Another new vaper saying "hi"

[RaRvn]

Hi everyone. Another newbie here, from Charleston, SC. Longtime analog smoker (30+ years) who managed to quit analogs the day she picked up an e-cig (gas station quality, no less). Today I finally made a decision, went to the ecig Charleston retail store and picked up an eGo 1100. It is so much better than the gas station variety I can't even begin to tell you. I'm very happy - vaping away Fireball Cinnamon and I think I'm in love.

I'm happy to have found this forum and I've been reading hundreds of posts. It's been so helpful I just had to register and say "hi" and thank you! You can't imagine how helpful all your posts and reviews and tips have been for me!

 

[ogredog]

Congrats and welcome! This is such an informative fun site filled with amazing people. Vaping is the best!

 

[RickMc]

Welcome! I think there are a ton of new people like us here, and more arriving every hour, it seems. Until I landed here, I had no idea this whole "hobby" was so huge.

 

[Darkside77]

Congrats and welcome ask anything you want no matter the e-cig question someone here will have the answer.

 

[RaRvn]

Thanks for the welcome. I appreciate it. I had no idea there even was such a thing as "vaping". I'd seen people with e-cigs (analog lookalikes mostly) so I knew there was such a thing, but had no idea it was so huge.

Best thing that ever happened to me. This is the first time I've been able to put cigs down for more than a few hours. I'm amazed!

 

[Running Wolf]

Welcome aboard.

I started with a gas station one too.... except for the flavor it wasn't bad. Welcome to the world of flavors now . Great to vape a coffee flavor when it is too late for a cup of real coffee.

Also if you fall off the wagon and have a smoke every now in then focus on the good. Remember that you went X amount of days without a cig. I know the last time I had an analog I almost gagged from the taste and couldn't stand the taste it left in my mouth for what seemed like an hour afterwards.

Before you know it you'll be mixing your own juice (learning curve time) and building a Chuck .

 

[Oban]

Welcome to ECF and congratulations on quitting the stinkies! Always good to see fellow Carolinian's around, I have been in e-cig Charleston and found the owner (his name escapes me atm) to be a nice guy and quite helpful too.

 

[RaRvn]

Thanks for the welcome, Running Wolf. I hear you on the DIY - I spent hours on that forum today already. It is ridiculously inexpensive to mix your own juice. I bought a few from the store today to tide me over for a few weeks, but that is the last I intend to buy. I'm going to figure out how to make a killer Chocolate Banana first of all.

 

[RaRvn]

Hi Oban. I had a great experience at the Charleston store. I was waited on by the young lady from the how-to videos on the website and she was fabulous. I'll be giving them all my hardware business. Nice, nice people and seemingly good product.

Juice is way to expensive there though. I bought some today to tide me over, but no way am I paying those prices long-term. I'm going to hop on the DIY wagon. The Fireball Cinnamon is to die for. Tastes just like the candy. So much better than the analogs - you are very much correct that they are stinky. Man oh man, are they ever.

 

[dlsw]

Hi and welcome!!

 

[Oban]

Glad to hear you had a good experience with them RaRvn. Their juice is a bit high, but I do like their LavaFlow even though I'm not usually a menthol fan.

 

[RaRvn]

Glad to hear you had a good experience with them RaRvn. Their juice is a bit high, but I do like their LavaFlow even though I'm not usually a menthol fan.

I got the LavaFlow. It smells divine, but I haven't tried it yet. I filled a cart a while ago, but I think I'm vaped out for the moment. LOL! I think I've OD'd myself in the last 3 hours.

 

[bushmasterar15]

Welcome to the ECF.

 

[Running Wolf]

RaRvn shop around a bit and see who has the lowest prices and sales, especially when first starting out. I know I'm, not the only one who came up with wet dog flavor juice .

Nother bit of advice to start out with something low nicotine (a 36mg nic juice). The higher mg levels have a health/safety risk and not good to begin with. Sort of like not getting a super power motorcycle as your first bike.

One Stop DIY is usually my go to place for the flavors. TFA prices there are about the most reasonable I found. My Freedom Smokes has a good reputation for their nic base. I just got a jug of their stuff and haven't cut it down yet.

*lol* I started using a Dremel (flat toothpick in it) to stir the juice Also handy thing to do is mooch some empty prescription bottles off of friends. For me it's an easy way to mix and let it "air out" for a day or two before putting into dropper bottles.

Just my

 

[nansc]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

 

[RaRvn]

RaRvn shop around a bit and see who has the lowest prices and sales, especially when first starting out. I know I'm, not the only one who came up with wet dog flavor juice .

Nother bit of advice to start out with something low nicotine (a 36mg nic juice). The higher mg levels have a health/safety risk and not good to begin with. Sort of like not getting a super power motorcycle as your first bike.

One Stop DIY is usually my go to place for the flavors. TFA prices there are about the most reasonable I found. My Freedom Smokes has a good reputation for their nic base. I just got a jug of their stuff and haven't cut it down yet.

*lol* I started using a Dremel (flat toothpick in it) to stir the juice Also handy thing to do is mooch some empty prescription bottles off of friends. For me it's an easy way to mix and let it "air out" for a day or two before putting into dropper bottles.

Just my

That is very wise advice, Running Wolf. I've been visiting odd and various sites, filling up my cart, then comparing the total prices + shipping. I haven't found a clear winner yet when considering the "big three" ingredients - PG/VG, nic, and flavors. I might well end up with three different suppliers.

I hear you on the nicotine risks. I don't plan on buying anything more than 25mg/mL. The e-juice I'm currently using is only 6mg/mL and I'm nervous even about that. I don't have small children or pets, but I do have a lot of teenagers in and out of my house and some of them aren't the brightest bulbs in the box. My goal is to ween off nic entirely over the next few months, but in the meantime, I don't plan on having anything more than 6mg/mL in my house and intend to cut the 25mg/mL to 6.25mg/mL as soon as it arrives.

This is probably a bizarre question, but does anyone know where I can get some skull & crossbone stickers? The bottles of e-juice I have all came in innocent looking little bottles and I want to clearly mark them as poison. Which they are.

As a sidenote to any other newbies out there wondering which rig to buy, I am loving my eGo 1100. It's not complicated, gives awesome vapor, and the battery is still going strong after 18 hours. I didn't even charge it when I bought it. I just filled a blank cart (which was easy) popped it on, and started vaping. Easy as pie. I did top the cart off this morning, but didn't really need to.

It was $59.99 and came with (2) 1100mah batteries, (2) cones, (5) blank cartomizers, (1) usb/wall charger, and a large carrying case. I didn't have to pay shipping because they have a retail store here in Charleston so I just went down there.

Anyway, good luck everybody. I hope your experience is as positive as mine has been so far.

 

[SCTony]

Welcome to ECF RaRvn! Sounds like you are off to a great start. Be sure to drink a LOT of water- vaping is dehydrating to your body. The e-juice vapor holds onto the moisture in your breath and membranes and that is a large part of what you see in the exhale plume- your own moisture. I didn't know that when I first started and became dehydrated. I was never a 'water drinker' before but now I don't mind it at all. I try to drink 2 or 3 quarts a day. Cheers and Congrats on quitting!!

 

[RaRvn]

Welcome to ECF RaRvn! Sounds like you are off to a great start. Be sure to drink a LOT of water- vaping is dehydrating to your body. The e-juice vapor holds onto the moisture in your breath and membranes and that is a large part of what you see in the exhale plume- your own moisture. I didn't know that when I first started and became dehydrated. I was never a 'water drinker' before but now I don't mind it at all. I try to drink 2 or 3 quarts a day. Cheers and Congrats on quitting!!

I've been wondering why I'm going through so many bottles of water. I used to routinely drink 2 or 3, but now I'm downing about 6 a day. On top of coffee and Coke, which I'm also addicted to (coca-cola, not the powder kind).

Thanks for the tip, and the welcome!

 

[PoliticallyIncorrect]

This is probably a bizarre question, but does anyone know where I can get some skull & crossbone stickers? The bottles of e-juice I have all came in innocent looking little bottles and I want to clearly mark them as poison. Which they are.

They're all over, like here: Skull Roll Stickers - Oriental Trading

I'm not so sure they'd act as dim-bulb repellants, however. They might, in fact, be idiot-magnets.

In either event, you might relax a little on the nicotine thing. When separated from the 4000+ toxins in cigarette smoke, nicotine is comparable to caffeine: both are stimulants; both are addictive; both are mild vasoconstricters; neither is a carcinogen.

Both are simple pleasures that might shave a minute or two off the back end of your life. In the final analysis, they might be worth their cost.

 

[RaRvn]

They're all over, like here: Skull Roll Stickers - Oriental Trading

I'm not so sure they'd act as dim-bulb repellants, however. They might, in fact, be idiot-magnets.

In either event, you might relax a little on the nicotine thing. When separated from the 4000+ toxins in cigarette smoke, nicotine is comparable to caffeine: both are stimulants; both are addictive; both are mild vasoconstricters; neither is a carcinogen.

Both are simple pleasures that might shave a minute or two off the back end of your life. In the final analysis, they might be worth their cost.

Yes, I agree with you that inhaled nicotine isn't the demon it's made out to be; I'm just afraid some idiot teenager will drink it or put it on a waffle and eat it. You just never know around here. LOL!