Getting back into the game

[SouthBay]

I'm not new to vaping but getting back in to it. I'd given up vaping around early 2015, then around 2020 when lockdown hit been back on cigarettes. Went to my local vape store a week ago and bought an 'experienced starter kit'. Argus GT II mod and SMOK TFV18 with 0.15 coils.

Has much really changed or advanced over last 7 years? I was into unregulated mech mods, subohm, and making own coils. Used MNKE batteries back then which don't seem to be around now? Also fiding a lot of even the big vape stores don't stock 100% VG juice and this adding nicotine shots to juice is new to me.

Here's my restarter kit:

 

[Territoo]

A lot has changed, mostly due to regulations and bans. The short of it, although vape shops still sell stuff, the FDA has technically banned the sell of all but a few cigalikes, and could pull the rug out on the vape shops. The US online stores are all but gone and the ones still left are under the next big whammy, the shipping ban. USPS, UPS, and FedEx won't ship vape products, many states can't have vape products shipped to them at all, and when vape products can be shipped, there's an adult signature required. Most of the good stuff has to come from China. As far as equipment, pods, mod pods, and disposables are what's popular, but the hard core users stick with mods that external batteries (18650, 2x700), tanks (either drop in coils or RTAS), or RBA'S. Check out the shiny thread for discussion on the latest equipment.

https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/threads/shinyitis-support-group.841061/page-6611#post-23537513

 

[SouthBay]

I'm UK but it sounds like hell over in the US for vapers now. From what I've witnessed so far in the UK, the stores have a good stock of equipment, particularly the ones that aren't a chain or franchise. Though I used to buy most of my stuff online. Subohm stuff over the counter I don't remember even being a thing several years ago. I need to do some reading into the latest stuff, pods and RBA's are either something new or that I don't recall. I remember mods, RDA's, dripping, wrapping my own kanthal coils and checking with an ohm meter. It looks like there's many more varities of wire and other stuff now. Even batteries, it was just 18650 and 26650 fat mods. I'm happy that I've been able to hit the ground running with prebuilt subohm equipment for good old cloud chasing.

 

[smacuser]

In this case, the UK knows better as far as harm reduction. But, yeah, cloud bros have ruined it over here.

 

[GeorgeS]

England? Not sure what might be available over there.

My last 'just for kicks/fun' purchase was a pod-mod. Small, light, fairly inexpensive, ok battery life and juice capacity - however it overheats whatever juice is in it.

A follow up a few months later was to a few local vape retailers. Might any of them have extra pods/coils for it? Nope.

What they DID have is a wide selection of OTHER internal battery pod mods of various sizes, shapes and costs. All of which (much like the one in hand) will not be on the shelf 6mo-1yr later when it comes to getting replacements.

Missing from ALL the store shelves were anything rebuildable atomizers or replaceable batteries.

I won't even get into the comical questions the staff were asking me...


g.

 

[tj99959]

It's kinda funny, but the more things change .. the more they stay the same.
So I still use the old stuff, and it vapes as well as it ever did. So it's probably as good as anything out there.

just a little food for thought