My story:
I kicked a 2+ pack a day habit back in 2011 with MAJOR help of the 'eCig' industry.
Within a few months I racked up around $500 in vape gear. I went nuts trying to find something I enjoyed managing that was also powerful enough to keep me off full flavor (often even filterless) smokes. In contrast...over years previous, I'd spent THOUSANDS trying gums, patches, prescriptions, and other smokeless products (snuff/chewing/etc).
First kit was a SmokTip 808. I liked it, but not enough to kick the cravings.
Next was a generic 808 kit to try to have enough batteries to make it through a day.
It was pretty but for some reason it wouldn't fire hot enough to even make vapor.
Next got an EgoT kit. Loved the batteries and rapid charger, but the atties were a poor performing money sink hole.
Picked up a $40 Boge Revolution kit hoping to get something I could just carry around all day and not have to fiddle with much. Worked well, but a cheap build and didn't last long. Still have it, could easily rebuild it, but these days you can get really nice stuff brand new for less than it'd cost to get some LIpos and a spool of wire for the Revolution.
A plethora of carto and atty types...thread adapters...drip tips (and back then nothing came with drip tips or adapters...they were like $5 a pop.
Finally I took the plunge and got a high end Mod. It was difficult to pull off (stalking auctions and classifieds), but I finally won an auction for a used Darwin (a little over retail price to boot), and settled on various top coil CE2 style tanks (not the best vape, but easy as pie to manage on the go...and lasted well for the money). I fell in love with the light weight and form factor of that thing.
I picked up a Bolt and a kick to have as a backup for the Darwin, as at the time it was the only thing readily available on the market even close to the power of a Darwin for less than $100.
Now the good part...
The Darwin along side the over-zealous stash of 'oh my gosh...what carto/atty do I like/need' buying binges took care of me for over 2 years. Other than a monthly liquid order (usually around $70 a month since I don't mix my own)...I didn't spend another dime on hardware for a very very long time...probably more than a full year!
Two years later, my horribly abused and constantly used Darwin needs some attention to get back to its former glory. While it awaits a turn on the operating table for a refurb/upgrade. I fell back to the kicked bolt...the wiring inside fried...kept rebuilding it every few month till I accidentally melted it beyond easy repair (plus I never could get the stupid 510 connector to ground well).
I have a birthday coming up....
The egos are long dead...well, they'll still take some charge and fire, but terribly weak now...the 808 kits barely glow and the ones with auto batteries won't even let air through them anymore.
So I just picked up a Saber and a $30 back-up mod with a Kick 2 (not 'needed' but I wanna play with it) to tide me over for a while.
Seems expensive...BUT...I blew far more smoking the nasty cancer sticks.
I also had some 'accidents' as a smoker that could have purchased me several HIGH END mods (dropped a .... on a pool cover once...2k down the drain...ruined everything inside a home with yellow funk and stale smoke smell, vehicle trades took serious hits thanks to smoker stink...highly likely I missed professional promotions and opportunities thanks to smoker stigmas and realities...well more than 8k loss due to 'smoking'...my health...priceless).
Now I've learned what I like and need. vaping can cost less than my daily coffee now if I want it that way.
The rest is 'gravy'
For me, the quest for 'new vaping experiences/gear' seems to be more of a winter thing. Indoors more...and things like reading, shopping, food, and flavor seem more interesting to me than in the spring/summer months.
If I could do it all over again, I'd have gotten two of the best high end mods money can buy (two different ones for variety) and be done with it in terms of 'work horse' vaping contraptions.
The rest is kind of like a nice pipe collection...GRAVY...a hobby
Both smoking and vaping are habits that have led to meeting some of the most interesting people on the entire planet. The best part about vaping over smoking, is now I can go anywhere and get along with almost anyone! Not so with smoking...and after being smoke free for so long...and smelling what non-smokers used to smell on me...I understand why Unlike many people who have never smoked, I have no problem being close to smokers...they're still wonderful people! It's nice to no longer be 'trapped' in one truly stinky world tho'....
I kicked a 2+ pack a day habit back in 2011 with MAJOR help of the 'eCig' industry.
Within a few months I racked up around $500 in vape gear. I went nuts trying to find something I enjoyed managing that was also powerful enough to keep me off full flavor (often even filterless) smokes. In contrast...over years previous, I'd spent THOUSANDS trying gums, patches, prescriptions, and other smokeless products (snuff/chewing/etc).
First kit was a SmokTip 808. I liked it, but not enough to kick the cravings.
Next was a generic 808 kit to try to have enough batteries to make it through a day.
It was pretty but for some reason it wouldn't fire hot enough to even make vapor.
Next got an EgoT kit. Loved the batteries and rapid charger, but the atties were a poor performing money sink hole.
Picked up a $40 Boge Revolution kit hoping to get something I could just carry around all day and not have to fiddle with much. Worked well, but a cheap build and didn't last long. Still have it, could easily rebuild it, but these days you can get really nice stuff brand new for less than it'd cost to get some LIpos and a spool of wire for the Revolution.
A plethora of carto and atty types...thread adapters...drip tips (and back then nothing came with drip tips or adapters...they were like $5 a pop.
Finally I took the plunge and got a high end Mod. It was difficult to pull off (stalking auctions and classifieds), but I finally won an auction for a used Darwin (a little over retail price to boot), and settled on various top coil CE2 style tanks (not the best vape, but easy as pie to manage on the go...and lasted well for the money). I fell in love with the light weight and form factor of that thing.
I picked up a Bolt and a kick to have as a backup for the Darwin, as at the time it was the only thing readily available on the market even close to the power of a Darwin for less than $100.
Now the good part...
The Darwin along side the over-zealous stash of 'oh my gosh...what carto/atty do I like/need' buying binges took care of me for over 2 years. Other than a monthly liquid order (usually around $70 a month since I don't mix my own)...I didn't spend another dime on hardware for a very very long time...probably more than a full year!
Two years later, my horribly abused and constantly used Darwin needs some attention to get back to its former glory. While it awaits a turn on the operating table for a refurb/upgrade. I fell back to the kicked bolt...the wiring inside fried...kept rebuilding it every few month till I accidentally melted it beyond easy repair (plus I never could get the stupid 510 connector to ground well).
I have a birthday coming up....
The egos are long dead...well, they'll still take some charge and fire, but terribly weak now...the 808 kits barely glow and the ones with auto batteries won't even let air through them anymore.
So I just picked up a Saber and a $30 back-up mod with a Kick 2 (not 'needed' but I wanna play with it) to tide me over for a while.
Seems expensive...BUT...I blew far more smoking the nasty cancer sticks.
I also had some 'accidents' as a smoker that could have purchased me several HIGH END mods (dropped a .... on a pool cover once...2k down the drain...ruined everything inside a home with yellow funk and stale smoke smell, vehicle trades took serious hits thanks to smoker stink...highly likely I missed professional promotions and opportunities thanks to smoker stigmas and realities...well more than 8k loss due to 'smoking'...my health...priceless).
Now I've learned what I like and need. vaping can cost less than my daily coffee now if I want it that way.
The rest is 'gravy'
For me, the quest for 'new vaping experiences/gear' seems to be more of a winter thing. Indoors more...and things like reading, shopping, food, and flavor seem more interesting to me than in the spring/summer months.
If I could do it all over again, I'd have gotten two of the best high end mods money can buy (two different ones for variety) and be done with it in terms of 'work horse' vaping contraptions.
The rest is kind of like a nice pipe collection...GRAVY...a hobby
Both smoking and vaping are habits that have led to meeting some of the most interesting people on the entire planet. The best part about vaping over smoking, is now I can go anywhere and get along with almost anyone! Not so with smoking...and after being smoke free for so long...and smelling what non-smokers used to smell on me...I understand why
Unlike many people who have never smoked, I have no problem being close to smokers...they're still wonderful people! It's nice to no longer be 'trapped' in one truly stinky world tho'....
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