Astonishingly complicated!

[VanNoob]

Hello all. I've recently relapsed into smoking after having quit for a couple of years. sheesh - I know, I know. The problem is that I think nicotine is pretty terrific. I really like how it affects my energy levels and mood. While thinking about the gargantuan task of quitting smoking again, I recalled hearing about "smokeless cigarettes". A little research and, well, here I am.

The e-cig form of nicotine replacement seems so clever to me, I am dismayed to learn that it is frowned upon by the Canadian government (for no very good reason, as far as I can tell). I am also surprised to learn that it is a lot more complicated than simply buying a thingy and putting stuff in it and having a nice puff.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for all the information on this site. Very helpful. I hope to join the ranks of e-ciggers once I pay my dues and figure out how to obtain the gear.

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

Hi VanNoob and welcome to ECF. Lottsa vendors up esp out west. After 5 posts wait 1 hour and request a Cdn vendor's List in the Canada Forum:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...w-nic-supplier-list-via-pm-only-part-2-a.html

It really isn't that complicated once you get going. Choose a PV and next, the worst, find some juices you'll like.
Good Luck.

 

[PittBoss]

Welcome to ECF VanNoob! I hope your search goes well for you and you find what will keep you off of the ciggies!

 

[the_vape_nerd]

Yes, it takes some learning but it's a very small investment in your time that can save you thousands of dollars over and lifetime and save you a ton of health problems.

 

[sailorman]

It can be as complicated, or not, as you care to make it. Your situation in Canada does make it a little more complicated. Take a look at the stickys on top of this section. The simplest devices, like the ones you just "stick in your mouth", are unfortunately the worst performers. They also come with nicotine cartridges, which may be an issue in Canada.

Spend some time doing some research and asking questions. There a NO "stupid" questions. Unfortunately, you have to do some groundwork in order to separate the legitimate info from the opinions, of which there is no shortage on this site.

Here's the rule-of-thumb to keep in mind as you start:

The more it looks like a cigarette, the simpler it is and the worse it will perform.

Due to the limitations of a small battery, that is one rule that you just cannot get around. If your need for something that looks like a cigarette is overwhelming, you can join the ranks of countless other newbies and go that route. It's something of an initiation rite and only a relative few have managed to avoid it.

If you can get over that urge for a cig-looking device, your biggest complication will be finding e-juice in Canada. There are a few models of e-cigs that are pretty universally acknowledged to be ideal for beginning vapers. None are complicated. None are very expensive (approx $50USD). And, none look like a cigarette.

Search this thread for mentions of the kGo, eGo and e-Power. Take a look at them on vendors' sites. Familiarize yourself with what is an atomizer, a cartomizer and a clearomizer. Ask questions. In a few days, you'll be prepared to make a reasonably informed decision about where to start.

Making a hasty decision can send you back to analogs. But so can "paralysis by analysis". It need be only as complicated as you make it and, assuming you get a decent device from the start, your first e-cig will likely not be your last. There's plenty of time to learn the details, but you don't have to know everything before you begin.

Good luck and welcome to ECF.

 

[Kay1959]

lol! It does sound complicated when you first start out...I think because there is sooo much stuff out there...and so many different PVs (ecigs) to choose from.
Basics...there are two or three parts to it. The battery, atomizer (heater part) and cartridge (where juice goes) The atomizer and cartridge can be combined, this is called a cartomizer. I (add almost everyone else) would recommend you get a manual battery over an automatic, because automatic batteries don't last very long between charges, and you don't get as good a flavor from them. The manual batteries have a little button that you have to push, but it takes you all of 5 seconds to get used to. They are alittle bigger than the 'mini' ecgs that you see at gas stations, etc, , but you don't get mistaken for smoking a real cig nearly as often! lol! If you order a 'Starter kit' it will have everything you need to start vaping except for juice, so don't forget the juice! lol! I would suggest you order your juice in the smallest bottles to start with until you find some you like...no point wasting money. Good luck and welcome to ECF! If you have any questions feel free to ask!

 

[sailorman]

Definitely get with your fellow Canadians about suppliers, especially for juice. Don't make the mistake I've seen some other Canadians make and order juice from the U.S. with your PV. Customs will stop an entire shipment if it contains juice. Finding a good PV is the easy part. The hard part is finding the right juice to use with it. Canadian laws make it even harder, but plenty of other Canadians have pulled it off, so it can't be too tough.

 

[frosting]

I think sailorman summed up just about everything I wanted to say.

It may appear complicated but take a few day, maybe a week to read over ECF. Keep this in mind if you will, It is MUCH much easier to understand when the tools are actually in your hands.

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

Yes some pretty good juice is easily obtainable in Canada. I get mine from outside Canada and have yet to encounter a problem but as you stated it is a risk if one doesn't know the particulars in international purchasing. Once he talks to other Cdn vapers he'll discover the ins and outs BUT still never a guarantee.

Definitely get with your fellow Canadians about suppliers, especially for juice. Don't make the mistake I've seen some other Canadians make and order juice from the U.S. with your PV. Customs will stop an entire shipment if it contains juice. Finding a good PV is the easy part. The hard part is finding the right juice to use with it. Canadian laws make it even harder, but plenty of other Canadians have pulled it off, so it can't be too tough.

 

[WVvet]

I am also surprised to learn that it is a lot more complicated than simply buying a thingy and putting stuff in it and having a nice puff.
QUOTE]

At 11 mos without a ciggie here's my advice:
Buy a thingy (KGO kit)
buy another thingy (Madvapes EMDCC cartomizer is my fave)
put stuff in it (24 mg flavor of your choice)
and have a nice puff.
That's it! You are now vaping and will soon like it better than smoking.
Add changing/charging batteries once or twice a day. Yes it can get more complicated but it doesn't have to...hope you pull the plug and give it a try soon!

 

[DaveP]

Check out some of the Canada forums as soon as you get 5 posts (the magic number that lets you roam fairly free). You can get those posts here just by responding to those who replied to your posts.

Start here for Canada hardware and juice help: Canada Forum

Those guys can tell you what is available in country and where you can get it.

 

[kiter]

And instead of an e ciigger, think of yourself as a vaper, you have taken the first step, vape now vape your face off!

 

[VanNoob]

Such a cute picture! You guys look exactly what I have always expected New Orleans folks to look like.

Yes, it takes some learning but it's a very small investment in your time that can save you thousands of dollars over and lifetime and save you a ton of health problems.

 

[VanNoob]

Super helpful! Even after doing some research, I didn't realize that there were devices that didn't look like cigarettes. I was simply looking at the "Beginner Packs" on various websites. Thanks for saving me a lot of trouble!

It can be as complicated, or not, as you care to make it.

 

[VanNoob]

What do you think about flavoured juices? As a former (uhhh, current) smoker, I love the flavor of tobacco. Is that just my addiction? Do people find they eventually prefer other flavours?

Thanks for your advice!

lol! It does sound complicated when you first start out...I think because there is sooo much stuff out there...and so many different PVs (ecigs) to choose from.
Basics...there are two or three parts to it. The battery, atomizer (heater part) and cartridge (where juice goes) The atomizer and cartridge can be combined, this is called a cartomizer. I (add almost everyone else) would recommend you get a manual battery over an automatic, because automatic batteries don't last very long between charges, and you don't get as good a flavor from them. The manual batteries have a little button that you have to push, but it takes you all of 5 seconds to get used to. They are alittle bigger than the 'mini' ecgs that you see at gas stations, etc, , but you don't get mistaken for smoking a real cig nearly as often! lol! If you order a 'Starter kit' it will have everything you need to start vaping except for juice, so don't forget the juice! lol! I would suggest you order your juice in the smallest bottles to start with until you find some you like...no point wasting money. Good luck and welcome to ECF! If you have any questions feel free to ask!

 

[h4ilthethief]

Hello all. I've recently relapsed into smoking after having quit for a couple of years. sheesh - I know, I know. The problem is that I think nicotine is pretty terrific. I really like how it affects my energy levels and mood. While thinking about the gargantuan task of quitting smoking again, I recalled hearing about "smokeless cigarettes". A little research and, well, here I am.

The e-cig form of nicotine replacement seems so clever to me, I am dismayed to learn that it is frowned upon by the Canadian government (for no very good reason, as far as I can tell). I am also surprised to learn that it is a lot more complicated than simply buying a thingy and putting stuff in it and having a nice puff.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for all the information on this site. Very helpful. I hope to join the ranks of e-ciggers once I pay my dues and figure out how to obtain the gear.

Hey man,

This may be my first post on this forum, but I have done quite a bit of reading on both here and reddit before diving into it. I love picking up new hobbies especially ones with a lot of room for moding. Maybe its just me, but I think you just need to keep reading on everything whether it be here or other places. There are a lot of opinions but you need to just jump in and buy something someone has said good things about and start there.

Hope this post helps!

 

[the_vape_nerd]

Van noob thanks for the compliment on the photo, I'm the guy on the right in case anyone is wondering.

I didn't realize Canada made things so hard for vapers but I think the advice of talking it out with other Canadian vapers is right.

As for starting vaping, you've gotten some sound advice. If you get something ike a kr808 starter kit, it will be super super super simple. Screw one thing into another and then you're vaping. Vapor for life and others sell pre-filled cartomizers so really its not that hard. Eventually you'll figure out that it's way more economical to refill your own cartomizers than to keep buying new prefilled ones. I've graduated from that system and moved on to something a tiny bit more advanced but you really can't go wrong here.

Think of it as a new hobby. Once you get the fever you really will be hooked on it.

 

[sailorman]

What do you think about flavoured juices? As a former (uhhh, current) smoker, I love the flavor of tobacco. Is that just my addiction? Do people find they eventually prefer other flavours?

Thanks for your advice!

You will find that the whole concept of an e-cig that "tastes just like a cigarette" is a mirage. It's a marketing ploy. There is NO e-juice vapor that tastes like any cigarette. That is not to say they taste bad. Some may even bear some resemblence to the smell of your freshly opened favorite stinky. But you'd do yourself a favor to forget the idea of a vapor that tastes like a burning conglomeration of chemicals, tars and toxins. It ain't happening.

Most people labor under the above delusion when they start, and tobacco is a familiar taste. So, they start there for the same reason they prefer an e-cig that looks like a cigarette. However, the vast majority of them end up vaping other flavors, some based on tobacco and some not. A good number, I'd guess a majority, lose most or all of their taste for tobacco and vape other flavors nearly exclusively.

In my case, I tried a different flavor within a couple weeks of starting and never went back to tobacco again. I use it rarely, if I'm out of other juice and too lazy to make a batch myself. I'll tolerate vaping tobacco flavors for the same reason I tolerated it when I smoked. I consider it a necessary evil to ensure delivery of nicotine.

I recommend not blowing your whole juice budget on tobacco flavors. You'll never find one just like you smoked and, although some are actually quite good, it's easier to find a non-tobacco flavor you like. You already know what fruits or drinks or foods you like. So if you're getting more than a few weeks worth of juice, add at least a couple non-tobacco flavors into the mix.

 

[the_vape_nerd]

Just to second on the tobacco thing, I do still use some tobacco flavors but they taste nothing like real burning tobacco. You will find out pretty quickly that what you use to think you liked about smoking real tobacco in terms of flavor is no where near what you can find in terms of vapor. Some of the quality juice vendors out there make amazing flavors. If you can get started on this and learn a bit about it, you are going to love the flavor.

 

[WVvet]

I have tried many, many, many tobacco flavors and so far - yuck! I prefer a strong peppermint most of the time. The fruit flavors are ok too, although not much throat hit. Taste is very subjective, and most juices only give a mild hint of the flavor anyway. I'm afraid trial and error is the only way to go on that one.