Beginner's Issues part 1 of ?

[LaziDaze]

Hey, everyone.

I'm still a beginner to vaping in the sense that I still haven't settled on a system or a liquid yet, and I still smoke paper cigarettes at a rate of about a pack every 3 days. I've tried vaping as an alternative, but I've run into some problems that I think the forum might be able to help me solve.

Blah blah blah

I want a satisfying smoke that tastes like a Marlboro No. 27 in a cigalike body without clearomizers or tanks. How do I achieve this (if I can) and what do you suggest I buy? Thanks, everyone.

Sam - after reading your post, I would say that you are looking for something that is not available at this time. Maybe somewhere down the road when battery technology has greatly improved and someone comes up with a juice that truly mimics the taste of burning tobacco, maybe then you will find what you are looking for. Sorry, but right now, I think you're wasting your time if you are not willing to accept the fact that vaping is not the same as smoking. It is an alternative (just like gum or patches) that will help you kick the smoking habit.

I agree with you that it is easier just to stop in the corner store, grab a pack of Marlboros and light up - hell, I did that for over sixty years - I know how easy it is. I spent most of my life going about my daily routines with a cigarette dangling out of my mouth - and I certainly can't do that with my current vaping hardware.

I think that you are missing the point entirely - most of the former smokers in this forum (which is a large percentage) have taken the time to find the right combination of hardware and juice to make them be willing and able to kick the analog habit. They have also accepted the limitations and complications of vaping compared to smoking, because the end game is to kick themselves of their unhealthy smoking habit.

I would strongly suggest (as have other members) that you find the time to get yourself into a B&M and have the chance to try various juices in an attempt to find the right one for you. This will also give you the chance to get hands-on feeling of the various hardware that is available. My personal hardware consists of an ego 650mah battery hooked up to a T3S clearomizer. This carries in my shirt pocket just as conveniently as a pack of Marlboros and a Zippo - it probably weighs less come to think of it. I know how convenient it is because I have been carrying it now for nearly two years after carrying the Marlboro and Zippo for over sixty.

Good luck on your search - and let us know how it turns out for you.

Note: My juice of choice is a cured tobacco flavor that I did not care for on it's own but found out that I could blend it with just a bit of menthol to kick down the sweetness and make it more suitable to me. And I do NOT consider myself a DIYer when it comes to juice.

 

[sawlight]

Since you like and have 808 set ups already, are used to carrying a Zippo and want something small and discreet, how about this, ZIP EZ (NEW) if you vape as little as you say a couple of these should get you through the day?

 

[Wolffy]

One thing I have never read in any post about ecigs is the science behind the big nicotine hit you get from a tobacco cigarette. One of the (far too many) chemicals used in commercial tobacco is ammonia, yup the same stuff that is in some household cleaners that makes you gag, your eyes water and hurts your lungs if you get a good lungful. In low doses the odor and taste is masked by the tobacco smell and taste but it still 'opens up' the alveoli (those little grape like clusters that do the oxygen/CO2 exchange in your lungs) much like an athletes lungs after a hard run. With your lungs ready to operate at near maximum exchange efficiency they get hit with cigarette smoke containing nicotine and a bigger 'hit' reward of nicotine is delivered to your blood stream in short order.

Home grown tobacco that hasn't been chemically altered does not deliver the same nicotine 'hit' as commercial tobacco for that reason. You won't get the same nicotine 'rush' that you get off of a commercial cigarette from vaping for the same reason as well. From the few times I got a goodly whiff of ammonia *COUGH COUGH* I would be inclined to think it's not very good for my lungs.

Once again, 'follow the money' and think about how much the tobacco industry cares about YOUR lungs. Cigarettes that give a bigger nicotine 'hit' reward right when you light up will probably outsell cigarettes that are more low key in satisfying our nicotine addiction.

If you are buying/blending the right nicotine concentration of juice you nicotine cravings ought to be taken care of. You will not receive the same 'hit' that a commercial cigarette will deliver. Getting rid of the extra chemicals in tobacco is a huge part of the reason to vape.

DISCLAIMER: I in NO WAY AT ALL recommend that anyone even entertain the thought of adding ammonia to their juice. This may cause permanent injury or possible even prove fatal. The chemical reaction between ammonia and the other chemicals in your juice are unknown and could have life threatening results.

Good luck with getting past the tobacco 'hit' part of your addiction. I know it's going to be a huge challenge for me.

 

[SamBeastie]

One thing I have never read in any post about ecigs is the science behind the big nicotine hit you get from a tobacco cigarette. One of the (far too many) chemicals used in commercial tobacco is ammonia, yup the same stuff that is in some household cleaners that makes you gag, your eyes water and hurts your lungs if you get a good lungful. In low doses the odor and taste is masked by the tobacco smell and taste but it still 'opens up' the alveoli (those little grape like clusters that do the oxygen/CO2 exchange in your lungs) much like an athletes lungs after a hard run. With your lungs ready to operate at near maximum exchange efficiency they get hit with cigarette smoke containing nicotine and a bigger 'hit' reward of nicotine is delivered to your blood stream in short order.

Home grown tobacco that hasn't been chemically altered does not deliver the same nicotine 'hit' as commercial tobacco for that reason. You won't get the same nicotine 'rush' that you get off of a commercial cigarette from vaping for the same reason as well. From the few times I got a goodly whiff of ammonia *COUGH COUGH* I would be inclined to think it's not very good for my lungs.

Once again, 'follow the money' and think about how much the tobacco industry cares about YOUR lungs. Cigarettes that give a bigger nicotine 'hit' reward right when you light up will probably outsell cigarettes that are more low key in satisfying our nicotine addiction.

If you are buying/blending the right nicotine concentration of juice you nicotine cravings ought to be taken care of. You will not receive the same 'hit' that a commercial cigarette will deliver. Getting rid of the extra chemicals in tobacco is a huge part of the reason to vape.

DISCLAIMER: I in NO WAY AT ALL recommend that anyone even entertain the thought of adding ammonia to their juice. This may cause permanent injury or possible even prove fatal. The chemical reaction between ammonia and the other chemicals in your juice are unknown and could have life threatening results.

Good luck with getting past the tobacco 'hit' part of your addiction. I know it's going to be a huge challenge for me.

Again, I believe I've been misunderstood. I'm not looking for the head rush. There are other ways for me to get a swimmy feeling (a nice strong shot of whiskey, for example), and the ones that don't come from cigarettes last longer and feel nicer.

What I mean when I say I want a "better smoke" is the substance of it all. Smoke is particulate matter, and I'd wager that its makeup is what makes taking a puff of a cigarette feel so substantial. With every vape I've had, barring EonSmoke, interestingly, all are roughly the same sensation as just taking a large breath of air. Nice, in its own way, but not quite so relaxing, warming and filling as a puff of smoke. If what I need to get that sensation is one of these things that look like a small ICBM, then I guess that's where I need to go. It really isn't about the nicotine. As I said, I suspect that if the nicotine were what really made the hit satisfying for me, I'd have a much more difficult time taking a day off cigarettes (like I did yesterday, with no irritation or annoyance).

I've been looking at an Ego C setup, since people are really pushing me toward these large contraptions. It looks bigger than what I'd be comfortable puffing on in public, but I suppose sitting at my desk or in my car, it'd be fine. Is this a recommended direction, or should I be looking for some other specific thread setup?

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Sam,Try looking up the WTA(Whole tobacco alkaloids, here on ecf). I have gone back and re-read the entire thread and am beginning to realize that maybe you are one of the many members that needs some of those. There are a few vendors that make it and maybe this is the fullness of the hit that you are missing. If this is just repeated info that you have already read, then ignore it. Cigs consist of over 4000 chemicals, some of which(without realizing it) many smokers become addicted to in conjunction with nic. It is only when they try ecigs, that they begin to realize it is not just the nic content they crave.
If you have trouble finding any links for WTA let me know and I will find it. If you don't think this is revelant, then dis-regard. No harm, no foul.

 

[madqatter]

If it looks like a cigarette, smells like a cigarette, tastes like a cigarette, it's a cigarette, not an e-cig. The reality is that the only way to make tobacco taste or smell like burning tobacco is to burn it. That said there are tobacco base flavors that are quite nice.

I agree with everyone else on this.

GrimmGreen's got a nice vid on "The Tobacco Juice Enigma."

 

[Wow1420]

I'll suggest the itaste VV v3 iTaste VV V3.0 - Best Electronic Cigarette | E Cigarette Manufacturer| Innokin

I think you'd like the iclear 16 clearomizers that the kit includes. Being top coil and dual coil they give a nice warm vape, warmer that any of the bottom coil clearos.

 

[The Ocelot]

I haven't tried this one, but I have talked to people from Europe who gave it good reviews (it hasn't had much marketing in the US). It's cigarette sized and similar to the Joyetech eCab, but with two improvements: it has 510 threading, which allows more options of devices to put on top and it has a replaceable battery. It can use pre-filled cartridges if you like, but also small clearos. It actually comes with clearos. If I was putting together a cig-a-like system as my primary set-up, this would be #1 on my list:

TeCab E Cigarette Starter Kit in Black
plus a couple of extra 10440 batteries eCab Replacement Battery

And a couple of these: Vision Nano Clearomizer 1ML

(I've never ordered from Vapin Lizard, but they have both of the items I suggested.)

Todd is a respected reviewer and this is his in-depth video about the Tecab: Anyvape Tecab from Alba Vapours - YouTube

This short follow-up video is after he used it for a week:

 

[r77r7r]

Lol. ANYVAPE- "The Ecigarettes Touch Your Feeling". Yeah they do, lol.

 

[moshertwo]

I have been smoking for 40+ years, vaping for about 3 weeks. I fully understand what you mean. A Fin starter kit from Walmart with a USB charger is about as simple and cheap 510 rig as you will find. That covers equipment, but not flavor. Finding a liquid that is going to taste like a burning leaf is pretty unlikely, but I will keep trying. In the mean time I will vape whatever I can tolerate. My wife's asthma has gotten bad enough that smoking outside isn't really helpful anymore.

 

[madqatter]

Maybe a flavor that tastes like caramel with a little chocolate and some vanilla.

I don't know whether anyone mentioned Mister-E Liquid's "G.T.F.O." but I just started vaping some that had been steeping for a couple of weeks, and it's got all those flavors: caramel, cocoa, and vanilla. Might be worth trying. A 6ml sample bottle is only $3.75-- could be worthwhile to try a handful of flavors that sound good and have good reviews.

 

[Reverend Brimstone]

Hey, Sam...I'm the same way. I knew I wanted something like an actual cig, but recommendations tended towards anything but.

I wind up getting a Halo G6. It's a cigalike. I find the manual battery lasts longer but you can mix and match battery type and length if you order the starter kit. I've been a pack to a pack and a half a day smoker for 15 years... Smoker for 20. I'm finding the experience to be quite satisfactory with this set up.

They'll sell you the prefilled cartridges like blu. they also sell the carts empty so you can fill with their juice or someone else's. They even sell a tank that fits on it instead of carts that's supposed to give more flavor and vapor but I haven't tried that yet.

For an authentic tobacco taste... haven't found that yet.. I'm currently vaping halo's cafe mocha... But I'll let you know if I find something close to my old camels.

 

[Jazzi Mike]

GJ4 from Electronic Cigarettes Chicago | E Cigarettes | E Cigs | Smokeless Cigarettes | eCigarette Minooka, IL is a spectacular sweet tobacco flavor. They extract their own tobacco flavors in-house and you can buy sample sizes up to 36mg/ml nicotine. It won't taste like a Marlboro, but it will be the real tobacco flavor the OP is referring to. As far as devices go, cig alike devices are garbage, plain and simple. The Egos can get kinda big when you start to get into the 900mah range, but you can get mini ones that aren't very long.

The other posters, like myself, are coming to this with experience. The cig alike batteries I have used did not work well at all. Either you want to get a good vape, or you want a cig alike. Unfortunately, you can't have both yet.