Hello from PA!

[bover907]

Just wanted to introduce myself, and say Hello. I'm a corrections officer from PA. I smoked my last real cig 8 days ago. (the wife and I quit as a condition of buying a brand new car). We figured we'd use ecigs as a quitting tool, since we'd both failed to quit several times over the past 25 years or so.

8 days into the journey, I am discovering there are many alternatives to the lookalikes we are vaping now. I want to read and study what is what and welcome any advice. I don't want to spend a fortune on the trial and error process because that defeats the 2nd most important reason to quit smoking.

 

[dripdaze]

Hello bover907! Welcome to ECF and congrats on eight days without a cig. Just keep vaping and it will get easier as you go.

 

[SMP1121]

Welcome!! You've come to the right place to read and learn....it is a journey with a little trial and error thrown in until you find the right set up for you.

Congrats on your success so far!

 

[Buggainok]

Just wanted to introduce myself, and say Hello. I'm a corrections officer from PA. I smoked my last real cig 8 days ago. (the wife and I quit as a condition of buying a brand new car). We figured we'd use ecigs as a quitting tool, since we'd both failed to quit several times over the past 25 years or so.

8 days into the journey, I am discovering there are many alternatives to the lookalikes we are vaping now. I want to read and study what is what and welcome any advice. I don't want to spend a fortune on the trial and error process because that defeats the 2nd most important reason to quit smoking.

Welcome to the forum, and congrats to you and your wife for making this good decision for yourselves. You will get lots of advice as to what to buy to upgrade from the cigalikes you are starting with. A lot of people start with them and soon want something that delivers more flavor and doesn't require charging so often. Also, I don't know which kind you have, but they can be expensive for the long haul.

I got a Blu starter kit, and it let me know that e cigarettes might work for me to quit smoking cigarettes. After a few days, I realized like you that there were better and cheaper alternatives. I came here and did a lot of reading and got pretty overwhelmed with information and lots of suggestions. Every one who vapes has their favorite device, and would love for you to get one like theirs. I think that is just human nature. Some of them are pretty pricey, in my opinion, and require more maintenance than I, a female, was willing to undertake.

I just wanted something better than the Blu, that was inexpensive and reliable, and that I could use instead of smoking.

So I will tell you what was recommended to me, and what I got that worked. It is a Kanger Evod starter kit. It comes with everything you need except the juice. 2 batteries, 2 toppers (to hold the juice) and a charger. I would recommend one kit each for you and your wife, so you will each have a back-up that can be charging while you are using the other one.

You said you are trying to save money for a new car, and this is a good, inexpensive kit. Here is a link to a reliable vendor. If you use the code ECF at checkout, you get 10% off, which makes it about $30, with free shipping.

Kanger EVOD eGo Full Kit - Vaping Me

 

[furyjoel2]

Congratulations man!

 

[MorpheusPA]

Welcome! So many of us started on a cig-alike and most gave it up. Some still love them.

There are a ton of options. You probably can't go wrong with an authentic eGo Twist, which would give you basic variable voltage if you decide you want it, or just a basic eGo if you're dead set on keeping it simple. Both are available in sizes from moderate to pretty large, but not huge like a lot of people's mods.

It's a good place to go to second, then decide if you want to move onward to mods when the batteries, inevitably, start to die. Which they will, they can't be recharged indefinitely.

One other bit of advice: Backups. I keep four basic batteries lying around just in case. I've found myself on #3 while #1 and #2 are recharging.

 

[jasonandalysha]

Welcome and congrats!!!

 

[dohcboy]

Welcome and congrats on the eight days!

 

[kitty6]

Congratulations! Nice to see someone close to my neck of the woods! Not sure if there are any shops in WB, but if you aren't opposed to driving an hour there is a relatively new shop in Hazleton. Sometimes it's nice to see things in person before buying, although most online shops are much cheaper. I haven't been there yet because it's hard to get out with my little guy but hoping to soon!

Good luck to you!

 

[10x sugar]

Congratulations and welcome!

 

[partyannimal]

Welcome and congrats neighbor!
There are definitely better devices out there that will keep you and the wifey content much better than a cig-alike. An ego or similar setup is agreed by many to be perfect for beginning vapers. Once you decide that you want variable voltage, an easy upgrade from the ego's is the itaste v3. When in stock you can get them for $25 at 101vapes.
Good luck to you both and keep on vaping!


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[bover907]

Thanks for all the replies, and suggestions! She got a blu kit at first, but we realized the first time that we each tried to take one battery/carto combo to work, that they don't even last a whole shift!

I'd remembered that we had a mistic kit like two years ago, so I charged up the battery, and put on one of the remaining unopened carto's and realized it lasted much longer. I could probably get two days out of a battery, as opposed to about 4 hours with a blu, but I charge the battery daily regardless. Prior to finding this forum, we each got a mistic starter kit, so we now have 4 batteries to use, and ordered a couple 5-packs of carts. It seems they just came out with two different flavors. Wish I found this forum before ordering and spending all that dough.

I'm wondering if there is some sort of self fill carto that fits onto the mistic battery.

One reason I need to stick with the smallest practical unit possible is because of my job. Being a corrections officer, I have to be able to make it thru a metal detector every day, and although there is nothing 'official' prohibiting us from bringing ecigs into the prison, it is definatly frowned upon. There is a guard who brings in some sort of medium sized refillable device, and he has a stigma placed on him by both management and a lot of our peers. Shame actually, because many people bring in their full pack of cancer sticks, or cope/skoal, and that's ok. Granted we can't go bringing in some rediculous mod, but something like a mistic, or similar sized device with a good compromise between size and battery life works fine in my situation.

 

[anewkirk]

Welcome! And congrats on stopping the analogs!

 

[Jhutt]

Welcome fellow Pennsylvanian

 

[partyannimal]

One reason I need to stick with the smallest practical unit possible is because of my job. Being a corrections officer, I have to be able to make it thru a metal detector every day, and although there is nothing 'official' prohibiting us from bringing ecigs into the prison, it is definatly frowned upon. There is a guard who brings in some sort of medium sized refillable device, and he has a stigma placed on him by both management and a lot of our peers. Shame actually, because many people bring in their full pack of cancer sticks, or cope/skoal, and that's ok. Granted we can't go bringing in some rediculous mod, but something like a mistic, or similar sized device with a good compromise between size and battery life works fine in my situation.

It's definitely ignorant IMO the way people at times look down on vaping as much as, if not worse than smoking!
Maybe something small like this might work? It's one of my first upgrades from cig-alikes and I still use it often when out and about. (It's great for stealth vaping @ the movies, especially with a carto or smaller tank!)

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[ZeroOhms]

Thanks for all the replies, and suggestions! She got a blu kit at first, but we realized the first time that we each tried to take one battery/carto combo to work, that they don't even last a whole shift!

I'd remembered that we had a mistic kit like two years ago, so I charged up the battery, and put on one of the remaining unopened carto's and realized it lasted much longer. I could probably get two days out of a battery, as opposed to about 4 hours with a blu, but I charge the battery daily regardless. Prior to finding this forum, we each got a mistic starter kit, so we now have 4 batteries to use, and ordered a couple 5-packs of carts. It seems they just came out with two different flavors. Wish I found this forum before ordering and spending all that dough.

I'm wondering if there is some sort of self fill carto that fits onto the mistic battery.

One reason I need to stick with the smallest practical unit possible is because of my job. Being a corrections officer, I have to be able to make it thru a metal detector every day, and although there is nothing 'official' prohibiting us from bringing ecigs into the prison, it is definatly frowned upon. There is a guard who brings in some sort of medium sized refillable device, and he has a stigma placed on him by both management and a lot of our peers. Shame actually, because many people bring in their full pack of cancer sticks, or cope/skoal, and that's ok. Granted we can't go bringing in some rediculous mod, but something like a mistic, or similar sized device with a good compromise between size and battery life works fine in my situation.

Welcome to ECF! Sorry to hear about the discriminating situation. Hopefully it will get better soon.
One of common thing that throws people off is the visual aspect of vape gear. Metal tube with liquid tank doesn't look "safe".
Might be a bit out of price range, but maybe a wood mod could reduce the "intimidation" factor.
http://www.reosmods.com/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/84_maple_burl_52f930fd0fa10.jpg

 

[bover907]

Again, Thanks for the replies! Partyanimal, hopfully those things come in more masculine colors than pink and purple (men's prison, and all lmao).

Looks like the ego batteries aren't too big. The guy who experiences the stigma I was referring to, in all fairness comes off as kind of wierd before anyone even sees his ecig, lol. I know that sounds bad, but he is an interesting character to say the least. But I was told that he is very knowledgeable when it comes to vaping, so I am going to have to pick his brain. At least he'll know he's not alone.

I must say all of my friends at work have been very supportive of my quitting, and my vaping. They all knew how much of a fiend I was with the cancer sticks.

The thing I'm most happy about is my wife's progress. I'm much more proud of her than I am myself. Even though she's a year younger than me, smoked less years than me, and less per day than me, she suffered much more effects of cigs than me. She would hack and cough terribly, and couldn't go upstairs without huffing and puffing! We both quit the same day, and I haven't heard her cough in at least 3 days! I was more concerned for her than myself. I'm so glad she was able to quit with me!

 

[partyannimal]

Again, Thanks for the replies! Partyanimal, hopfully those things come in more masculine colors than pink and purple (men's prison, and all lmao).

... She would hack and cough terribly, and couldn't go upstairs without huffing and puffing! We both quit the same day, and I haven't heard her cough in at least 3 days! I was more concerned for her than myself. I'm so glad she was able to quit with me!

Sorry, I guess I should've added that they do in fact come in other colors lol. Matter of fact, the pink is the only "girly" one they had where I got mine and I was torn between that and the black with grey lettering.

I know what you mean about her coughing and getting winded with stairs and what not, I used to be the same way lol. Again, kudos to you both. I'm sure with all of the help here you two will do just fine and keep on vapin'!


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