mAh by SLB
SLB KGO Starter Kit

Those seem to be the 2 best places to get this particular type of E-Cig.

I have been a smoker for the past 20 years, i mainly smoke Marlboro Lights. I've cut down over the past few months to about 2-3 a day, sometimes i smoke more when i am stressed at work. At this point i don't see my self quitting cold turkey, my addiction to nicotine is quite bad.

Anyway, i'm very confused on what a Cartomizer actually does. Many of you keep speaking of the "Boge" cartomizer as a good recommendation. Also, what is a "Drip Tip"? And what is the part that give me the nicotine?

As far as flavors are concerned, what do i buy to get a good tobacco flavor? I want this to feel/taste as close to a cigarette as possible. I am not a fan of those banana or fruity flavors, just plain tobacco.

Thanks guys!

 

[sailorman]

A cartomizer is a one piece unit that combines the functions of an atomizer and a "cartridge"

In the old days, we used an atomizer, that held the heating coil, and a cartridge to hold the juice and feed it to the atomizer. It was a two-piece affair that attached to the battery. Today, the standard cartridges are kind of obsolete, although they've tried to modify them and call them "tanks" in some models of eGos.

A cartomizer combines the functions of both an atomizer and a cartridge in a disposable unit. Boges are very good, reliable "cartos". Boge, like some other cartomizers, has filler material in it. There are also "clearomizers" that are cartomizers with no filling. They cost substantially more and work best with thinner juices, but you might want to investigate those too. Some are made especially for the eGo/kGo type e-cigs. The Stardust is a popular model.

Many kGo kits come with a choice of an atomzer and cartridge, or cartomizers. Choose the cartomizer option. Sweet-Vapes has about the best price on these at $42 shipped. It includes your choice of 5 cartomizers. Out of your links, Dark City looks like the best deal because it includes cartomizers instead of those useless pre-filled cartridges. Boge 2ohm or 2.5 ohm cartomizers is a good choice. You should also get some extra cartomizers or clearomizers, maybe in a different resistance, like 3ohms. Cartomizers usually only last a couple weeks. You can clean them, but it's really not worth the trouble for most people.

A "drip tip" is a tip that fits into the end of a cartomizer or atomizer. It is called a drip tip because it is designed so that you can drip juice straight into an atomizer, a drop at a time, without taking off the drip tip.

You should get an atomizer or two, and a drip tip. That way, you can test flavors before you fill up a cartomizer with something you might not like. Cartomizers have to be filled and they hold a lot. It's hard to "flush" them out, so you don't want a cartomizer to be filled with a flavor you don't know if you like. If you use an atomizer for drippng, get a "bridgeless" one. Sweet-Vapes has them on their site.

I can't recommend tobacco flavors, as I don't vape them. Bobo's Bounty from Alien Vapors is a very popular flavor, but there are really few juices that taste just like a cigarette. Backwoods Brew makes a lot of tobacco flavors. You might take a look at what they have. They get lots of love around here.

 

[mas924]

First off, congratulations on taking a few steps back from the cigarettes, its a huge accomplishment to cut back to 2-3 cigs a day. Hopefully after you step into the vaping world you will be able to get that number down to 0!

As for cartomizers and drip tips, sailorman hit it on the head.

Now for the tobacco flavors, there is a HUGE variety out there. But don't panic this is the perfect place to get all the help and advice you need. I started on fruity flavors and quickly moved on to tobacco flavors exclusively.
If your looking for something that tastes exactly like a real cigarette you might have some issues, but there are quite a few 'very close' flavors. First place to check out would be the European tobacco mix vt3 from vaporheads.net. Another good tobacco juice is bobas bounty from avejuice.com, its a bit sweet but its very very good. They also have a flue cured and 555 mix that are good tobacco juices. Thevaporroom.net also has quite a few tobacco flavors that are really good, I would definitely check them out.

You have to remember that taste is very subjective so what I like may not be what you like, so the best advice I could give is to just keep trying different vendors and flavors until you find that one suites you.

Again congrats on the switch and good luck!

 

[anonymousdrifter]

A very good website to check for your needs would be DiscountVapers - Your source for savings on electronic cigarettes and accessories, Go-go eGo, vGo
I have been vaping for about 4 years I quit cold turkey in one day after almost 38 years of smoking Marlboro reds and camel filters I am disabled so I have plenty of time to look for the best deals.lol
Eric at discount vapers is honest and has great prices. I suggest you cruise his various styles of ego and go-go and juices including an organic tobacco flavor. before investing in a starter kit .

 

[elfstone]

Welcome arvindunit, and congratulation on you choice of the kGO! It's a solid vape, and I wish I had skipped the slim/analog look-alike.

My only piece of advice would be to keep an open mind as to what flavors you sample. Sure, as a hardcore smoker you'd expect to love tobacco flavors, and there's no reason you'd suspect you'll ever tolerate inane fruity or bakery weirdness. Turns out a lot of us think so in the beginning, but it's not always true. I would order at least a couple of non-tobacco flavors. And even if you don't smoke menthol analogs, I would definitely get at least one menthol flavor.

For the first - no juice reproduces the "burning stuff" taste of the smoke. A lot smell and taste exactly how unburned tobacco does. Some replicate partially the flavor of pipe / large cigar taste. However, a lot of vapers end up realizing they don't really like the burned leafs/paper/acetone/ammonia/glue/formaldehyde "fragrance" after all! S

Second, you might enjoy vaped menthol even if you didn't smoke menthols, but more importantly, a lot of people seem to go through a "dead taste buds" period when pretty much menthols and cinnamons are the only tastes you feel in a vape. it's pretty scary and frustrating - without this forum I probably would have given up vaping very quickly and most likely ended up in a doctor's office complaining of taste loss

 

[Maestro]

Unless you've been partial to tobacco flavored gum, ice cream and drinks, I don't see any reason to focus on tobacco flavored juices. Very few people started smoking because it tastes so good, so why would you deny yourself all the great flavors out there?

 

[sailorman]

You've picked an excellent starter PV kit. Stick to your guns on that.

But definitely don't dismiss the non-tobacco flavors. I smoked the same brand cig for 32 years and smoked ultra premium tobacco that I stuffed into tubes myself for three years after that. It didn't take me but 3 or 4 weeks to lose my taste for tobacco entirely. A lot of people don't make such a complete switch as I did, but the majority of us have come to realize that we didn't smoke because we loved the taste of tobacco. There are not a million flavors out there in the market just to satisfy people who never liked the taste of tobacco.

 

[MickeyRat]

I agree with what others have said. One thing I'll suggest that others haven't is to have a way to adjust the nic level. I probably had the worst time I've heard of finding one that worked for me. There are a couple ways to do that. One is to get the juice in a variety of nic levels. The other is to get the juice in high nic and lower nic in the same flavor. There are probably others but, I know that Tasty Vapor sells both the juice with nic and the same flavor without nic (doublers). In a pinch you can get VG (vegetable glycerin) at Wal-Mart and dilute but, you'll wash out the flavor pretty fast.

I didn't see anyone recommending blank cartomizers but, a 5 pack would be a good idea.

Figure on using around 3ml of juice a day and be sure to buy enough.

 

[Denise D]

Welcome to ECF! The Ego 1100 mAh is a very good choice to start with.

Your kit will probably come with an atomizer and once you see it and use it you will understand a whole lot better what all this stuff is.

I also recommend a drip tip and they are inexpensive. I remove mine to drip in to the atomizer. Dripping is putting a few drops directly on the atomizer and inhaling (with a drip tip so you don't burn your lips off).

I ditto what everyone else said about tobacco. Some do love it. I bought some and never opened the bottle. I never drink Coffee, but that is my favorite vape flavor. Also Wintergreen. Consider stuff you like the smell of. I don't like fruity or sugar-y flavors either. So I would recommend small bottles or samples of a variety of flavors. But there is probably a thread here somewhere just on Tobacco flavors.

You will also have to work out what nicotine strength is best for you - that is the mg or sometimes just high, medium, low. Too strong nicotine you will feel shaky and sick. Too weak and you will crave a smoke. You can buy a high nicotine (24 mg) and a bottle of VG or PG to cut it with, or keep it simple and buy a few flavors at different strengths.

I think the right nicotine strength is more important than flavor, personally. (I say this as I vape a new gosh-awful flavor, blue violet blagh).

 

[sailorman]

....
I didn't see anyone recommending blank cartomizers but, a 5 pack would be a good idea.

Figure on using around 3ml of juice a day and be sure to buy enough.

Awww...Mickey, you didn't see that in my wall of text? I'm so hurt.

Actually, he needs to get the DarkCity kit that includes cartomizers, not attys and cartridges. And at least 10 cartos to start would be a good idea. You can never have too many cartos, especially when you're flavor hunting.

 

[bruiser]

As far as cartomizers, go straight for the big boys, the eGo Mega Dual Coil Cartomizers, aka EMDCC.

 

[MickeyRat]

As far as cartomizers, go straight for the big boys, the eGo Mega Dual Coil Cartomizers, aka EMDCC.

Oh gawd!!! Now yer gonna get the CE/Fluxo/Mega/Clearo/heaven knows what crowd into this. Let the guy get his feet on the ground first.

 

[arvindunit]

Thank you all for your help! I went ahead and order the starter kit with a 5-pack of the Boge Cartomizers and 2 sample packs of juice. Wish me luck!

 

[Puffythegun]

Unless you've been partial to tobacco flavored gum, ice cream and drinks, I don't see any reason to focus on tobacco flavored juices. Very few people started smoking because it tastes so good, so why would you deny yourself all the great flavors out there?

I agree 100%. I have no desire to taste tobacco again EVAR!