Hello everyone!
Although this is my first post, I have been lurking for quite awhile. I have noticed that there are a ton of people asking how to get started esmoking, so I figured I would post my experience while adding some answers to some frequently asked questions along the way.
A little bit about myself, I have been smoking about a pack an a half a day of Camel Wide Lights for about 14 years. About a month ago I finished up my helicopter flight training and am looking for a job as an instructor at my school. I will be working about 12 hours a day and smoking will not be an option as the chief pilot will not allow me to smell like a cigarette while sitting 4 inches away from my student in the helicopter.
I was first introduced to ecigs at a nightclub. I was watching some girl smoke one in the VIP area and thought that the club was OK with smoking. I lit up. A large bouncer came and told me that she wasn't really smoking, it was an ecig and briefly explained how it was not a cigarette. I thought "neat trick" and kind of left it at that.
A few weeks later, I was visiting Las Vegas and saw a kiosk on Fremont Street. I looked around a bit, but was with some friends and so I made a mental note to check ecigs out online.
I had completely forgotten to check them out when I stumbled across an ad for the Blu. Curiosity took hold and I spent the next few hours doing as much research as I could. How do they work? What do they taste like? DO they work? My mind was spinning and I was excited about all the possibilities!
At first, I wanted to find a store in my area that carried ecigs, figuring that was how most people got them. After tons of searching, I found nothing. So I knew I would be ordering online. Like most beginners, I wanted one that looked like a cigarette and tasted like one. Not finding ANY reviews on the Blu made me slightly skeptical but it fit this description pretty well so I ordered it. After all, for the price of 1 carton, I wouldn't be out much if I hated it.
With my Blu on order I started doing mega-research. I STILL couldn't find any reviews, but started reading all the positive reviews about esmoking in general so I figured I was on to something, so I needed to have one NOW.
I heard that mall kiosks often sold ecigarettes and found a kiosk in the local mall. The product was Smoking Everywhere (SE) and although I had heard relatively poor reviews and they were ridiculously expensive, I decided that this was too important to wait for!
This is where the miracle began... These things are AMAZING! The first time I tried it out I was shocked... They taste like tobacco, but more like from a hookah. There is less of a "throat hit" but it is definitely there. The taste is great and really seems to give me my fix.
So at this point, I have decided that esmoking is definitely for me. I was looking for something to "hold me over" while working, but after lighting up later my first evening, the good old Camels taste just like battery acid!
So I love my SE, but it could be so much better. I have a feeling the Blu will be almost the exact same way. The limitations on these devices are simple. Cartridge life is ridiculously short (20-30 puffs) and the battery life is pretty short too. I have gone through 10 cartridges in the past 2 days and probably replaced the batteries 6-8 times. Also, although I get 20-30 puffs, I would say that only 10 or so are actually REALLY good (a lot of vapor, good throat hit... completely satisfying). At $2 per cartridge, this could get extremely expensive, very quickly.
As much as I enjoy the SE, I can already see it becoming a pain... The main problem being the cartridges life. After realizing how quickly I was running through them, I knew I would have to find an alternative source for the carts. After a little research, refilling them seems to be a great option. I currently have 4 packages enroute with approximately 30 bottles of juice (enough to last many many months).
I also have purchased a new device, the 510 from Totally Wicked. I added the PCC so it will have the same "convenience" factor as the Blu, which I have yet to recieve. From all accounts, the 510 seems to be a great machine and I am really excited to receive it.
A few things I discovered but didn't expect:
1. Esmoking is actually tastier and more satisfying to me than real smoking for me
2. I was adamant about an ecigarette that tasted like a real cigarette. Now I just want flavors that taste good, tobacco flavored or not
3. I don't need my ecigarette to "look and feel" like a real cigarette. It's totally different AND much better!
4. The transition was SO easy!
So for all you newbies out there, do what you want to do. I know it all seems complicated and difficult, but trust me, as soon as you try it you will understand what everyone here is talking about. Yes, I firmly believe that the SE product is garbage compared to what else is available. But, Blu and SE are responsible for getting me into esmoking in the first place and I do not regret the purchases at all.
I feel like a member of some third world tribe who has never seen a car and then bought a Pinto from a shady dealer. Sure, these products aren't Ferrari's, but they showed me how amazing "driving" could be. They ARE overpriced and could last a LOT longer. But, the key point here is that they DO work.
So if you are a beginner and feeling confused, don't. If you want my honest advice on what to do, get a decent machine like the 510 or 901 with some prefilled carts. Once it arrives and you use it, you will figure out the rest. You will probably end up filling your own and getting into different flavors etc... But for right now, just keep it simple! =)
~M.
Although this is my first post, I have been lurking for quite awhile. I have noticed that there are a ton of people asking how to get started esmoking, so I figured I would post my experience while adding some answers to some frequently asked questions along the way.
A little bit about myself, I have been smoking about a pack an a half a day of Camel Wide Lights for about 14 years. About a month ago I finished up my helicopter flight training and am looking for a job as an instructor at my school. I will be working about 12 hours a day and smoking will not be an option as the chief pilot will not allow me to smell like a cigarette while sitting 4 inches away from my student in the helicopter.
I was first introduced to ecigs at a nightclub. I was watching some girl smoke one in the VIP area and thought that the club was OK with smoking. I lit up. A large bouncer came and told me that she wasn't really smoking, it was an ecig and briefly explained how it was not a cigarette. I thought "neat trick" and kind of left it at that.
A few weeks later, I was visiting Las Vegas and saw a kiosk on Fremont Street. I looked around a bit, but was with some friends and so I made a mental note to check ecigs out online.
I had completely forgotten to check them out when I stumbled across an ad for the Blu. Curiosity took hold and I spent the next few hours doing as much research as I could. How do they work? What do they taste like? DO they work? My mind was spinning and I was excited about all the possibilities!
At first, I wanted to find a store in my area that carried ecigs, figuring that was how most people got them. After tons of searching, I found nothing. So I knew I would be ordering online. Like most beginners, I wanted one that looked like a cigarette and tasted like one. Not finding ANY reviews on the Blu made me slightly skeptical but it fit this description pretty well so I ordered it. After all, for the price of 1 carton, I wouldn't be out much if I hated it.
With my Blu on order I started doing mega-research. I STILL couldn't find any reviews, but started reading all the positive reviews about esmoking in general so I figured I was on to something, so I needed to have one NOW.
I heard that mall kiosks often sold ecigarettes and found a kiosk in the local mall. The product was Smoking Everywhere (SE) and although I had heard relatively poor reviews and they were ridiculously expensive, I decided that this was too important to wait for!
This is where the miracle began... These things are AMAZING! The first time I tried it out I was shocked... They taste like tobacco, but more like from a hookah. There is less of a "throat hit" but it is definitely there. The taste is great and really seems to give me my fix.
So at this point, I have decided that esmoking is definitely for me. I was looking for something to "hold me over" while working, but after lighting up later my first evening, the good old Camels taste just like battery acid!
So I love my SE, but it could be so much better. I have a feeling the Blu will be almost the exact same way. The limitations on these devices are simple. Cartridge life is ridiculously short (20-30 puffs) and the battery life is pretty short too. I have gone through 10 cartridges in the past 2 days and probably replaced the batteries 6-8 times. Also, although I get 20-30 puffs, I would say that only 10 or so are actually REALLY good (a lot of vapor, good throat hit... completely satisfying). At $2 per cartridge, this could get extremely expensive, very quickly.
As much as I enjoy the SE, I can already see it becoming a pain... The main problem being the cartridges life. After realizing how quickly I was running through them, I knew I would have to find an alternative source for the carts. After a little research, refilling them seems to be a great option. I currently have 4 packages enroute with approximately 30 bottles of juice (enough to last many many months).
I also have purchased a new device, the 510 from Totally Wicked. I added the PCC so it will have the same "convenience" factor as the Blu, which I have yet to recieve. From all accounts, the 510 seems to be a great machine and I am really excited to receive it.
A few things I discovered but didn't expect:
1. Esmoking is actually tastier and more satisfying to me than real smoking for me
2. I was adamant about an ecigarette that tasted like a real cigarette. Now I just want flavors that taste good, tobacco flavored or not
3. I don't need my ecigarette to "look and feel" like a real cigarette. It's totally different AND much better!
4. The transition was SO easy!
So for all you newbies out there, do what you want to do. I know it all seems complicated and difficult, but trust me, as soon as you try it you will understand what everyone here is talking about. Yes, I firmly believe that the SE product is garbage compared to what else is available. But, Blu and SE are responsible for getting me into esmoking in the first place and I do not regret the purchases at all.
I feel like a member of some third world tribe who has never seen a car and then bought a Pinto from a shady dealer. Sure, these products aren't Ferrari's, but they showed me how amazing "driving" could be. They ARE overpriced and could last a LOT longer. But, the key point here is that they DO work.
So if you are a beginner and feeling confused, don't. If you want my honest advice on what to do, get a decent machine like the 510 or 901 with some prefilled carts. Once it arrives and you use it, you will figure out the rest. You will probably end up filling your own and getting into different flavors etc... But for right now, just keep it simple! =)
~M.
