First day vaping observations... and some questions...

[Rated-R-Ron]

Hello everybody,

So I quit analogs cold turkey exactly a week ago, and that very same day I discovered this amazing forum by accident.
Wasn't a super heavy smoker, about 5-10 Parliament lights or Camel Crushes a day.
I did some reading/research for a couple of days, and decided to go for it and try vaping.
Based on all the recommendations, I decided to go for "JoyE 510" and placed an order with litecigusa for the starter kit.
Received the package today, and wow was I surprised.
I'll admit I was a bit skeptic at first, and first few puffs were less than impressive, but once I got the hang of it and as I'm breaking this baby in, I'm really digging it!

Some observations:
The most fun part was, that after the first few hits I got quite light headed, dizzy and you can actually say, I got "high" for a good 20-30 minutes.
I was actually talking business to somebody on the phone, and had to tell them I'll call back later cause I started giggling and feeling kinda stupid
I do feel a bit of the "dry throat" thing I read about here, but I keep drinking water,club soda etc, so hopefully that will take care of it.
Another thing is, I can't put the damn thing down, it may have something to do with "getting a new toy" and all that, but it's also something I believe one has to get used to, as it's quite different than analogs, which are measured for us by the unit, and with this, you have to educate yourself when enough is enough and when to stop milking it.
So, yes, I'm definitely enjoying this new adventure.

Now some questions:
So with the 510 I received 5 Marlboro flavored cartridges and I'm sure they will run out before I know it, so I'm trying to figure out what to order next as soon as possible.
I understand nobody orders pre-filled cartridges, and most people go for the juice instead.
Now my question is: when I order juice, do I put in the carts I received with my kit, or do I need to buy new empty carts?
Also, as far as me "can't put it down", do I need to order juice with higher nicotine value so that I won't want more all the time? (I was told by the vendor that the Marlboro ones I received with the kit are 16mg nic)
What site is considered the best as far as juice selection, prices and service go?
Basically, what do you guys think I need to get next??
I'm here to take any advice from all you vaping experts, no just about juice, but basically whatever you think I need to get to make a smooth transition into this new thing.

Thanks!

 

[stummies]

I can't really comment on a lot of that since I'm pretty new using these too, but I've been using pre-filled so far and they haven't been bad. If you don't feel like the nicotine is cutting it you can up it some, though even when I am satisfied nicotine wise I find myself wanting to keep going. It's just relaxing and fun, it doesn't taste like crap, it doesn't make you feel guilty, from what I've read a lot of people use it pretty often, if only at first.

I hit my kr8 pretty often, waiting for a 510 to come (tomorrow for sure) to try out liquids, I guess it's up to you if you want to fill your own or not. I want to at least try filling them myself and dripping before I settle on a certain kind. I can say that when I jumped from 18mg to 32mg I felt pretty elevated for a few hours, still do quite a bit when I can sit down and vape for a few minutes.

Enough is when you're done I would say.

 

[Jmitchelliv]

Welcome, Ron!

I'm assuming you're running an atty setup, right? For your first few weeks I might suggest buying a couple 5-packs of blank cartomizers. At that point you can fill them with whatever you want which is a good thing. The juice I've had in pre-filled cartos is pretty crappy stuff, and there is so much out there for you to try.

Based off of what I've read here even grizzled vaping vets are still in search of the perfect vape. So if I were you, I'd order a bunch of blank cartos, a bunch of juice samples (5-10ml bottles) and vape your face off. Sooner rather than later you'll find yourself discovering what you like and what you don't like. And since you're only getting sample bottles, you're not out much cash or stuck with a giant bottle of juice that you don't like.

As far as nic level... hell... you've got me on that one. I started at 16, and I'll probably stay at 16 for a while... at least I decide to start mixing my own. Again, the trick is to switch it up in the early days... flavors... nic levels... makes... eventually you'll find what works and what doesn't work for you. And don't worry about the marathon vaping right away... I hear we've ALL done that.

Just enjoy your new hobby.

 

[adeline]

Hey there! You can refill carts .. just remove the white filling inside, rinse it in warm water, and let it dry, or dry it by pressing it in a paper towel until there is no more water or juice. But I do recommend cartomizers too. They are pretty cool -- they hold a lot more juice, and you can find em for less than $2 each ($7-8 for a pack of 5). They replace your atty and cart with one piece.

As far as juice goes, I recommend trying out different flavors and different levels of nicotine. Freedomsmokeusa.com has 3ml sample bottles for 2.25, and Gourmetvapor.com has a great sale!! Use coupon code gv40 at checkout for 40% off your order. You can get 5ml bottles for $2.97. Maybe get a couple with higher nicotine, a couple with the nicotine level you are using, and some with less. You will find your sweet spot!

Good luck! Welcome and happy vaping!

 

[roxics]

Depends how you want to vape. Do you want to vape like you smoked "little sessions" or do you want to vape all day long with it in your hand taking a hit whenever you like? Up to you. I said this in another thread recently but I don't vape like I smoked. It's in my hand all day long.

Since you already quit cold turkey and got a buzz off your first e-cig, I think you're good at your current 16mg. You may even want to take it down to a 12mg or 8mg if you plan to have it in your hand all day. But that's up to you. The less nicotine the less throat hit. That should be noted. But some people prefer more vapor and less throat hit.

You may also want to try VG based liquids or liquids that are PG/VG blend. VG won't dry you out as bad and produces more vapor, but less flavor and throat hit. Many people prefer a blend.

 

[beentheredonethat]

Welcome to ECF. My reaction to vaping was a lot like yours, couldn't get the grin off my face or pv away from me at first. It was so cool to have a way to not smoke and cool new toys to boot. You'll also find that a lot of folks, me included, vap'd like mad at first. I wouldn't give it a second thought if you do, my first week I posted a question about vaping more than I smoked and got a lot of replies that generally mention that this was common and would that most likely I would slow down later, that's what happened to me.

I started with a "standard" 510 kit from cignot and 10-15 mg/ml juice, my next step was larger batteries (eGo), drip tips and a usb passthrough. As others suggested, I'd try some sample flavors, they are pretty cheap and I like using them to add a touch of flavor to the ECOPure "Rich" tobacco juice I buy in larger bottles. I still get some tobacco flavor but like the variety of different secondary flavors. Topping off carts works for me most of the day and at home I am using a drip tip.

Good luck and happy vaping

 

[WomanOfHeart]

I can completely understand the "can't put it down" thing. I just blogged about my eGo being a pacifier over the last few days, but I go through cycles that are directly related to stress. Usually moving to a higher nic level is recommended when you're still having cravings for an analog. I think most newbies go through a "can't put it down" stage, but that's because it's so new and there are so many flavors to choose from. I know I went through it when I first started. Once you get used to it you'll probably put it down for a while. If you want to try a higher nic level go for it. You can always adjust it to a lower level if it's too much.

I buy juice from VaporBomb and Gourmet Vapor. Both of them are wonderful and have great service!

 

[Krisb]

What I did, and it worked very well for me, was buy some juice (based on what you said, I wouldn't go higher than the stuff you have) with nic in it at the level your comfortable with...and buy some with zero to very low. When I needed the analog fix I used my reg. nic level, and when I was just vaping because, well, because it's fun, I used the zero to low so I wouldn't get that nic 'high'. It's very easy to overdo it at first because you do not vape like you smoked!

My fav juice supplier are Vaporbomb and freedomsmokesusa!

 

[Cajun83]

What I did, and it worked very well for me, was buy some juice (based on what you said, I wouldn't go higher than the stuff you have) with nic in it at the level your comfortable with...and buy some with zero to very low. When I needed the analog fix I used my reg. nic level, and when I was just vaping because, well, because it's fun, I used the zero to low so I wouldn't get that nic 'high'. It's very easy to overdo it at first because you do not vape like you smoked!

My fav juice supplier are Vaporbomb and freedomsmokesusa!

Thinking I am going to take this advice. Get some juice for when I am wanting a analog... and zero juice for those times that I'm just sitting here blowing clouds for the heck of it.

 

[Rated-R-Ron]

Thanks for all the comments everybody.
I already emptied 3 of the 5 carts I got with the kit, so I placed an order for some more e-juice.
I went for what you guys said, ordered several different flavors with different nic levels to see what works best.
This is really great stuff!

 

[tigerlily]

I really got a kick out of reading your post because I had the exact same experience! I was concerned about whether my lightheadedness was due to having too little nicotine or too much. In hindsight, I think it was too much.....because I vaped nonstop. The advice you've been given here is good. I've settled in to using 18mg juices during the work day when I can't vape much, and 12 mg in the evenings.

 

[DC2]

You might want to try higher strength AND lower strength.

If you find the higher strength helps you put it down, then great.
But if you find you don't WANT to put it down, then maybe you should try the lower strength.

As for where to buy juice, well, I generally stay away from recommendations...
But now that Mr. E-Liquid is selling samples sizes of Tasty Vapor juice, that will be my only recommendation.
I have tried all of the most popular juice brands, and none of them come close to being as good as Tasty Vapor in my opinion.

I'm also going to strongly recommend a drip tip, and that you try your hand at dripping.
I only smoked around 3-10 cigarettes per day, on average, and dripping is really the way to go for me.
I hated cartomizers, and got tired of messing around with refilling cartridges and trying to get them to work good consistently.

 

[inkjet21]

Well I'm over 2 months in with mine and i still cant put the damn thing down. you should get a pass thru for when you are at home or work on the pc that way the batt. Never goes dead on you. as far as juice goes yes get a bunch of sample sizes.i got all tobacco flavors at first, now i have candy , drinks, and desserts and like alot of them. i just got 10 addys so i dont have to clean the flavors out to often and just vape what ever flavor I'm in the mood for. but you do need to find your all day vape first mine is ry4 right now last month it was salem. i have been hitting the thin mint cookies alot this week

 

[Krisb]

Good point, ink! You will want to designate an atty for tobacco like flavors and one for fruity and such! And watch out if you try a cinnamon-it will never leave your atty (I tried every way to 'clean' it out with no success!) And, yes...I would try a drip tip. Once I tried one, I never went back to topping off cartomizers or carts again. I just ordered my first real mod (other than the homemade box mods I have), a GG...and my next purchase will be the AVS -a tank that holds juice and auto feeds it to the atty and holds enough for more than a day...ah! heaven!