This is a story of how e-cigs have changed my life, the metaphorical book of which will hopefully be a lot longer and happier now.
Foundations
I was a cigarette/ pipe smoker for about a year before I entered the vaping scene. I smoked because it is a part of my identity, and it was a way of reducing stress. vaping accomplishes both for me far more effectively, as it both removes the untimely health complications of smoking and enables me to go beyond what cigarettes are capable of for personal identity, as smoking is a habit; vaping is a hobby. I have been vaping on and off for about a year, switching to either cigarettes or pipe smoking in the interim. I could not fully convert, because I have always been quite sensitive to taste and smell. Any off taste or strong odor quickly incites a gag reflex for me, or worse. This is somewhat paradoxical, as a cigarette should taste bad while an e-cig with a preferred flavor should taste good, but I acquired the taste for fresh cigarettes and pipe tobacco in a well-maintained pipe.
Guiltless
If I was smoking death in a cancer stick, I wanted it to be as enjoyable as possible. Both cigarettes and especially pipe tobacco made me cough up tar; every inhale was a risk for lung disease or even cancer. I could not quit, because smoking was both physiologically addictive and it was a part of who I was. When I was a home, I could go outside and relax my mind with a cigarette. When in town, I would often run into other smokers and sometimes strike up a pretty interesting conversation. Smoking a pipe made me feel like I had a bit more character. All of these perks added to my enjoyment; however, it was never completely pleasant. Every time I took a draw from a tobacco product, I felt guilty. Each time I tried to slow down, my habit tempted me to smoke more again, and I just got stuck in a cycle of guilt. I was killing myself with an addiction, and that burden was mine alone to bear. In addition, smoking cigarettes and especially pipes would at least sometimes offer a very unpleasant taste, and I longed for consistency and great flavor in my smoking, because I could perceive this harshness, unlike a silent pathology. One day, I actually took the time to look at the tourist-trap area of a gas station counter, and I spotted a couple of brands of disposable e-cigs. In a convenient product that was consistently palatable and guiltless, I discovered a way of both getting nicotine and keeping, even potentially augmenting, my sense of identity.
Defeat
It was not long before I started to feel underwhelmed by disposable e-cigs. I found that there was a huge world out there for custom flavor, and I could save a lot more money by having reusable parts. My first venture into this big big world landed me with a top-coil kit. The e-juice was fantastic; unfortunately, soon I started having trouble with the kit. Any hint of burnt wick, burnt juice, or watery taste and even weak flavor production will make me gag, and my e-cig ended up giving me all four. First, I had to refill it with it being only about half empty, because it was a top-coil and the wicks would burn easily, leaving a nasty burnt silica taste. Second, my e-juice would turn very dark and have a muted, burnt taste - even with the first fill. I could refill only once, before the juice would become completely burnt. Third, since a lot of juice would end up becoming unusable, I would have to dispose of a lot. Fourth, completely refilling the tank would simply recycle the same gunk off the wicks, so I would have to clean them. Cleaning the atomizer just seemed to make the taste worse, even after letting it dry out. Dry burning was a complete failure. I could replace the atomizers, but I would only get a few hours of pristine, crisp flavor until the nasty tastes started to creep in. Replacing the atomizers this frequently was ridiculous, and I would not be able to tolerate the taste for a whole three to seven days to save money. I wanted to buy another brand, but I could not make a decision because of the enormity of choice and my analysis paralysis in trying to find something that would not have these same problems. I decided to go back to pipe smoking, because I did not think that it was as harmful as cigarettes.
Angst
Much, much later, I became allured to e-cigs again to deal with guilt. The idea I had in mind was that the more control I had over my device, the better my experience would be. To this aim, I looked to the aftermarket clearomizers and mods, which would allow for controlling airflow and power, respectively. This was a pretty good start, but I ended up being even more awash in information overload. I bought several different clearomizers, both top and bottom coils, all of which ended up being disappointing because of the atomizer. I was crestfallen because of the great reviews of the clearomizers I had bought, but all of the ones I chose based on these reviews severely disappointed me. From what I was able to find, every major brand of clearomizers is made in China, where these companies are putting turnout first instead of quality control. However, I have been using the Innokin iTaste VTR ever since I received it; this is a fantastic mod. For each tank I had, the atomizers were made so inconsistently or poorly that many in a given blister pack, if not all, ended up being useless because of flooding, shorting, or insufficient wicking. As well, every one of them used a wick that would make cleaning by dry-burning ruin the atomizer. A good atomizer would still only last me about a day at most before the taste started becoming unpalatable, and I would have to replace it with another three dollar atomizer.
I pondered that there seem to be so many content vapers with the very same clearomizers I bought, yet I was dissatisfied with each. "Why me?" I wondered. Was my draw too weak or too strong? Was I vaping too much? Was my e-liquid to blame? Was I doing something else wrong? I figured it out when I let a friend borrow my very first e-cig kit. After he used it a few days with only one wick and without even cleaning the atomizer, I got it back from him and he and thanked me greatly. I asked him about the flavor, and he said it was fine. When I took a draw, I immediately gagged. I thought that perhaps vaping was just not for me, because of my taste oversensitivity.
Eureka
After delving into a lot of research and reviews, I found that the problems I was having were real; but just I could not tolerate them very well. If I could just make my own atomizer, have an adjustable airflow, and use my variable voltage mod, then I would have absolute control over my vaping experience. In my pursuit of an ideal contraption for me, I found the rebuildable tank atomizer. Eureka! The Kayfun Lite Plus (second batch) fit the bill perfectly, and I made sure to buy the authentic Svoemesto. When it finally arrived after an interminable three days, I never went back to cigarettes. With every problem that cropped up, I could attribute it to user error and then practice and correct until the problem no longer occured. When it flooded, dry burned, or started tasting off, I simply rebuilt the atomizer with basically less than a penny in cotton and kanthal wire. After a couple of days of frustration and forced patience, I was turning out rebuilds consistent enough for pleasing, repeatable results. Perhaps I should have titled this paragraph vaping nirvana
.
If one is very sensitive to off taste in vaping, then pretty much any non-rebuildable clearomizer will be disappointing by the principle of not having full control over the vaping experience, in addition to unrealistic maintenance cost, and quality control issues. I can thank the Kayfun for my panacea to smoking.
Foundations
I was a cigarette/ pipe smoker for about a year before I entered the vaping scene. I smoked because it is a part of my identity, and it was a way of reducing stress. vaping accomplishes both for me far more effectively, as it both removes the untimely health complications of smoking and enables me to go beyond what cigarettes are capable of for personal identity, as smoking is a habit; vaping is a hobby. I have been vaping on and off for about a year, switching to either cigarettes or pipe smoking in the interim. I could not fully convert, because I have always been quite sensitive to taste and smell. Any off taste or strong odor quickly incites a gag reflex for me, or worse. This is somewhat paradoxical, as a cigarette should taste bad while an e-cig with a preferred flavor should taste good, but I acquired the taste for fresh cigarettes and pipe tobacco in a well-maintained pipe.
Guiltless
If I was smoking death in a cancer stick, I wanted it to be as enjoyable as possible. Both cigarettes and especially pipe tobacco made me cough up tar; every inhale was a risk for lung disease or even cancer. I could not quit, because smoking was both physiologically addictive and it was a part of who I was. When I was a home, I could go outside and relax my mind with a cigarette. When in town, I would often run into other smokers and sometimes strike up a pretty interesting conversation. Smoking a pipe made me feel like I had a bit more character. All of these perks added to my enjoyment; however, it was never completely pleasant. Every time I took a draw from a tobacco product, I felt guilty. Each time I tried to slow down, my habit tempted me to smoke more again, and I just got stuck in a cycle of guilt. I was killing myself with an addiction, and that burden was mine alone to bear. In addition, smoking cigarettes and especially pipes would at least sometimes offer a very unpleasant taste, and I longed for consistency and great flavor in my smoking, because I could perceive this harshness, unlike a silent pathology. One day, I actually took the time to look at the tourist-trap area of a gas station counter, and I spotted a couple of brands of disposable e-cigs. In a convenient product that was consistently palatable and guiltless, I discovered a way of both getting nicotine and keeping, even potentially augmenting, my sense of identity.
Defeat
It was not long before I started to feel underwhelmed by disposable e-cigs. I found that there was a huge world out there for custom flavor, and I could save a lot more money by having reusable parts. My first venture into this big big world landed me with a top-coil kit. The e-juice was fantastic; unfortunately, soon I started having trouble with the kit. Any hint of burnt wick, burnt juice, or watery taste and even weak flavor production will make me gag, and my e-cig ended up giving me all four. First, I had to refill it with it being only about half empty, because it was a top-coil and the wicks would burn easily, leaving a nasty burnt silica taste. Second, my e-juice would turn very dark and have a muted, burnt taste - even with the first fill. I could refill only once, before the juice would become completely burnt. Third, since a lot of juice would end up becoming unusable, I would have to dispose of a lot. Fourth, completely refilling the tank would simply recycle the same gunk off the wicks, so I would have to clean them. Cleaning the atomizer just seemed to make the taste worse, even after letting it dry out. Dry burning was a complete failure. I could replace the atomizers, but I would only get a few hours of pristine, crisp flavor until the nasty tastes started to creep in. Replacing the atomizers this frequently was ridiculous, and I would not be able to tolerate the taste for a whole three to seven days to save money. I wanted to buy another brand, but I could not make a decision because of the enormity of choice and my analysis paralysis in trying to find something that would not have these same problems. I decided to go back to pipe smoking, because I did not think that it was as harmful as cigarettes.
Angst
Much, much later, I became allured to e-cigs again to deal with guilt. The idea I had in mind was that the more control I had over my device, the better my experience would be. To this aim, I looked to the aftermarket clearomizers and mods, which would allow for controlling airflow and power, respectively. This was a pretty good start, but I ended up being even more awash in information overload. I bought several different clearomizers, both top and bottom coils, all of which ended up being disappointing because of the atomizer. I was crestfallen because of the great reviews of the clearomizers I had bought, but all of the ones I chose based on these reviews severely disappointed me. From what I was able to find, every major brand of clearomizers is made in China, where these companies are putting turnout first instead of quality control. However, I have been using the Innokin iTaste VTR ever since I received it; this is a fantastic mod. For each tank I had, the atomizers were made so inconsistently or poorly that many in a given blister pack, if not all, ended up being useless because of flooding, shorting, or insufficient wicking. As well, every one of them used a wick that would make cleaning by dry-burning ruin the atomizer. A good atomizer would still only last me about a day at most before the taste started becoming unpalatable, and I would have to replace it with another three dollar atomizer.
I pondered that there seem to be so many content vapers with the very same clearomizers I bought, yet I was dissatisfied with each. "Why me?" I wondered. Was my draw too weak or too strong? Was I vaping too much? Was my e-liquid to blame? Was I doing something else wrong? I figured it out when I let a friend borrow my very first e-cig kit. After he used it a few days with only one wick and without even cleaning the atomizer, I got it back from him and he and thanked me greatly. I asked him about the flavor, and he said it was fine. When I took a draw, I immediately gagged. I thought that perhaps vaping was just not for me, because of my taste oversensitivity.
Eureka
After delving into a lot of research and reviews, I found that the problems I was having were real; but just I could not tolerate them very well. If I could just make my own atomizer, have an adjustable airflow, and use my variable voltage mod, then I would have absolute control over my vaping experience. In my pursuit of an ideal contraption for me, I found the rebuildable tank atomizer. Eureka! The Kayfun Lite Plus (second batch) fit the bill perfectly, and I made sure to buy the authentic Svoemesto. When it finally arrived after an interminable three days, I never went back to cigarettes. With every problem that cropped up, I could attribute it to user error and then practice and correct until the problem no longer occured. When it flooded, dry burned, or started tasting off, I simply rebuilt the atomizer with basically less than a penny in cotton and kanthal wire. After a couple of days of frustration and forced patience, I was turning out rebuilds consistent enough for pleasing, repeatable results. Perhaps I should have titled this paragraph vaping nirvana
.If one is very sensitive to off taste in vaping, then pretty much any non-rebuildable clearomizer will be disappointing by the principle of not having full control over the vaping experience, in addition to unrealistic maintenance cost, and quality control issues. I can thank the Kayfun for my panacea to smoking.
