Day 1

[Stifle]

Hey ECF!

I was going to post in e-cig success stories (note my confidence ) however, since you've got to pay your forum dues I guess I'll start here.

Yesterday around noon while choking down my 10th or so analog of the day I was approached by a co-worker that showed me the xHale 02 e-cig he just got from 7-11. I was so desperate for something to break this horrible cycle that I immediately went out and bought a starter pack.

Some back story, I am a 1 - 1.5 PAD Marlboro Ultra Light smoker. While I know at the core there is a nicotine addiction; I am also very much addicted to the habit of taking 5 minutes outside and feeling myself smoking something/ having my hand out the window with an analog. I am 25 y/o and have been smoking since I was 21..but I was getting increasingly worried because after a few failed attempts to stop I found myself resigning to the fact that I would always be a smoker and turning to more analogs whenever someone would make a comment about my smell/breath/need to quit.

Then, I popped open my little 19.99 E-Cig starter kit from 7-11. Now, after doing research here I am very certain I need to upgrade. But, for future reference, even for a first go on vaping the little 7-11 e-cig packs are not too bad and have actually satiated my need to smoke some...cut me down about 10 analogs compared to usual in one day. It has a nice easy draw with good resistance and it really gives you that smoking feel (the weight of it was the only thing that threw me at first)

But, today is the first real day that I am making the clear decision to transition to vaping. After finding this forum and seeing the amazing support and fount of information available I am sure I will be able to make a positive change in my own life and hopefully help others do the same.


Here's to many future interactions with you all and hopefully being able to pay forward the massive amount of information I am undoubtedly about to receive from you fine folks in coming months.


Cheers, and thank you for in advance for helping save my lungs, my health, my relationships and my life...


- J


P.S. I am purchasing the Joy-E 510 Starter Kit in the coming days... link below.. any better suggestions or is this and some E-juice a good jumping off point?

Best Selling Electronic Cigarette TIGCIG JOYE 510 Starter Kit for $32.40

Also, even if this is a good, would anyone recommend any other online suppliers for US delivery?

Thanks again!

 

[SecondChance]

Welcome to ECF! and Congrats on your commitment to switch.. This is a good starting point. Of course there are others. If size and weight are important The mini's like 510, 901, Kr808 are good choices, there is also the Ego/Riva class to consider...Larger batteries.. a bit more heft..but much longer batt. life and better performance, for about the same price..you have to decide. Not easy, I know..but opinions are like..well you know, everybody has one. Any of the kits above would be a good starter, along with some small juice samples. IMO. Good Luck

 

[Porttito]

Hi Stifle ! Welcome to ECF ! Lots of knowledgeable and helpful people on here. Check the Riva Lite kit at Liberty Flights. $29 and longer lasting batteries I believe. I"m sure others with will chime in with more info but this seems to be a very popular suggestion to noobs like us.
Hope this helps.

 

[Mudflap]

I started with the 510 and it's not a bad setup. Replacement batts, attys, cartridges & cartomizers, etc., are sold by dozens of online vendors at reasonable prices.

Battery life ain't the best, but may suit your purposes, depending on how often you use it.

I had a love/hate relationship with the cartridges. Hated them with the polyfill that comes with them. Loved them with the partial drip mod on the rare occasion that I could get it to work correctly. Hated them all the other times I couldn't get it right.

Cartomizers were better, but (for me) ran out of juice too quickly and were also a bit airy on the draw.

Dripping was best, but got tedious. It was also impractical for on-the-go use.

If I were to choose a starter kit today, knowing what I know now, I'd probably go with one of the new eGo Tank models that just recently became available in the USA.

Whichever way you go from here, you're definitely better off if you cut back or quit analogs altogether, so welcome to the party. We're glad you made it.

 

[hairball]

Porttito is correct about Liberty-flights. Good prices and shipping is only $2.99 no matter how large of an order you place.

I started with the 510 and went to the eGo. You'll find that once you find the right PV, the biggest challenge is finding a few good everyday juices that curve your cravings. I would start with 24mg if I were you. freedomsmokeusa has a huge assortment of juices, good prices (always is running a weekend sale or close to every weekend), great customer service, and fast flat $5 shipping. Go to the forum section at the top of any page, click on FORUM, then scroll down to the vendors. There are tons to choose from.

Good luck and welcome to ECF everyone!

 

[Hrtbrkr1965]

Hey congrats on your new lifestyle choice! I use the Riva for longer battery life but everyone has there own opinion on whats best! That 7-11 kit while not the best put you on the right track! After you get your permanent setup maybe you can pass that one on to a family member or friend who show's an interest and it will put them on the right track!
Keep us posted and Good Luck!

 

[oldsoldier]

Hi and welcome to the ECF! You've had some very good advice so far, so I'll just chime in and tell you that the support here is great and the folks here are always willing to answer questions and give explanations. After you get 5 posts here in the newbie area and wait an hour you'll be free to post elsewhere in the forum if you have specific questions about mods/juice or anything else. So reply to a few welcomes and intros and you'll be on your way If you are in a hurry for an answer you can also join us in live chat. The link is under the ecf header at the top of the page.

 

[Stifle]

Everyone has already showed a ton of support and it hasn't even been a couple of late night hours! I am very happy I have found this new alternative to my nasty habit and a great group of people to support me through the transition.


After some of the input you guys have given me I feel like I have a few more questions than answers...but, I know now that they are a lot of options depending on what qualities I value most in my new setup.

I will be doing a lot of research here in the coming days and keep everyone posted on my progress and my decision!

Thanks for all the help and support...what a great community! I feel better already

 

[Stifle]

Great advice on passing it down so a loved one can make the change too!

Quick E-Juice question...

I am not particularly fond of the taste of tobacco all the time...but I know at first at least I will certainly want the nicotine..

But, I was wondering if people have seen success in mixing and matching the nicotine added tobacco flavors and the other flavors.

The reason I ask is that I worry there is still a taste on my breath with the tobacco e-cigs and one of the reasons I want to make the switch is to be able to kiss my girlfriend without worrying about what my breath smells like.. (garlic and onions aside)

So..questions in order I guess..

#1. At first...do some people still get the pangs from analogs relieved by the habitual smoking action of vaping with non-nicotine & non tobacco flavored e-juices... or is the nicotine really that necessary?

#2. Do you notice the same kind of complaints about bad breath with the e-cig as you did with analogs (I'm assuming to a lesser degree, but still curious if significant others notice in intimate moments)

and finally...

#3. Is it possible to get some sort of flavored (I assume not candy type flavors due to mingling of child marketing concerns) type of e-juice that contains nicotine but is not intended to mimic tobacco flavor?


I know all of these posts have probably been answered before but at the moment my internet connection is very slow and I'm having problems searching through..

Thank you in advance, you're all great!

 

[Porttito]

Great advice on passing it down so a loved one can make the change too!

Quick E-Juice question...

I am not particularly fond of the taste of tobacco all the time...but I know at first at least I will certainly want the nicotine..

But, I was wondering if people have seen success in mixing and matching the nicotine added tobacco flavors and the other flavors.

The reason I ask is that I worry there is still a taste on my breath with the tobacco e-cigs and one of the reasons I want to make the switch is to be able to kiss my girlfriend without worrying about what my breath smells like.. (garlic and onions aside)

So..questions in order I guess..

#1. At first...do some people still get the pangs from analogs relieved by the habitual smoking action of vaping with non-nicotine & non tobacco flavored e-juices... or is the nicotine really that necessary?

#2. Do you notice the same kind of complaints about bad breath with the e-cig as you did with analogs (I'm assuming to a lesser degree, but still curious if significant others notice in intimate moments)

and finally...

#3. Is it possible to get some sort of flavored (I assume not candy type flavors due to mingling of child marketing concerns) type of e-juice that contains nicotine but is not intended to mimic tobacco flavor?


I know all of these posts have probably been answered before but at the moment my internet connection is very slow and I'm having problems searching through..

Thank you in advance, you're all great!

Hey Stifle, I will answer these as best as possible with my limited experience.
#1 Cannot really answer this because I haven't tried any w/out nic. but I personally do not think it would help with the cravings.
#2 My wife does not smoke and she is loving this whole vaping thing, no more bad breath or stinking clothes. Very happy wifey.
#3 There are tons of different flavors of juice that do not in any way mimic tobacco. Some of the more popular brands are backwoods brew,avejuice,well there are lots of suppliers. Just look in the Suppliers forum for a dizzying list. Some of the flavors will blow your mind. Baby back ribs and waffles come to mind.
Hope this helps.

 

[oldsoldier]

#1 0nic doesn't cut it for me, the goal is to eventually get there but for me it just doesn't work yet
#2 depends on the juice and the sensitivity of your wife, you may have to compromise on a flavor if she doesn't like the smell
#3 in a word: WAFFLES

seriously the flavors can be amazing, I'm finding myself getting away from tobacco flavors

 

[Mudflap]

I'm married and therefore not qualified to answer any questions on the subject of intimacy.

As far as flavors go, you won't know what you like till you try it and what you like one day you may not like the next. Especially if you give up analogs and your taste buds wake up and your sense of smell improves.

 

[PapaBloog]

Welcome to ECF!

Isn't it amazing how nearly all of us learned about the e-cig from a local over-the-counter supplier only to find that most of the product is overpriced, and average quality -- only to find ourselves doing research on the internet and finding better product for more reasonable prices?

I got my start from a local tobacco shop - awhile back, that offered a 3 piece kit - although this started me on the path of quitting analogs, it was never the 'perfect replacement'. My wife was a different story - in order for me to convince her that vaping would be overall better for her - she had to find closer ties to the real analog experience. When I first learned about KR808D-1 tech, I ordered some and it was enough to get her thinking - but, it was not until I ordered my first Bloog kit (maxxfusion) that she was absolutely convinced she would be able to stop smoking.

There are a few good products out there to choose from, and, oddly enough, the least expensive kits I have found to be better quality - so many new vendors are really trying to gouge noobs just entering the market (which is exploding). It would behoove you to try out some of the lower cost products first then, once you've covered the learning curve of maintenance, juices, battery life, carto rotation, atomizer cleaning, -- and continue to do research - you will ultimately find your 'sweet spot' and price points.

ECF is a great place to learn - and there are a lot of solid commentary and good opinion available here.

Congrats for making the switch! Now, the journey begins!

 

[StormRider]

Flavors are subject to personal taste, literally - juices will often taste vastly different to different people. In addition your sense of taste may change as it comes back, or even do funny things as you adjust to it returning. Check around the forums there is a lot of discussion on this. A tip - drink lots of water when you start vapeing PG and VG are humectants and can dry out your mouth, tounge and throat.

 

[M&M]

If I understood your questions correctly.... and at the risk of feeding a troll... here goes:

If you vape exclusively, you will not have "smoke" breath anymore because vapor does not produce the same properties as burning tobacco. Even if you vape a tobacco flavor, you will not smell like you used to. The tobacco flavors at best smell like a newly opened pack of smokes before they are lit up which is pretty innocuous from what I can tell. There may be a scent present in the vapor you exhale, but it will only represent whatever flavor you are vaping and is usually pretty faint.

Nicotine and tobacco are not mutually inclusive. Nicotine is a derivative of several naturally occuring plant-based foods. Nicotine in the juice is a separate ingredient from the flavoring and many vendors offer options in how much nicotine is provided. My hubby vapes waffle with a hint of butterscotch and his nicotine is at 24 mg, but there is no tobacco flavor in his liquid. I could order the same juice at a totally different nic level.

When ordering juices, get flavors that you think you may like at whatever nicotine level you may need. It is hard to predict but heavier smokers usually require higher nicotine levels to stave off the cravings initially. Try ordering some sampler packs with a variety of flavors and nic levels.

Good luck!

 

[Stifle]

Thanks!

I followed Hairball's advice to freedomsmokeUSA and found all of the things available!

I'm so excited I will soon be vaping in my girlfriend's car and have her compliment the smell instead of hating it!

 

[br0kn]

Porttito is correct about Liberty-flights. Good prices and shipping is only $2.99 no matter how large of an order you place.

Not to mention they give you a 20% discount as of 3 days ago by simply putting ECF into the discount field.

 

[Bill77094]

Great advice on passing it down so a loved one can make the change too!

Quick E-Juice question...

I am not particularly fond of the taste of tobacco all the time...but I know at first at least I will certainly want the nicotine..

But, I was wondering if people have seen success in mixing and matching the nicotine added tobacco flavors and the other flavors.

The reason I ask is that I worry there is still a taste on my breath with the tobacco e-cigs and one of the reasons I want to make the switch is to be able to kiss my girlfriend without worrying about what my breath smells like.. (garlic and onions aside)

So..questions in order I guess..

#1. At first...do some people still get the pangs from analogs relieved by the habitual smoking action of vaping with non-nicotine & non tobacco flavored e-juices... or is the nicotine really that necessary?

#2. Do you notice the same kind of complaints about bad breath with the e-cig as you did with analogs (I'm assuming to a lesser degree, but still curious if significant others notice in intimate moments)

and finally...

#3. Is it possible to get some sort of flavored (I assume not candy type flavors due to mingling of child marketing concerns) type of e-juice that contains nicotine but is not intended to mimic tobacco flavor?


I know all of these posts have probably been answered before but at the moment my internet connection is very slow and I'm having problems searching through..

Thank you in advance, you're all great!

The nicotine was necessary for me. Without the nicotine, it would almost be like going cold turkey. I have dropped from 36mg ml to 18mg ml, which is my current level after 1 year. I started off with a cigarette flavor (Camel) and a sample pack of other non-cigarette flavors (Caramel, Pecan, Raspberry, Root Beer, and Cola).

You'll notice your cigarette breath disappearing in a couple of days. (The smell is emanating from your lungs.) Your sense of smell will improve over a couple of weeks. I took high blood pressure medication and was able to get off of it after a month of vaping. My blood pressure is the lowest it has been in 20 years.

You have no idea how much your mouth and breath smells and tastes like a cigarette, until you are smoke free and you kiss a smoker. It's not gross (to me), just surprisingly unpleasant.

There are lots of candy/soda/fun flavored e-liquids, and I use many of them: Peanut butter & Chocolate, Cherry Cola, Red Bull, Mountain Dew, Watermelon, Caramel, Cotton Candy, and lots of others. I very rarely use tobacco flavored eliquid, just not my thing anymore. Even nicotine gum makers market non-tobacco flavors. The candy flavored e-liquid issue is brought to you by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, which is also completely against the use of e-cigarettes by children and adults alike. The other parties against candy flavored eliquids are the FDA and the pharmaceutical lobby, who really don't want you to succeed at quitting smoking without using their products, which ARE approved by the FDA. Hopefully, they will all cede or lose their fight, and not sentence hundreds of thousands (the e-cig industry states that there are over a million e-cig users) of vapers to a return to smoking, and likely a death sentence for many.

I'm glad you were able to start your journey to quitting smoking at the most unlikely of places, the local 7-11. 7-11 should be awarded a medal (and lots of business from vapers) for not caving into the powers that be, who wish to sacrifice our health for their own selfish ends, ends that have nothing to do with the health of children.
It is easy to start ranting about the people who don't care if you start smoking again.

Well, after vaping for almost a year, I have lost 30 pounds, I LOVE mountain biking 12 miles a day, I lift weights, I feel great. Hard to believe that 1 year ago, I was a cigarette smoking vegetable who couldn't climb a flight of stairs without being winded. Vaping made it possible to for me to start exercising again, which improved my health significantly.

Best of luck in your future of vaping, you will likely love it as much as I do.

 

[FatBill]

Bill, that was a great post. Congrats to you. I think its good to point out all the benefits of vaping. You certainly motivated me more. I have been analog free for a week and I feel better physically and mentally.

 

[Stifle]

Thank you for all of the responses, all the info is so helpful and really exciting me for my future pv. (I was kind of gadget-y anyways..so this is right up my alley )

For anyone interested.. I moved onto the next step of what I'm actually going to be purchasing in a different post..

Please take a look and let me know what you think

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/153178-seeking-approval-first-order.html