Just started vaping and have got to say.... WOOOHOOO!!!!!

[supergerbil]

So yeah, WOOHOOO!!!!

I started smoking when I was 22 and almost immediately I knew I wanted to quit. For ten frakking years I have tried and failed. I have spent hundreds of dollars on patches, lozenges, even that drug that inhibits the brains ability to bond to nicotine (or however that works) and still I kept on smoking. I went through a bout of asthmatic bronchitis a few years ago that left me flat on my back for almost a week with a 103.5 fever and even that only got me to stop for about ten days. I was frustrated, ...... off, and had pretty much given up. Then the gas station next to my shop started carrying Cig2o's and everything changed. I haven't had a smoke since Monday and whats more I haven't had any of the withdrawal symptoms that I used to get when I tried to quit in the past! I haven't been jittery, I haven't lost my temper for no good reason, and I haven't had to talk myself out of going and buying a pack at 1am because I couldn't sleep and I had convinced myself that having "just one smoke" would make everything ok. I am FREAKING LOVING THIS!!!!

So anyways now that I have the backstory out of the way I did have a couple questions. I have spent some time sifting through the forums (not much) but didn't quite find the answers so I apologize in advance if these questions have already been asked and answered.

Ok so my kit right now is 2 Cig2o white batteries, car/wall/usb chargers and I am vaping 18 and 24 mg tobacco flavor cartomizers. (I put the entire thing together including 4 carts for about $41.00.) The first day I went through just fine on one cart but now I am using probably a cart and a half. I read somewhere that one cart is equal to one pack of analogs and I am a little concerned that I am vaping too much? I used to smoke 14 to a pack of Marlboro 27s a day so to my n00b mind I am taking in too much nicotine however I haven't felt sick or anything like that..... I dont know. Anybody have any thoughts on this?

Secondly while I like what I am using now I am thinking I may want to get some better gear. Something with a battery that will last all day? Also I like the convenience of the cartomizers but it seems that most folks aren't using them. Is using juice a hassle? Are there products out there that will hold enough to last through the day? My work keeps me mobile and I am not all that thrilled at the idea of running dry and having to stop to refill. Especially while driving.

Sorry for the wall o' text and thanks in advance for any help you all could give me.

 

[base234]

Welcome to ECF! There is nothing such as vaping too much. Vape what you need to. Your body will let you know what you need. I don't use cartos or tanks anymore so I have nothing to suggest as far as hardware. I'm a dripper. Others will help you with that. Glad to have you with us.

 

[bluegal]

Congrats on putting the cigarettes down! I have been vaping for about 3 months now after 10 years of a pack and a half a day habit and it feels great. I dont have a lot of advice because of my newness but I am sure someone who knows more can help you out. There seems to be plenty of nice helpful folks here. There is a whole world of options out there and for me its been very enjoyable to dig through and find what works for me. Good luck and have fun

 

[Renzuli]

Welcome to ECF , but carto's are not equal to a pack . Outright lie . That being said , keep with the vaping , and eventually you will settle on what works best for you . Too much vaping ? Really / I didn't think you could . I have been at this , for over a year , and I still vape between 3 and 5 ml . a day . Just depends on what I'm using at the time . I think I use more with my tanks and dripping atty's . But still way better than smoking the regular ciggy's any day .

 

[iowajosh]

look up kgo ecigs, for example.

I think one cart is only worth a smoke or three. It is generally beleived that those packages are fibbing.

you need a device, a delivery system and juice. Its like starbucks x subway all at once.

I didn't really feel comfortable until I had a backup plan. And you will probably be constantly ordering stuff, lots of things to choose from. That's my experience anyway. Luck

 

[cosmic charlie]

Check the vendors section you can do better than cig2o, they're really not bad but kind of expensive. Comparing packs of cigarettes to cartos is useless the nicotine absorbs differently. There are lots of options from just dripping to genesis, and who knows what they'll come up with next. Get ready to read a lot online and make some purchases you may regret. We've all been there and it's part of the learning curve. The cig2o is either a 901 or 808 if I remember correctly and an automatic. Look for a manual battery with a 510 connector and your options will be almost limitless. A 901-510 adapter and you can use your cig2o batteries on most 510 attys and cartos. Most of all have fun!

 

[bnrkwest]

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!! I love vaping and know exactly what you mean, it makes giving up analogs so much easier. Your next up grade might be an ego type and the battery will most likely last a day, they also can take clearomizers, which you fill with juice and vape away, no need to top them off like cartos, I love them on an ego. I have been using Kanger clearos on mine and they are great if you need something easy to take along. Shop around look for deals and have fun shopping bnrk

 

[Urizen]

One carto is not a pack of cigarettes, regardless of the advertisements. I'd say its about 4-5 cigs tops. I learned that the hard way. As far as batteries go, if you want something to last all day you are going to need a bigger e-cig. I am very fond of smokeless images X2 Volt batteries, which is about the size of a cigar (there are other options, this is just all I know first hand). The 1300mah battery with a couple of clearomizers (holds about 1.6ml of juice) will last me about 8 hours of basically chain vaping. So, two of those will get me through a work day.

If you took to e-cigs off a basic starter kit then its all gravy from here. I was able to quit, with pretty much your exact story, the second I got my first e-cig. Some people really struggle with them. I just recommend getting more backups then you think you need: cartos, juice, and batteries. Also, good luck on your juice hunt. There are a lot of high quality juices out there. There is a lot to learn but you are in the right place. I've been lurking here since right before I quit. It was actually the success stories forum here that convinced me to give them a shot.

 

[jcbstudios]

The worst part about vaping is that it's very inconsistent. I've had numerous friends who tried to vape but gave up from frustration. the RY4 juice that you buy from one place doesn't taste like the RY4 from another vendor. Stuff like that. ha ha ha

I can't speak for others, but as for myself my biggest breakthrough was when i sat down and honestly calculated just how much money i was spending to kill myself faster. (I was smoking 2 packs a day). That's when i decided not to be scared of the initial costs of Vaping.

I tried different juices and atty's from different vendors, and made it through my first few months mostly unscathed. ha ha ha ha Eventually, I bought a variable voltage mod, and decided to give the carto tanks another try. This time with standard resistance carto's. Not the low resistance dual coils. I prefer the 2.7-3.5 ohm range.

This is the best vaping experience I've had yet, even with it's inherent problems. I can fill up the tank (approx 5-6 ml's) and put in a fresh battery (lavatube style VV mod with 18650 1600mAh batts) and walk out the door and be set for the day.

I've purchased some Genesis style rebuildable atty's and eventually that's probably all I'll use in the future. Just have to be successfull getting my hands on a couple more first. ha ha ha

So, in short, I highly recommend the lavatube style variable voltage mod with a standard resistance carto and a tank. It's far from perfect, but I've found that it really suites my needs from one minute to the next. You can lower your voltage and get less vapor, cooler vapor, and less throat hit. Or you can crank it up and blow the back of your head off with throat hit. ha ha ha ha

Carto tanks are pretty much everywhere now, and can be purchased for about $10-$20. It's a small investment. You never have to throw the tank away, you just replace the cartomisers inside them. I usually get about 3-8 good vaping days from one cartomizer, and have never spent more than $3 for one. I usually buy 10-20 at a time.

Quick hint: If you're vaping on a carto and it's making you cough, that's a good sign that it has outlived it's usefulness. They're cheap, so just throw it away and grab a new one.

The way i look at it, I was spending $12 a day smoking, so if I'm spending $2-$3 a day vaping I'm saving $9-$10 dollars!!!

Not to mention that I smell better, and I SMELL better, feel better, don't cough all the time, Can vape in my lazy-boy, or my bed, and my wife is much happier with me all around. Although, I can't say that I look any better. ha ha ha ha

Good luck, and Vape On!!!

 

[TH0MAS CR0WN]

Congrats!

I found quitting cig's MUCH easier once I started on vaporizers. They do take some time to get used to, and you'll probably buy tons of juices to "try" that you'll hate till you find your perfect rotation, but it is definitely worth it.

I started on 24mg nicotine, then bought 18mg, then 11-12 mg. I have some AVE juices coming all in 6mg of nicotine as well, slowly weening myself off nicotine in general. Or at the very least the lowest nicotine amount available.


Eventually I just wanna use my vaporizers for fun and not an everyday thing (ala Hookah). I realized I just love the flavors so much, regardless of nicotine content.

 

[sailorman]

So yeah, WOOHOOO!!!!
.....
Secondly while I like what I am using now I am thinking I may want to get some better gear. Something with a battery that will last all day? Also I like the convenience of the cartomizers but it seems that most folks aren't using them. Is using juice a hassle? Are there products out there that will hold enough to last through the day? My work keeps me mobile and I am not all that thrilled at the idea of running dry and having to stop to refill. Especially while driving.

Sorry for the wall o' text and thanks in advance for any help you all could give me.

Truth be told, most people ARE using cartomizers. Filling them is a piece o' cake. They travel easy and they're cheap. Some people prefer clearomizers. They can be finicky but when they're working right they taste better and you can see how much juice you have left. They cost more initially, but they last longer. Most are not as leak-proof as cartomizers though, so you have to be a bit more careful with how you transport them. Another advantage to clearomizers is that you can vape them until they're empty without worrying about burning the filler, because there is none.

If you want something that'll last you all day, you're going to need to have something larger than a cigarette. Little batteries just can't handle it. The good news is that you can do it with something the size of a Sharpie marker.

Bottom line is that if you are willing to use something larger than a cigarette, you have a lot of good choices to upgrade to.
If you want an upgrade but just have to have a cig style, the Volt from smokelessimage.com is the only reasonable choice. The batteries last about 3-4 hours, but they have a charging case so you can make them last a day with a bit of planning and rotating.

If you use cartomizers that you fill yourself, you can fill up a few of them, cap them and you won't have to worry about pulling over to refill. When the vapor starts to thin out, just swap them and fill them back up when it's more convenient. Don't vape on them until they tast burnt though. Once burned, they are forever ruined. Refillable cartomizers open up a whole world of superior juice and it's worth upgrading to something you can refill just for that alone.

For a good budget setup that will perform better and longer than any cig. sized e-cig, consider a kGo. It's probably the single most successful upgrade to the mini-cigs most of us began on. A full kit with 2 1100mah batteries (8-10 hours worth), a charger and a couple boxes of cartomizers will set you back only slightly more than the rig you are using now. The difference in vapor production and battery life will be remarkable.

Here's the kGo:http://www.sweet-vapes.com/shop?page=shop.browse&category_id=31

Or, you could get a similar unit that takes replaceable batteries. Bring a spare battery with you and you can vape for 24 hours straight. This is the e-Power:Crystal Clear Vaping

If you want to go the variable voltage route without plunking down $200 for a Provari, you can get a good lavatube for abut $69 or even less. Apolloecigs.com has a 30% off coupon code "Vtube30" that'll bring the price of a version 1 Lavatube down to around $50. Or, you can get the newer, improved Lavatube for $69 for the full kit.

Here's the new Lavatube:Variable Voltage 1.5 Mod Kit - Smoke Anywhere For Penny's, LLC Store

 

[Debadoo]

First.....Congrats!! Second.....I can't really offer suggestions on what to get because I'm very knew and still learning about this stuff. What I can tell you from one newbie to another is.....

Don't get a lot of something thinking you'll like it. I thought polyfill cartos like boge 510 and even mega dual coil cartos would be just the ticket. I had to buy my stuff in two stages, so I stocked up on cartos, and got some trial sizes of juice. Then later got my Kgo (Ego clone). For 2-3 days all was well. Then I realized, I did NOT like poly fill cartos. I'd bought 15 boges in a pack cuz it was a good deal, and ended up with 10 mega dual coils. 5 I bought, then another 5 that came with my Kgo kit. Now I'm getting ready to try some clearomizers. I think I'll be trying a stardust, and probably the new Phoenix which should be available again in a day or two at gotvapes.com

Google review videos on things. I wish I had found this site before I started ordering things. Google, stardust clearomizer review etc. Also look in the products section to see what all is out there. I had thought first about the fluxomizer, but now I don't think so. No one knows what they'll like til they try it, but videos and what users have to say can be a huge help in deciding what you think you'll like.

If you have a store local to you check it out! I don't have any around me, but they could be a Godsend as far as information and maybe being able to try things before you buy them. It's not easy, it's very much trial and error, but it is so worth it, so don't give up!

Don't beat yourself up if you fall back a bit. Some folks start out totally vape, some vape + cigs, gradually reducing cigs, just do what works for you. Every cig you don't smoke is that much healthier for you.

 

[Mroutlaw]

First of all, cartos are not equal to a pack of analogs. All of these companies put that in their web sites and it's an outright lie. When i started, i thought the same thing. I found a company that sold cartridges that they claimed were a pack of cigs. At $2 per carto I figured I would be saving $4 per pack on cigs. In my experience, a carto is closer to a half a pack. The thing is, even with that, it isn't referring to the nicotine level, just how many puffs you take. Personally, I was a pack and a half a day smoker of marlboro smooth. I started off on 6mg of nicotine Because I new that my addiction was more with the hand to mouth action. I vape more than I smoked because I can. If I could have smoked inside and when my kids were home, I would have smoke at least 2 packs a day.

As for your kit, I'm not familiar with that set up. Are you buying prefilled cartos? Does that company offer blanks? If not, yes, get new gear. It is much cheaper to refill your cartos and it's not that difficult. It costs me about 20cents to fill a carto. Personally I prefer the cartos and clearos. I do not want to be bothered dripping. I use clearos at home and cartos when I'm out. I like the fact that a carto is sealed and doesn't leak

 

[Pappy]

. . . .
If you have a store local to you check it out! I don't have any around me, but they could be a Godsend as far as information and maybe being able to try things before you buy them. It's not easy, it's very much trial and error, but it is so worth it, so don't give up!

Debadoo, there's a vape shop in Round Rock called All About Vapor (allaboutvapor.com). It's right on I-35 just north of the 45 Toll Road. That's probably about an hour or less from Killeen/Temple. I haven't been there. I just saw a reference to them on here somewhere and looked them up.

 

[supergerbil]

Thanks for the responses guys! There is a whole lot more to this than I first thought (which actually is kinda awesome).

So this is basically what I have now: Cig2o Starter ProKit (Tobacco) except I built it from a couple of smaller starter kits that I bought at the gas station. I think the cig2o is just a rebranded for retail Vapage ecig which is a 808 with a automatic batt. I went ahead and ordered a manual batt for it along with a couple different flavors of cartos. The cartos for these things are prefilled and, from what I can gather, not meant to be refilled. When I first posted I for some reason thought that cartomizers ONLY came as prefilled disposables but thanks to you guys I am starting to get my info straight.

I am not really married to the whole "trying to mimic the look of an analog" idea; in fact I think I would prefer my PV not to look anything like an analog. Right now I am considering a Vapage V-Pro Ego Tank System as my next step up in hardware. I think its an ego (which Im not sure how thats different from a kgo) that has the option to use clearomizers which sounds awesome as right now I keep wondering just how many pulls I still have in my carto. I am also considering a Vapage Titan System and I really cant figure out the difference between the two. The titan comes with automatic batts and the VPro has manuals? The only reason I keep going back to Vapage.com is that they are the company that makes what I am using now. Not sure if there are any real differences between their ego (Vpro) and say a Joye ego or any other brand in a comparable model. The Lavatube looks great but my gut is telling me I am still a step or two away from something like that.

And finally thanks for clearing up the whole "1 carto equals a pack" thing for me. I was actually trying to force myself not to vape as much as I wanted to for fear that I was packing my system with nic. lol, knowing is half the battle.

 

[sailorman]

.....
I am not really married to the whole "trying to mimic the look of an analog" idea; in fact I think I would prefer my PV not to look anything like an analog. Right now I am considering a Vapage V-Pro Ego Tank System as my next step up in hardware. I think its an ego (which Im not sure how thats different from a kgo) that has the option to use clearomizers which sounds awesome as right now I keep wondering just how many pulls I still have in my carto. I am also considering a Vapage Titan System and I really cant figure out the difference between the two. The titan comes with automatic batts and the VPro has manuals? The only reason I keep going back to Vapage.com is that they are the company that makes what I am using now. Not sure if there are any real differences between their ego (Vpro) and say a Joye ego or any other brand in a comparable model. The Lavatube looks great but my gut is telling me I am still a step or two away from something like that.

And finally thanks for clearing up the whole "1 carto equals a pack" thing for me. I was actually trying to force myself not to vape as much as I wanted to for fear that I was packing my system with nic. lol, knowing is half the battle.

Let me clear up that Vapage V-Pro question. It is a re-branded eGo-T in a nice box that you are paying about $10-20 extra for. It is 3.4V, less powerful than either a kGo or an e-Power and equipped with a buggy 1 piece atomizer/cone and a tank system thay you will invariably tire of fooling with and abandon in favor of a regular clearomizer an/or cartomizer. This forum is full of people asking for help with eGo-Ts and this V-Pro is the exact same product in a prettier box.

What's worse is that the kit includes one decent sized battery and one little battery. Most eGo-T kits at least include 2 good sized batteries.

The Titan is exactly the same kit, with prettier automatic batteries. Automatic batteries are not sealed, so they can be destroyed by leaking fluid. Not a good combination in a system famous for leaking. Do yourself a favor and stay clear of automatic batteries. A manual battery give you more control and reliability. It doesn't cut you off mid-puff. It won't go off in the presence of loud noises, and it won't be destroyed if a carto or atomizer leaks.

Do yourself an even bigger favor and forget Vapage. Neither of these is a particularly good system. In fact, the entire idea of trying to resurrect the obsolete atomizer/cartridge system by renaming the cartridge a "tank" is a bad one.

BTW, ALL eGo type batteries have the option of using clearomizers. The "V-Pro Crystal Cartridge" is the version 1 of the Stardust or "ego Vision Clearomizer" with a pretty name. Since the Version 2 came out, you can get them for about $4.50 apiece. (reference my first link). If Vapage was a decent company, at least they'd be overcharging you for the newer version instead of trying to foist the V1 on you for $12 pair.


If you like the eGo form factor, get one with 3.7V, and 2 batteries of at least 1000mah . You might be interested in the eGo-W, which is at least a 3.7V system. You can use any 510 clearomizer or cartomizer you want on any eGo. Most cost less than $50. The mere fact that Vapage would try to say that $70 is a $30 savings indicates they are a ripoff site. I've never seen another site with the audacity to try and claim an eGO -T was a $100 kit. That whole site is more like a mall kiosk than an internet vape site.

 

[martsumoto]

Welcome!

I hear you mate, I was smoking a pack a day for 17 years I wasnt able to quit using patches, nic gum or any other crap until I started vaping... this for me has been a life saver! and I've been away from analogs ever since without the need to go back.

If you are like me you will enjoy your vaping everyday more and you wont be quitting ( we all need a little habit lol) so yes def in your list goes getting better gear. Unfortunately there is no shortcut here, The helpful folks in our community will suggest you tons of options but at the end you will be spending some bucks until you find what suits you best and later the other part of the story is finding the right juices to vape.

I have cartos, tanks, attys for dripping, basically tried it all but to me cartos are still my thing so...

Anyway my truly advice in the saving money department is just go and buy a top notch mod from start that will save money instead of buying several basic starter kits till you realize you need longer lasting batteries and so on.

Check the provari, provape 1, Silver Bullet, Lava Tube and similars and get yourself a treat.

good luck

 

[supergerbil]

Let me clear up that Vapage V-Pro question. It is a re-branded eGo-T in a nice box that you are paying about $10-20 extra for. It is 3.4V, less powerful than either a kGo or an e-Power and equipped with a buggy 1 piece atomizer/cone and a tank system thay you will invariably tire of fooling with and abandon in favor of a regular clearomizer an/or cartomizer. This forum is full of people asking for help with eGo-Ts and this V-Pro is the exact same product in a prettier box.

What's worse is that the kit includes one decent sized battery and one little battery. Most eGo-T kits at least include 2 good sized batteries.

The Titan is exactly the same kit, with prettier automatic batteries. Automatic batteries are not sealed, so they can be destroyed by leaking fluid. Not a good combination in a system famous for leaking. Do yourself a favor and stay clear of automatic batteries. A manual battery give you more control and reliability. It doesn't cut you off mid-puff. It won't go off in the presence of loud noises, and it won't be destroyed if a carto or atomizer leaks.

Do yourself an even bigger favor and forget Vapage. Neither of these is a particularly good system. In fact, the entire idea of trying to resurrect the obsolete atomizer/cartridge system by renaming the cartridge a "tank" is a bad one.

Thanks for the heads up on Vapage; I went ahead and ordered the KGO from sweet vapes. I didnt really want to spend the $$$ right away but after a few minutes of adding up what I am spending on the prepackaged, prefilled cartos I figured making the leap sooner rather than later made sense. Well that and they want $22.00 for a cig2o manual battery and the more I read the more I am itching to ditch the automatics.

@ martsumoto - The lavatube looks interesting but, if you'll forgive my noobness, isnt it kinda big? Seems like it might be a little awkward to carry around. I really wish I could find a store in my area that carried some of these products so I could take a look before I buy but all I can find at local smokeshops are the little 808s like I have now and what seem like cheap disposables.

 

[Superchip92]

Congrats for putting down the analogs, stick with the vaping. There's a bit of a learning curve to it, but it's not overly complicated. If you find something that works for you then stick with it.

 

[rjwoes]

Congratulations on quitting traditional tobacco! Just to keep you going you may decide to gooogle "quit smoking timeline" to see all the health benefits that will be coming your way. For example after 12 months of stopping cigarettes your risk of heart attack is half of that of a smoker!