How To Dial In Your Nicotine Level

Status
Not open for further replies.

SnowDragon

Moved On
ECF Veteran
Jul 28, 2010
3,755
1,874
Boise, Idaho
The biggest challenge for any new Vaper is to dial in their Nic Level. It's best to find that perfect level before making any larger purchases of Cartos or juice. This is my general guideline that I refer to my friends when they want to try vaping. However, I always preface it with the caveat that they should get 2 different levels when they start to see which is the better fit.

Stong.....................24-36
All Non-Filters
Camels
Marlboro Reds
Winston


Medium...................18-24
Camel Lights
Marlboro Silvers (lights)
Winston Lights


Lights......................11-8
Merits
GPC
Bnson & Hedges (light)


Ultra Lights...............8-4
All Ultra Lights

Unfortunately there are the occasional exceptions to the rule where a Non-Filter smoker will find their comfort level at 11mgs....and an Ultra-light smoker finds their comfort level at 24mg so "my" guidelines only work about 90% of the time.

If a person starts off with too high a Nic Level they might find vaping harsh and unappealing. On the opposite end of that a person who starts off with too low a Nic level will go through juices and hardware quickly. As well, they will find their withdrawals harder to deal with as their body is struggling to get the Nicotine it is used to. In both of these cases it can lead a person right back to the world of burning tobacco.

Here's a simple trick I suggest to my friends when they first start. Take 4 full drags off your PV in a minute, if you don't feel a Nic Buzz...numb face...little head spinning..your Nic Level is probably too low. For me, if I take 4 full drags in a minute (chain vaping) I don't even want to look at my PV for a couple of minutes let alone take another drag.

I also suggest that everybody keep 1 box of prefilled Cartos or bottle of juice around that is 2 levels above what they normally vape. I note this as the Nuclear Option...to fight off strong cravings for those occasions (wife/husband left you for your boss) where you need a strong kick.

:p
 

been there

Super Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Apr 30, 2011
717
258
73
Brooksville,florida
The biggest challenge for any new Vaper is to dial in their Nic Level. It's best to find that perfect level before making any larger purchases of Cartos or Juice. This is my general guideline that I refer to my friends when they want to try vaping. However, I always preface it with the caveat that they should get 2 different levels when they start to see which is the better fit.

Stong.....................24-36
All Non-Filters
Camels
Marlboro Reds
Winston


Medium...................18-24
Camel Lights
Marlboro Silvers (lights)
Winston Lights


Lights......................11-8
Merits
GPC
Bnson & Hedges (light)


Ultra Lights...............8-4
All Ultra Lights

Unfortunately there are the occasional exceptions to the rule where a Non-Filter smoker will find their comfort level at 11mgs....and an Ultra-light smoker finds their comfort level at 24mg so "my" guidelines only work about 90% of the time.

If a person starts off with too high a Nic Level they might find vaping harsh and unappealing. On the opposite end of that a person who starts off with too low a Nic level will go through juices and hardware quickly. As well, they will find their withdrawals harder to deal with as their body is struggling to get the Nicotine it is used to. In both of these cases it can lead a person right back to the world of burning tobacco.

Here's a simple trick I suggest to my friends when they first start. Take 4 full drags off your PV in a minute, if you don't feel a Nic Buzz...numb face...little head spinning..your Nic Level is probably too low. For me, if I take 4 full drags in a minute (chain vaping) I don't even want to look at my PV for a couple of minutes let alone take another drag.

I also suggest that everybody keep 1 box of prefilled Cartos or bottle of juice around that is 2 levels above what they normally vape. I note this as the Nuclear Option...to fight off strong cravings for those occasions (wife/husband left you for your boss) where you need a strong kick.

:p
I would think that would call for a celebration.
 

K9Luvr

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
  • Feb 26, 2010
    1,918
    1,064
    Hampton, VA
    SD, I must be one of the 10% that's different, cuz I smoked menthol ultra lights, yet what worked for me was 24mg in the a.m, and 18mg after lunch/rest of the day. It's only been in the last few months that I've been able to reduce it to 18mg in the a.m., and 8 or 11mg the rest of the day. Wasn't trying to reduce, it just seemed to me, one day, that perhaps the constant 'light-headed' feeling I had was from too much nicotine, so I went down a level, and it went away. And to be honest, I haven't really been able to see much difference in the 8 & 11mgs, so I'm trying to increase those and reduce the 18's. (Sorry to take over your thread ;-)
     

    incantius

    Ultra Member
    ECF Veteran
    Mar 28, 2011
    1,871
    1,016
    tennessee
    i'm an exception as well I guess. i smoke Pyramid Red 100's (or whatever is cheapest at the store I'm at) and 11mg was doing fine for me at first but i just bumped up to 18mg...i think 24 is overkill for me since I got some cartos in 24mg for my first purchase and it ripped my head off, coughed up a lung or 2, etc. (note for newbies, never use a really high mg on a pt for your first vape lol)
     

    birdbrains

    Senior Member
    ECF Veteran
    Verified Member
    Jul 6, 2011
    221
    182
    New York, NY
    New PVs can also cause you to melt your face trying them out! I got my new E-Power last night with the dual coil cartos and began testing them only to find 10 successive puffs later that I definitely needed to drink about a liter of water and take a long walk.

    Awesome powerful morning vape today though. Good advice on having something strong in the morning.
     

    brittanyNI

    Senior Member
    ECF Veteran
    Jun 21, 2011
    253
    257
    New England
    I used a funky calculation to dial mine in.

    I smoke 120s and get 14 puffs per cigarette. I smoke 25 of them a day, for a total of 350 puffs.

    How many ml of juice for 350 puffs? Well, I like BIG puffs, so it works out to about 100 puffs per ml for me. So 3.5 ml.

    Meanwhile, back at the ranch, FTC numbers said 1.4 mg nic per cig so 25x1.4 = 35mg/day

    So ... 35mg/3.5ml = 10mg/ml juice

    Which I promptly decided was insufficient and switched to 18mg -- which is what Snowdragon would have suggested so go figure. LOL
     
    Last edited:

    incantius

    Ultra Member
    ECF Veteran
    Mar 28, 2011
    1,871
    1,016
    tennessee
    I used a funky calculation to dial mine in.

    I smoke 120s and get 14 puffs per cigarette. I smoke 25 of them a day, for a total of 350 puffs.

    How many ml of juice for 350 puffs? Well, I like BIG puffs, so it works out to about 100 puffs per ml for me. So 3.5 ml.

    Meanwhile, back at the ranch, FTC numbers said 1.4 mg nic per cig so 25x1.4 = 35mg/day

    So ... 35mg/3.5ml = 10mg/ml juice

    Which I promptly decided was insufficient and switched to 18mg -- which is what Snowdragon would have suggested so go figure. LOL
    You love math a LOT more than I do lol
     
    It is quite amazing that you posted the bit about nuclear treatment today. Yesterday, I turned to my wife and told her I needed a vape stronger than the 18 I use. We'd been walking all over, I hadn't had a free hand to vape, and the craving was so strong I KNEW my 18 wasn't going to handle it. I'll have to get on that. Although, to be fair, I find one level stronger kills the craving ok.

    And of course, I have to prove your rule by being an exception. Marlboro Ultra Light 100s here, and I settled at 18. Maybe that's because of the extra length of the 100s. Or maybe it's because I was pretty much forcing myself to stick to the ultra lights so it would be easier whenever I decided to quit.

    I'm actually considering trying a step down to 11 too. It's funny how much your thread mirrors the thoughts I've been having the last day or two.
     

    K9Luvr

    Ultra Member
    ECF Veteran
  • Feb 26, 2010
    1,918
    1,064
    Hampton, VA
    It is quite amazing that you posted the bit about nuclear treatment today. Yesterday, I turned to my wife and told her I needed a vape stronger than the 18 I use. We'd been walking all over, I hadn't had a free hand to vape, and the craving was so strong I KNEW my 18 wasn't going to handle it. I'll have to get on that. Although, to be fair, I find one level stronger kills the craving ok.

    And of course, I have to prove your rule by being an exception. Marlboro Ultra Light 100s here, and I settled at 18. Maybe that's because of the extra length of the 100s. Or maybe it's because I was pretty much forcing myself to stick to the ultra lights so it would be easier whenever I decided to quit.

    I'm actually considering trying a step down to 11 too. It's funny how much your thread mirrors the thoughts I've been having the last day or two.

    KK, I think you'll find the 11mg in the evening to be fine. I did.
     

    jeffree

    Ultra Member
    ECF Veteran
    Jan 18, 2010
    1,680
    647
    california
    Great work, Snow. I like your groupings but would suggest that newbs consider bumping one level higher to start. Some of the former ML smokers I know, including myself, found that 18mg was great at the beginning. In fact, I initially started lower with 11mg, as in your chart, but found it wasn't enough and moved to 18mg. More than a year later, though, I'm at about 8mg with no prob at all.
     
    Status
    Not open for further replies.

    Users who are viewing this thread