Anyone else preparing for the end??

[zoiDman]

EXC: $15 for 115ml = $.13/ml

Nude: $75 for 500ml = $.15/ml

If you take the Price of the Nude Nic-Base and Normalize it for 115ml you get $.15 x 115 = $17.25

So for 115ml, the Difference in the Two Brands is $2.25

This makes them About the Same Price when you Consider that Nude Nic-Base comes in a Glass Container. Assuming that the ECX does Not and you are going to have to buy a 125ml Glass Bottle/Poly-Cap.

 

[C4M3120N]

DonnaLee,

These are some really great questions! E-cigarette batteries such as evods or anything else that has a non-replaceable battery probably won't last more than a year under normal use. I have had a few that didn't even last three months. Having E-cigarette batteries with a replaceable battery solution is absolutely a very smart investment as other members have stated, aside from normal inflation rates, finding or buying actual batteries is never going to be an issue. I can definitely understand your reservations and hesitations on moving up to a mechanical mod style battery, a lot of people seem to really love the Nemesis Mod, I myself have a put away a Turtle Ship V2 clone and two Novice clones for myself, they work very well. Some people also like the Kamry K100 or K101 mechanical mods. A mechanical mod will last you a very very long time and would be very wise investment at this point in time, with all the uncertainty looming in the air. As far as safety concerns, which are valid by the way, there are steps you can take to make sure you have the safest experience possible. Putting one of the Smoktech Vape Safe Fuse - EVcigarettes.com in your mod helps to protect you from potential danger. As far as your charging concerns, something like this should provide your mind with a little piece of mind: LiPo Safety Charging Bag - ecigExpress Some batteries are also safer than others, such as AW IMR batteries and these are considered not only the best batteries to use in our field but they also have an excellent track record for safety. Another thing I think all of us FDA doomsday preppers should have is one or two of these: eGo Variable Voltage USB Passthrough - EVcigarettes.com. If you are unsure about mechanical mods, try and find a local vape shop that will let you try and experience one. Also the Kamry starter kits are fairly cheap to try out and if you don't like it, just sell it on eBay, lol.

 

[oplholik]

I would at Least throw a Case or Two of Bottled Water in the Garage. Maybe a Few Slim Jims and a Roll of Paper Towels also.



BTW - Been Hot in So-Cal Lately. Hasn't it.

Too darned hot out here in San Burdu

 

[zoiDman]

Too darned hot out here in San Burdu

I hear you.

I'm in Orange County. And it has been Brutal for the Last Week or so.

 

[AndriaD]

Are you Factoring in the Price of the Glass Bottles and Poly-Caps.

$15 for 115ml => $130.44/Liter

Not sure what mg Level that ECX Nicotine Base is? But $130/L seems High even for 100mg.

Well I wasn't gonna buy a whole durn liter! And I've already got bottles. $14.99 for 115ml is just slightly better than WizLabs, and I can get it 50/50.

I don't have a freezer just for nicotine; I have one fridge with a freezer in which I keep all my frozen stuff, a pay period at a time. Just poor people here, paycheck to paycheck.

Andria

 

[AndriaD]

Whether you're a doomsday prepper or not, everyone should have at least a month of food & water per person just in case of a natural disaster or something. If not water itself, then water filters. The Life Straw is a good thing to have in an emergency also.
But I think the OP was referring to the possible FDA actions looming. Of course, the government can't do anything if the people don't go along with it. They like to pretend that they have the power - that's what Marie Antoinette thought...

I've been thinking for a while now that we need to do to the gov't what was done to Marie... OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!!

Andria

 

[AndriaD]

There's an old rule of thumb: You can survive:

• Three minutes without air
• Three days without water
• Three weeks without food

As a true nic fiend, I would add:

• Three hours without nicotine

... and I prioritize my "preparations" accordingly.

Not sure I could survive 3 hrs without nicotine. After about an hour without it, I'd be so miserable and obnoxious my husband would probably just put me -- and himself -- out of my misery.

Andria

 

[AndriaD]

Hmm, well I can certainly agree that there is a huge price difference between $14.99 and $75, lol but I cannot agree with your assessment that these two products are not in the same ballpark and I have to call foul ball. Your comparing the price of 115ml to the price of 500ml (the price of 115 ballpark hotdogs to 500 ballpark hotdogs). Granted when you actually do the math per ml, the Nude Nicotine is a tad bit more expensive. Spending $75 on EXC will actually give you an extra 75ml compared to spending $75 on Nude. That is not really out of the ballpark at all, especially when you take into consideration what zoiDman was trying to point out. The Nude Extended Life Nicotine comes in a far superior container not to mention it is also topped of with Argon gas. The Argon gas in case you are curious is heavier than oxygen so when you top off the bottle with Argon gas you remove the ability of oxygen to degrade the nicotine you are setting aside for long term storage. In all actuality, the Nude Extended Life is an amazing deal that is practically equally comparable in price per ml that you are paying for EXC. You certainly can't go wrong buying either or, as both are top tier nicotine's but for the long term storage/stockpile inclined. Nude Extended Life should be the only option to consider.

The argon is a bit immaterial to me, as I don't store it in bottles that large; I store it in 30ml brown glass bottles, which are then put into a box in my freezer. I do this because when/if I open one of those bottles, I don't want to have to use a whole ton of it all at once -- I'm not [yet] a DIY'er, I'm mainly concerned that if I can't get my Virginia from MyFreedomSmokes with nic in it, I can maybe get it as 0mg and add my own nicotine. Since I only vape about 7mg-10mg, maybe 3-5ml per day, obviously I don't need a lot at any one time. I *am* starting to try and learn the DIY thing, but with very little success so far, so I never make more than 10ml at a time, so I don't end up wasting so much nicotine or flavors. Turns out that making good ejuice is a hell of a lot harder than being a good cook -- I *know* where to get good food, so far I don't seem to have a clue where to get flavors that actually taste the way they're supposed to, and I can't afford to try every flavor from every manufacturer to see which ones are good and which are crap -- I know already that FA's Virginia flavor is crap, it tastes like rotten celery. Jury's still out on Hangsen's Pineapple; at first it tasted somewhat like dill pickles, but it's been steeping about 3 wks so I need to test it and see if it's worth keeping or pouring down the drain.

But that's why I store it in 30ml bottles.

Andria

 

[oplholik]

I hear you.

I'm in Orange County. And it has been Brutal for the Last Week or so.

Ahh, Orange Co., lived over there most of my life, moved out here about 14 yrs. ago.

 

[DonnaLee]

Thanks for all the input and ideas! Maybe I will buy something that takes a battery for longer storage "just in case' as the batteries and charger will still be available. If I still had the need for nicotine and all my batteries died, I could probably get over my fear quickly! I try to keep 2 spares each of the types we are using now, unopened but ready so I'm not in a panic waiting for the mail because one failed.

I don't know of any good stores near us (tobacco outlets with the overpriced kits ) to actually see any of these. The photo of the zMax mini helps give me an idea of the size. The Vape Safe fuse is an interesting addon. Would something like that still be used in one like itaste mini 134 or Smoktech SID? I'm going to have to look up all the models mentioned and then will probably have more questions before making a purchase that would be a mistake.

We have solar panels for keeping our camper batteries charged and a small generator to run it's furnace or AC if needed. It was a good investment, twice we've camped in our backyard due to power failures from ice storms ,it was too cold to stay in the house! The panels have really come down in price since we bought ours.

It's a good feeling being prepared as long as it's not taking away from enjoying life in the present! All our vaping supplies are still under the cost that "went up in smoke" with two us quitting!

 

[Moodyfisherman]

I have 2 year old nic base stored frozen in 16oz glass and vacuum sealed. IMO it's as good as the day it was packed.

Thanks montara.....I also vacuum seal nic then freeze..I thought maybe I was the only one out there and was over thinking the process. I only use 1/2 pint Mason jars for vacuum packing my stash of nic though...

 

[C4M3120N]

Turns out that making good ejuice is a hell of a lot harder than being a good cook – Andria

LOL, you ain't lying sister! I myself am fairly new to DIY as well and it really is all about trial and error. Fortunately for us there are a lot of really good recopies floating around here on ECF as well as all over the web. One of the best tools that I have found is eJuice Me Up - Best eJuice Calculator, this software is amazing and makes making your own juices A LOT easier, plus -File -Open, in the program brings up a lot of recopies. There is recopies for Virginia flavoring in there, it says to use 5% of Virginia flavoring along with 10% of cotton candy. I personally haven't tried it so I can't say if it is good or not. Also, the FA-Virginia isn't really a bad flavor, it is all in how you use it. Some of the flavors are really strong and using more than 5-10% of any one flavor can really ruin the flavor completely. Flavors absolutely taste very different at different percentages. I use FA-Virginia at 4-5% mixed with 5-7% of Vanilla Cream from Myfreedomsmokes.com and I LOVE IT! It is very rare that just any one flavor will taste amazing all on its own and I seriously doubt that even MFS even uses just one flavor in their Virginia E-Liquid. The real trick to DIY seems to be mixing good flavors together at trial and error ratios to make great flavors. I absolutely don't recommend using more than 15-20% total flavoring to any nicotine base or using more than 5-10% of any one flavor in your flavor mixes. 15% is usually the highest I ever go myself on my mixes but then still it even depends on the flavorings I am using. Some of my juices only have around 7% total flavorings. Also I don't recommend trying out the juices the same day you make them, shake them vigorously and sporadically over a couple days before trying them. Good luck with your DIY adventure, ECF is a great resource to help you along. As far as your other comments I don't think putting a couple 30ml bottles of nicotine in your freezer really qualifies you to be posting in this particular thread entitled “ Anyone else preparing for the end??” lol, just messing with you, lol!

 

[Rickajho]

Are you Factoring in the Price of the Glass Bottles and Poly-Caps.

$15 for 115ml => $130.44/Liter

Not sure what mg Level that ECX Nicotine Base is? But $130/L seems High even for 100mg.

Andria was looking at 100 mg nic. and no - the ECX stuff doesn't come in glass. But neither does Wizard Labs over concerns of potential breakage during shipping. Even triple bagged, it doesn't make a lot of sense to be shipping something that toxic in glass. We don't call 'em USooPS and UooPS for nuttin'.

I got four dozen glass Boston rounds with poly cap inserts on Amazon for about $50.00 total - free shipping not being fulfilled by Amazon even. Three dozen 30 ml's and a dozen 60 ml's. At just a pinch over a buck a bottle that was one of the better prices I have seen for those quantities when you factor in the insane shipping costs some places tack on.

If this all becomes a matter of nothing I can always decoupage the bottles and sell on Etsy for five times over what I paid so...

 

[C4M3120N]

I don't know of any good stores near us (tobacco outlets with the overpriced kits ) to actually see any of these. The photo of the zMax mini helps give me an idea of the size. The Vape Safe fuse is an interesting addon. Would something like that still be used in one like itaste mini 134 or Smoktech SID? I'm going to have to look up all the models mentioned and then will probably have more questions before making a purchase that would be a mistake.

Here you go! Arkansas E-Cigarette Vendors. Retail & Online Shops. One of these places can't be to far from you! Usually to be a successful B&M (Brick and Mortar) Vapor Shop, customer service is a must. If you go into one of these places, I would be very surprised if they didn't let you hold and perhaps even try devices you are interested in. You certainly don't have to buy from them if they are overpriced, just see what you like and go home and order it off the web. Now in your post, you are specifically talking about APV's, devices with electronic circuitry in them and screens. All of the things I recommended to you were Mechanical Mods, devices with absolutely no circuitry in them. The mini zMax's, the iTaste 134's and the SID's are all great APV's but none of them will ever last as long as a well built mechanical mod. A mechanical mod in theory could last you for the rest of your life. I would be very surprised to see any APV last beyond five years, if even that. I myself use an eVic and I love it and while I do have spare parts for it boxed up, basically a whole second eVic, with a few extra key components, it won't last forever. That is why I boxed up a few mechanical mods as well to have on hand for when our government decides to take away yet another freedom from us. My favorite mechanical mod is the Novice clone I have, it uses the 14500-14650 batteries. Keep buying and using what you like but I would highly recommended getting and setting aside at least one mechanical mod. Just my two cents, lol. Oh and you don't need the Vape Fuse for APV's as they have built in protection.

 

[C4M3120N]

I got four dozen glass Boston rounds with poly cap inserts on Amazon for about $50.00 total - free shipping not being fulfilled by Amazon even. Three dozen 30 ml's and a dozen 60 ml's. At just a pinch over a buck a bottle that was one of the better prices I have seen for those quantities when you factor in the insane shipping costs some places tack on.

Specialty Bottle - Glass Bottles, Glass & Plastic Jars, Tins, Vials

 

[C4M3120N]

Hey DonnaLee,

Here is a photo of my Novice clone mechanical mod topped of with my Kanger Aerotank V2, personally for me, its simplistic beauty simply blows my mind. I picked up both of these items off of eBay for under $40 total out of pocket cost to me. I don't use RBA's or RDA's, I rebuild my Kanger coils. The Novice does come with a little mini RDA though, I did try it, it certainly works but I am an avid Kanger Aerotank user, in fact they are all I use anymore. I have two of the Mini Aerotank's, two of the standard Aerotank V2's and one Kanger Aerotank Mega for my eVic. These Aerotank's are solid tanks if none of you have ever tried them, they are certainly built to last. They are made entirely out of food grade stainless steel, aside from the glass tube of course but even it that breaks the Aerotank's come with a replaceable metal tube to use instead of the glass tube.

If you don't like shopping on eBay, ECX sells the Novice clone at a great price! Novice Kit Clone by HCIGAR - ecigExpress If you don't mind waiting weeks or longer, Fasttech has them for $17.13 with free shipping! $17.13 Authentic KSD Novice Hybrid Mechanical Mod - stainless steel at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

I love my Novice clone!

 

[DancingHeretik]

I really like my Novice clone from FT. For size comparison, here's a pic of an M11 (from FT also) on a U-stand with a slim carto-tank, a 650mah eGo with 510 atty and drip-tip, an Itaste VV V3, and a Novice clone.


Both M11 and the Novice clone are 14500 mech mods. They're very small and discrete.

They do also make VV mods in 14500 size. In this picture, the 2 mods in front are Rider Robust 14500 VV mods. They make them in both round and squared off versions. Although they're becoming hard to find since the Itaste VV V3 came out and stole all their thunder.

 

[TamiP]

I really like my Novice clone from FT. For size comparison, here's a pic of an M11 (from FT also) on a U-stand with a slim carto-tank, a 650mah eGo with 510 atty and drip-tip, an Itaste VV V3, and a Novice clone.


Both M11 and the Novice clone are 14500 mech mods. They're very small and discrete.

They do also make VV mods in 14500 size. In this picture, the 2 mods in front are Rider Robust 14500 VV mods. They make them in both round and squared off versions. Although they're becoming hard to find since the Itaste VV V3 came out and stole all their thunder.

Really beautiful

 

[wv2win]

the end? never going to happen... if they did ban "flavored" (fruits, candy, ect) e-liquid. people would just buy flavoring off the shelf and make it themselves. heavy regulation of nicotine is only going to start another black market commodity and they know it. the fallout and public perception would be bad if people started getting sick from contaminates from black market sourced e-liquid.
i feel like the FDA had a better chance a few years ago of regulating this market when they called vape gear "medical devices". but luckily for us a federal judge ruled that e-cigs are alternative to smoking tobacco and they are not considered medical devices. this latest effort seems desperate.

Wow, it's obvious someone has not read, nor do they understand what the Deeming Regulations state. Nor do they understand who the FDA's only real constituency is. This picture seems appropriate:

 

[AndriaD]

LOL, you ain't lying sister! I myself am fairly new to DIY as well and it really is all about trial and error. Fortunately for us there are a lot of really good recopies floating around here on ECF as well as all over the web. One of the best tools that I have found is eJuice Me Up - Best eJuice Calculator, this software is amazing and makes making your own juices A LOT easier, plus -File -Open, in the program brings up a lot of recopies. There is recopies for Virginia flavoring in there, it says to use 5% of Virginia flavoring along with 10% of cotton candy. I personally haven't tried it so I can't say if it is good or not. Also, the FA-Virginia isn't really a bad flavor, it is all in how you use it. Some of the flavors are really strong and using more than 5-10% of any one flavor can really ruin the flavor completely. Flavors absolutely taste very different at different percentages. I use FA-Virginia at 4-5% mixed with 5-7% of Vanilla Cream from Myfreedomsmokes.com and I LOVE IT! It is very rare that just any one flavor will taste amazing all on its own and I seriously doubt that even MFS even uses just one flavor in their Virginia E-Liquid. The real trick to DIY seems to be mixing good flavors together at trial and error ratios to make great flavors. I absolutely don't recommend using more than 15-20% total flavoring to any nicotine base or using more than 5-10% of any one flavor in your flavor mixes. 15% is usually the highest I ever go myself on my mixes but then still it even depends on the flavorings I am using. Some of my juices only have around 7% total flavorings. Also I don't recommend trying out the juices the same day you make them, shake them vigorously and sporadically over a couple days before trying them. Good luck with your DIY adventure, ECF is a great resource to help you along. As far as your other comments I don't think putting a couple 30ml bottles of nicotine in your freezer really qualifies you to be posting in this particular thread entitled “ Anyone else preparing for the end??” lol, just messing with you, lol!

Well it's 3 bottles in the freezer now, and one in the fridge, to which I'll be adding (to the freezer) on a regular basis -- as I said, I can't invest in a large way at any one time, but I can accrue probably a pretty significant quantity over the next [however long it is] till the FDA and lawmakers decide to put a hefty tax on nicotine to make up the cigarette-sales shortfall -- and I definitely see that coming, no mistake about it. And I'll probably end up subject to it as most of the rest of us will be, but having a bit of nicotine put back will hopefully ease the transition from "wild west" to "completely regulated." As I said, right now I'm most concerned about being able to maintain a flavor I depend on, with a nic level I depend on; it does seem to me that the heaviest taxes/fees will fall on flavored ejuices with nicotine in them, so it's possible that even in a regulated future, I could get my "Virginia" from MFS in a 0mg form at a reasonable price, and add my own nicotine. I also consider that as months/years go by, I may well reduce my nicotine requirements, so whatever accrued stock I end up with may last a pretty good while.

I'm certain that MFS's Virginia has more than just Virginia flavoring; I catch traces of apple, and cinnamon, and perhaps other traces. In fact I emphasize those traces, by adding 1/16th total volume Oak Barrel Cider, and 1/32nd total volume, cinnamon redhot. I'm planning to get some other Virginia flavorings from ecigexpress, so I can try out other Virginia variants until I maybe find one I like, to which I can add traces of this and that to get an ejuice I really like.

And actually, I read a post here a few months ago in which someone opined (complained!) that MFS's flavors were just rebranded DeKang flavors, so I probably ought to get some DeKang Virginia and see if that might be true. Also, when MFS temporarily ran out of their PG-blend Virginia back in March, I got some Hangsen's Virginia (e-juice) and tried it, and it wasn't too bad, especially after a good steep, so the Hangsen's Virginia *flavoring* might also suit me.

Basically, what I've learned about this DIY thing is that impatience doesn't help at all; it's going to be a matter of trying out a lot of different flavors and ways of mixing them, to find somethng I really like, and that will depend on both the money to afford the flavors, the time and patience and creativity to mix them, and then time to let them steep. In the meantime, I'll continue accruing small amounts of nicotine to freeze for later use, whether there ends up being a Vapocalypse or not.

Andria