Hello Everyone, Day 3 Vaping, Experience Report

[Chris Brown]

Hi all,

I've been lurking here for a little over a week. Amazing resource and also you all seem very nice

I just started vaping a few days ago and I'm totally impressed! I was a pack and a half per day smoker for the last 14 years but now I haven't had tobacco since the light went green on my charger two days ago (Thursday Nov 19) at 2pm. This is the longest I have gone without smoking tobacco since I was in high school!

I am very impressed at how much this feels like smoking an analog. It sort of just a cigarette with better flavors than I'm used to. I don't plan on ever going back to tobacco. My wife went from smoking to vaping too and so far everything is great for both of us. vaping has satisfied all of my nicotine needs so far. No cigarette withdrawal symptoms at all. Wow.

Here's what my vaping experience has been like so far...

My wife came across igetcha69s vids and showed them to me. I had never seen vaping before. I was immediately interested and also I immediately realized that vaping could really replace analogs if I wanted it to. I'm not one of the people that wants to quit the habit so being able to keep the habit but not the tobacco was instantly appealing.

Before I purchased anything I read here as much as I could and I also watched a lot of youtube vids.

We ordered 510 nobox kits from cignot, extra batteries, extra atomizers, blank carts, a pcc, a 15ml English toffee, a couple of 20ml juices and some 5ml juices. Cignot is inexpensive, fast and they really have that small shop / personal touch vibe. Awesome.

First day...

We opened the package and put two of our batteries on to charge. Within 30 minutes they were ready to go. I stuck one of the prefilled Marlboro carts in to an atomizer aligned with the white ring (opposite of the bridge) like I read here (this alignment seems to be right but I never could find a clear description of which way to line up the carts) and screwed the battery on. I was worried about primer taste or atty break in...

As soon as I took my first hit from the 510 I knew that it was going to be easier to leave analogs behind than I had expected. I didn't have a problem with primer taste (maybe I got lucky) or any unexpected weirdness.

For the rest of day 1 I pretty much just chain vaped and walked around amazed that I didn't want tobacco. Night 1 was awesome too. I tried a few of the different juices... I didn't like strawberry but ry4, marb, and english toffee are very enjoyable. The menthol is nice and minty. Overall I likened the experience to pipe smoking because of the preparation rituals and flavor selection but it really feels like a cigarette.

Day 2...

Woke up, topped up my carts, made coffee, vaped, lurked here and eventually got around to doing the ptb mod. Double folded loose frayed or whatever hehehe... i think it's shortened to rho mod.

Went to the club for an early set up and sound check (yuck, early set up... if you own a bar please don't make the band set up durring the day) and was able to vape inside at a non smoking venue... that was cool.

Vaped for the rest of the day and never any sort of tobacco craving. Perfection. I'm sure that I'm done with tobacco forever. Even the after diner vape was very fulfilling. Awesome.

Night 2... My first experience vaping out in public was very pleasant. I play in a band for a living... I took 2 510s with the ptb filler and was able to vape on both 30 minute breaks, a few puffs on stage during each of the 3 sets, and the drive to and from the gig without ever topping up... that was cool. PTB really wicks a lot better than the stuff that came in the blank carts. Short story long everything went as planned and I didn't have to get in to my backup supplies at all. I just pcc'd one of my batteries at the beginning of each set and never ran out of charge.

Even when I went outside with the smokers on break I never felt the urge to smoke tobacco... truly amazing.

A few people asked about my 'electronic cigarette' as they called it. People are definitely curious about these. Most of them said they had seen them at the mall. Yuck, the mall lol.

After the gig I came home, topped up my carts, relaxed, played a little guitar and watched some tv all while chain vaping... Day 2 was a success.

Day 3...

Woke up, started vaping, made some coffee. I didn't have to top off my carts for a while which was cool.

An ex smoker friend came over and wanted to try out vaping... he was blown away by how much it feels like smoking an analog. I told him to get 0mg if he wanted to get vaping it because he has been a non-smoker for about and I wouldn't want to be responsible for him re-addicting himself lol.

I'm still vaping between ry4 and English toffee... I really enjoy these more than I ever enjoyed tobacco smoke. I cant wait to try cappuccino and maybe something like chocolate or cola.

Anyway... that's where I'm at with vaping. What a wonderful thing. I guess it's time to try some new flavors.

Thanks to all the past posters that filled this place up with in depth knowledge. I'll be lurking.

Best, Chris Brown

 

[beckah54]

Welcome Chris!

I enjoyed reading your journal. I am also impressed that you did all the research necessary to decide which ecigarette would fit your needs.

I agree with you. The people on this forum are very helpful and willing to share the knowledge they have gained from their own experiences. They helped me make many decisions just by reading their posts.

Enjoy the forum and keep vaping.

 

[cassavetes]

Good luck, Chris. I hope you and Rihanna can work out your differences.

 

[Chris Brown]

@cassavetes: hehehe I'm the other Chris Brown... the guitar player one. lol no one forgets my name anymore ;-)

@beckah54: your emoticon is awesome lol

 

[cassavetes]

@cassavetes: hehehe I'm the other Chris Brown... the guitar player one. lol no one forgets my name anymore ;-)

lol, it was too easy to pass up.

 

[VON]

Hi all,

I've been lurking here for a little over a week. Amazing resource and also you all seem very nice

I just started vaping a few days ago and I'm totally impressed! I was a pack and a half per day smoker for the last 14 years but now I haven't had tobacco since the light went green on my charger two days ago (Thursday Nov 19) at 2pm. This is the longest I have gone without smoking tobacco since I was in high school!

I am very impressed at how much this feels like smoking an analog. It sort of just a cigarette with better flavors than I'm used to. I don't plan on ever going back to tobacco. My wife went from smoking to vaping too and so far everything is great for both of us. Vaping has satisfied all of my nicotine needs so far. No cigarette withdrawal symptoms at all. Wow.

Here's what my vaping experience has been like so far...

My wife came across igetcha69s vids and showed them to me. I had never seen vaping before. I was immediately interested and also I immediately realized that vaping could really replace analogs if I wanted it to. I'm not one of the people that wants to quit the habit so being able to keep the habit but not the tobacco was instantly appealing.

Before I purchased anything I read here as much as I could and I also watched a lot of youtube vids.

We ordered 510 nobox kits from cignot, extra batteries, extra atomizers, blank carts, a pcc, a 15ml English toffee, a couple of 20ml juices and some 5ml juices. Cignot is inexpensive, fast and they really have that small shop / personal touch vibe. Awesome.

First day...

We opened the package and put two of our batteries on to charge. Within 30 minutes they were ready to go. I stuck one of the prefilled Marlboro carts in to an atomizer aligned with the white ring (opposite of the bridge) like I read here (this alignment seems to be right but I never could find a clear description of which way to line up the carts) and screwed the battery on. I was worried about primer taste or atty break in...

As soon as I took my first hit from the 510 I knew that it was going to be easier to leave analogs behind than I had expected. I didn't have a problem with primer taste (maybe I got lucky) or any unexpected weirdness.

For the rest of day 1 I pretty much just chain vaped and walked around amazed that I didn't want tobacco. Night 1 was awesome too. I tried a few of the different juices... I didn't like strawberry but ry4, marb, and english toffee are very enjoyable. The menthol is nice and minty. Overall I likened the experience to pipe smoking because of the preparation rituals and flavor selection but it really feels like a cigarette.

Day 2...

Woke up, topped up my carts, made coffee, vaped, lurked here and eventually got around to doing the ptb mod. Double folded loose frayed or whatever hehehe... i think it's shortened to rho mod.

Went to the club for an early set up and sound check (yuck, early set up... if you own a bar please don't make the band set up durring the day) and was able to vape inside at a non smoking venue... that was cool.

Vaped for the rest of the day and never any sort of tobacco craving. Perfection. I'm sure that I'm done with tobacco forever. Even the after diner vape was very fulfilling. Awesome.

Night 2... My first experience vaping out in public was very pleasant. I play in a band for a living... I took 2 510s with the ptb filler and was able to vape on both 30 minute breaks, a few puffs on stage during each of the 3 sets, and the drive to and from the gig without ever topping up... that was cool. PTB really wicks a lot better than the stuff that came in the blank carts. Short story long everything went as planned and I didn't have to get in to my backup supplies at all. I just pcc'd one of my batteries at the beginning of each set and never ran out of charge.

Even when I went outside with the smokers on break I never felt the urge to smoke tobacco... truly amazing.

A few people asked about my 'electronic cigarette' as they called it. People are definitely curious about these. Most of them said they had seen them at the mall. Yuck, the mall lol.

After the gig I came home, topped up my carts, relaxed, played a little guitar and watched some tv all while chain vaping... Day 2 was a success.

Day 3...

Woke up, started vaping, made some coffee. I didn't have to top off my carts for a while which was cool.

An ex smoker friend came over and wanted to try out vaping... he was blown away by how much it feels like smoking an analog. I told him to get 0mg if he wanted to get vaping it because he has been a non-smoker for about and I wouldn't want to be responsible for him re-addicting himself lol.

I'm still vaping between ry4 and English toffee... I really enjoy these more than I ever enjoyed tobacco smoke. I cant wait to try cappuccino and maybe something like chocolate or cola.

Anyway... that's where I'm at with vaping. What a wonderful thing. I guess it's time to try some new flavors.

Thanks to all the past posters that filled this place up with in depth knowledge. I'll be lurking.

Best, Chris Brown

The folk here are pretty nice...that is what kept drawing me back to the forum...and why I started vaping.

 

[RazorNribbonz]

wow, that's very kewl :: smile...Chris you seriously..seeeriously have no idea how very lucky you are to have found e-liquids you like so well that you can vape them all day, so fast!.. Many people search weeks... Very sweet.. congrats

 

[VapingRulz]

Great story - but what about your wife? Is she doing as well as you are with the vaping?

 

[Chris Brown]

The rest of day 3 / night 3....

After my previous post a smoker friend came by and he smoked while I vaped. The analog smell is starting to lose it's appeal. I always liked the smell of smoke when I smoked but after just a few days without analogs they smell kind of like weird chemicals or something.

With vaping I've noticed that I enjoy the way tobacco flavored juice tastes like loose tobacco instead of burning tobacco. When I was on analogs I stuffed my own with a table top machine (tubes + tobacco) and I always enjoyed the smell of the tobaccos more than the taste of the smoke so vaping is like having my cake and eating it too.

After smoker friend left I ate stew and corn bread until I was stuffed. Once again the after dinner vape was completely fulfilling. Before I went to vaping I thought that the after dinner and morning smokes would be the hardest to replace but I've found that vaping does the trick just fine. It might be even better because I can sit around and vape for longer than I would have smoked and vaping seems to be just plain more pleasant that smoking ever was.

I vaped for a while and had some coffee and then I put my batteries on to charge because it was time to get ready to the gig.

After showering and getting dressed my batteries were charged. I put 2 more on to charge so I would have a backup and one for the pcc. I also topped up my carts and prepared a couple of spares just in case.

Side note... I converted my 'smokey' cigarette box to be a ecig case by cutting out one of the dividers and then putting foam in the lid and in the bottom of the compartments. This is now my backup supplies box for when I'm on the go. It's not tall enough to hold a completely assembled 510 but it does have enough room hold a 5ml dropper bottle, a cart+atomizer, a few more carts, and 2 spare batteries. There is room to fit a couple more cart+atty assemblies but I thought that would be overkill since it's my 'just in case' box.

With 2 assembled 510s and a pcc containing a battery, 2 carts and 1 atty+cart I don't think I'll actually need to get in to the 'just in case' box unless I'm out all day long.


Night 3...

I topped up one last time, packed my spare batteries and headed out to the gig. When I got there the venue we were at was packed (I dislike a crowded room until I'm on stage hehe) so I went outside and vaped while the other band members smoked cigs and cigars... everyone in my band is amazed that I was able to switch with so much ease and they all have stories about how bad it was when they tried to quit with method xyz... I explained to them that I don't feel like I quit and that it's more like I switched to a different kind of safer and tastier cig.

I was able to vape inside of a non smoking venue again which by the way is a very cool feeling. I even vaped on stage in front of the audience with no problems whatsoever. On breaks I vaped outside with the smokers and I never felt the urge to smoke tobacco. I think when I look back I'll be able to say that vaping saved my life or at least extended it.

After 3 killer sets of pop, rock and dance tunes (I have more fun on the nights that we do funk, jazz, blues and r&b but last night was still awesome) I was able to pack up my stuff and leave the club about 15-20 minutes faster than when I smoked because normally when the gig was over I would go outside and have a cig or two before I started to wrap cables/pack up my guitar gear etc etc but instead I just vaped while I packed up. More time is always a nice bonus.

On the way home one of my 510s started to taste a little bit dry but the other was still going strong. I'm really impressed with the ptb filler...

I was gone from 9pm to 3am with 2 assembled 510s and together they lasted the whole night without topping up. I even chain vaped on each of the two 30 minute breaks and still they didn't run dry until 10 minutes before I arrived home at the end of the night (and that was only one of them). The only maintenance I did was rotating batteries in the pcc. It's important to me to have the backup supplies with me but in reality I could probably just cary the pcc and 2 assembled 510s.

Anyway... to summarize...

Day 3 went just as nicely as the previous days. It some point I realized that I can already breathe deeper and fuller than before. I thought it would take longer to really feel a difference. When I smoked analogs I didn't realize how bad they made my lungs feel.

When I sang last night I had much more control. My voice flowed much more naturally than ever before. On analogs it was like I had to used a bunch of extra muscles to control my singing voice but with vaping singing feels like it did when I was a kid which is a huge deal for me as a full time musician... awesome!!

That's it for day 3 / night 3.

I'll post an update in a few days or at 1 week. This is the most journaling I've ever done hehehe.

@RazorNribbonz: yeah I assumed I would have to really search to find flavors that I like but now I can tell that I'm going to enjoy almost anything that tastes rich and savory but not too sweet and perfumy. I'm looking forward to finding something that tastes like tootsie roll and also an espresso type flavor (any recommendations?). I think I could do a coffee flavor all day if it's not too sweet. I drink it all day so why not vape it too lol.

@VapingRulz: she hasn't smoked... She's really enjoying the vapor. I think she has maybe had the tobacco urge a little tiny bit more than me but she's still smoke free and loving the vapor.

That's it for now. Any feedback or wisdom is always appreciated

Best, Chris Brown

 

[Amanda Brown]

Hello to all you lovely vapers out there! Thanks for asking about me

Day 4 - man, I really got to get one of those nifty little vapor tracking thingy's... I'm already losing track of the days!

I have been very satisfied with the experience as a whole, love the taste, smell & feeling. My brain is still adjusting to the new terminology... for example saying vape instead of smoke. I admit, on occasion, I do think about smoking analogs, but I think it's just a "go to" reaction & have yet to give in. So far no side effects other than being hungry more often. I attribute that to the tasty flavors of the vapor tricking my stomach. ( Where's the toffee?!?!)
I find myself chain vaping often, mostly with my morning coffee, after dinner & while working/surfing the web. Unlike analogs which burn away & you put them out, it's hard to determine when I've "really" had enough since I don't feel like crap when I vape. I just allow myself as much as I want for now & will most likely cut down my nicotine levels, which are currently 18-24mg, down to 10-12mg in the near future.

I love that I no longer reek, our daughter is sooo glad to not have two charbroil scented parents tucking her in at night. I actually smell like soap, shampoo & perfume instead of a fancy cigar. Not to mention, the naggers who nagged about us quitting analogs have been silenced... "relief"! I try to use it in public as much as possible, it makes me giddy & feel like a rebel or something.

I love it, not only because it totally took the place of the analogs, but the fact that you can do so much with it... change the color / decorate it if you like, mix your own flavors & mod it. It's a lot funner than analogs. I am really looking forward to getting a DIY flavor set up. I have seen some super tasty looking recipes & can't wait to mix up my own to share with the community!

Thanks to everyone out there sharing your experiences, recipes & knowledge! You may have saved our lives! heheh

 

[Robertogee]

Everything you say, Chris.

I'm on day 17 vaping and haven't even THOUGHT about an analog in that time. (Still got four cartons in my cupboard.)

Plus, since everybody asks me about "cost," I finally sat down and figured it out.

Vaping for ONE YEAR, with full satisfaction, based on the rate I'm vaping . . . costs what smoking for ONE MONTH cost. Without the tars and carcinogens.

I'm thinking, if you loved vaping as instantly as I did, you're home free!

And ECF is THE resource!

 

[RazorNribbonz]

Chris, for a "non sweet" coffee liquid...Try WetYourStick...As for the expresso, not one comes to mind... I just read a thread awhile back of people wanting an "in your face" coffee flvor... maybe in time

 

[Guineahill]

Wow Chris and Amanda!!! I'm so happy for both of you. Doesn't it feel great being free from cigarettes with no suffering?

I'm glad that you are out there spreading the word. I have told everyone I know about these things... and people come up to me and ask about my strange 'cigarette' all the time. It is amazing how much interest there is out there!

ECF a great place - Enjoy your stay!

 

[Chris Brown]

Thank you all for the warm responses.

Day 5 started at 2pmcst for me today and the experience just keeps getting better and better. I'm chain vaping less today but still getting all of the enjoyment. I'm so glad we switched.

@RazorNribbonz... We decided to get some loranns, pg, vg and diy juice... After sifting through the DIY e-liquid section and hitting youtube we figured that it would be the way to go. I'm looking forward to playing around with coffee and toffee... mint choc and coffee. cotton candy cheese cake I heard the lorann's chocolate tastes like tootsie rolls... Yum With analogs we were blending our own tobacco and it was great to have options... With digitals (yeah the opposite of analogs... I've been liking this term) there are so many more choices... very awesome.

@Robertogee: that's a huge savings... we blended our own so we were still under $3 per pack but for me it's not about the money it's more about how crappy analogs made me feel and also how awesome vapor is... I really like it... I'm realizing more and more that with analogs my use was more because of the addiction and not because of the enjoyment... even our best analog blends didn't taste as good or hit as big as vaping does. I feel home free already and it's only day 5

@Guineahill: wow it feels great... and the more time passes without analogs the more I notice my body feeling better. Better breathing, less fatigue etc etc. I'm so glad that other people are taking interest... I've got to hone my elevator pitch... It would be great to get the explanation down to one or two sentences and then the 'why switch' pitch down to a couple more lol

 

[DC2]

Sounds like you have the same flavor profile that I have, so I'll tell you what I like...

I used to use Johnson Creek Tennesee Cured all the time.
But I have since switched to Nhaler High Volage RY4 for my general vaping.

I also have the following flavors from MyFreedomSmokes or ECigSmokeStore...
--Maple
--Peanut Butter
--Prailines and Cream
--English Toffee
--Butter Rum
--Caramel
--Vanilla
--Coffee

These flavors mix really well with tobacco flavors.
I am currently mixing them with Kent High Voltage from Nhaler.

The only ones I can vape straight though are RY4, maple, and peanut butter.
The rest are a bit too sweet on their own.

And yeah, I tried a lot of fruit flavors and other things like Cola and Red Bull.
But I gave them all away because I just don't like them.

 

[Chris Brown]

Today is day 6 vaping / analog free.

I haven't wanted an analog at all the whole time. What a wonderful feeling.

Earlier tonight I had a couple of beers and vaping was absolutely perfect with beer. I always used to chain smoke with beer and I was worried that this might trigger my first analog craving since going to vapor but I was very happy to find out that for me the vapor was more fulfilling than analogs ever were.

I also tried a couple of carts with blue foam today. So far so good... the foam filler can vape a long time without topping up. I overfilled one of them and got a small flood but that was easily corrected. The other vaped for hours without with no maintenance which I thought was cool.

@DC2: Wow it does sound like our palates are similar. We like savory flavors. I've always enjoyed the richness of these types of flavors in food / candy / beverages so I think that transfers pretty well to the liquids that I've enjoyed so far. I do like the flavor of redbull as a drink but part of that is the tartness which I'm not sure would come through when vaping.

Everyone seems to love the nhaler hv liquid so I'll definitely have to give their tobacco flavors a try. I've read mixed reports on the JC stuff but people that like the Tennesee Cured really speak highly of it.
​

Anyway, thanks for the tips and feedback.

Best, Chris Brown

 

[Canute]

Your experience is virtually identical too mine. Haven't had a smoke since I got my liquid (didn't order liquid with my initial order and carts ran out....was sooooo bummed). 1.5 packs a day for 24 years to zip instantaneously and happy as a clam the entire time!

I can't stress this enough. Success is all about doing the research! Getting a good PV and knowing how to properly fill a cart, properly direct drip, properly clear an atty and properly clean your carts before it arrives are all crucial to getting off on the right foot! If everything is a hassle and things malfunction you'll probably want a smoke. I find that five minutes worth of effort every 3-4 nights and not only is it just as easy as smoking but one heck of a lot more enjoyable!

Good for you and glad to hear you experienced the same success I did!

 

[Guineahill]

LOL - Learning how to get the explanation down to a reasonably quick response has been a challenge for me too. I have found that I that I always end up pulling apart my e-cig and showing the parts and a bottle of e-liquid. I always suggest people check out this forum and a couple of distributors I like. I should print cards with a bit of info on one side and web addresses and maybe a diagram on the other, but so far I have been to lazy to do it.

Keep on vaping!

 

[Robertogee]

Chris Brown -

Interesting and accurate. I hadn't thought about drinking beer, or alcohol, before but you're right. Many people I know ONLY smoke analogs when they drink alcohol.

I too have had NO desire for an analog when drinking beer or other alcohol.

And like Canute -

I find that a few minutes every 3-4 days to refill cartomizers (or clean and refill them if switching juices) is all it takes.

 

[Chris Brown]

Today is day 9...

All is good except now when I come home from the gig I can smell how much smoke is on my clothes and in my hair. I can't believe that I couldn't smell that before lol gross. Oh well at least I don't smoke anymore

I went back to ptb from blue foam.. I felt like I could taste the foam... I'll probably give it another go in the future but the pyramid tea bags work great so no rush.

We mixed our first diy e-juice today... 18mg butterscotch... Turned out perfect. Working with the 60mg juice was not as scary as I thought it might be. I wore gloves but I realize that most people don't and I probably won't in the future because the pipette does all of the work.

Wife did raspberry which is also a tasty vape. The longer I vape the more I can tolerate the sweeter fruitier flavors but still the savory stuff is my favorite.


@Canute: Absolutely... I spent plenty of time researching before I purchased anything so that by the time it arrived I knew exactly what to expect. I can't stress enough to new vapers how important it is to do your research so that that there are no surprises.

@Guineahill: I've got it down to something like this...

Them: "hey, what's that you're smoking?"

Me: "It's not actually smoke. It's a personal vaporizer... I quit smoking and started doing this. No tar, no carcinogens... just glycerin, nicotine and natural flavoring. I can breathe again.

At this point I usually pull off the cart and show them where the liquid goes.

Them: "Oh, that's cool/wierd.."

Me: "Yeah... it's awesome. I learned all about it online before I started. There are some great forums with lot's of info. It probably saved my life. You should google it."

Them: "How much does it cost?"

Me: "It really took about $100 to get started. The parts will eventually fail so you always have to have backups.. so for 2 vaporizers, backup parts and some juice to get started you're looking at $60-100." ​

Thats about where I'm at when people ask. Sometimes I go in to the "doesn't stink, tastes better than cigs, doesn't make me feel like s**t by the end of the day" thing too. It would be great to leave them with a card... maybe I'll make some next time I order business cards for my self.


@Robertogee: It's totally worth the time spent... with analogs I made my own with an injector and always did a pack at a time so it really takes a whole lot less time to vape. I actually enjoy the process of preparing carts etc etc too. The gadgetry is fun.

That's where I'm at with vaping... life changing awesomeness.

Thanks everyone