Need advice for new hardware

[Cyberopts]

I've been vaping since March 2010. I was not a smoker when I started. I have a neurological disorder called Benign Tick Syndrome. Basically, it's an adult version of Tourette's Syndrome, but it doesn't affect me all the time. In 2007 I visited a neurologist about my condition trying to find some relief, and he told me about children with Tourette's being put on the nicotine patch and having around 80% of their ticks disappear. I looked into the patch, but it's expensive. Since it's designed to be used short-term as a smoking cessation method, it was impractical to constantly purchase them to keep my issue in check. I tried the nicotine gum, but it tasted HORRIBLE. As I am an actor and vocalist, I didn't want to pick up smoking as it ruins your voice. In 2010 I was surfing the internet and came across a random add for electronic cigarettes. What interested me was the availability of flavors, as I was not partial to the taste of tobacco. I'm pleased to say that I have not had a serious episode of facial ticks in the past 4 years.

Here's my current issue:

I started off using Blu cigs, and was happy with their product (for the most part). Since I need the nicotine constantly to fight my facial ticks I vape ALL DAY LONG (no kidding). The Blu batteries simply could not hold up to this kind of use. They were constantly overheating and dying, leaving me high-and-dry in the middle of a work day with no nicotine. I did some research on battery life and eventually bought a Halo G6. The battery life was longer, but they were a pain to charge. By this time, I was buying my juice from Johnson Creek, since I noticed that they supplied the juice for Blu cigs and trusted them (I'm a bit paranoid about buying juice from new manufacturers). I quickly discovered that the Halo G6 was not well-suited for my vaping times. Sure, the batteries lasted longer, but were still not holding up to my all-day-vape needs. When Johnson Creek introduced the Vea I thought my prayers had been answered. FINALLY, a battery that would hold up to a whole day of vaping without going dead. Now, however, I'm discovering subtle things that really bug me. I've started using their Canteen system instead of cartomizers. While the vapor production is fine and it's really useful to be able to see how much fluid I have left, the drip tips have a bad habit of breaking, spilling liquid everywhere (especially inside my pocket). It also leaks quite a bit onto the top of the battery. While the Canteen is nice, I wish it were a bit bigger.

I've gone from NEEDING to vape to enjoying it, and I'm looking for some better hardware. Given my level of experience with vaping, does anyone have any suggestions as to where to look for some new gear? Also, if anyone has any suggestions for liquid I would appreciate that. Johnson Creek has great juices, but their selection is rather limited. One of the guys who works for me has an ecig, and comes into the office all the time with great-tasting liquids that I can't get from Johnson Creek.

*Side note: I prefer VG to PG, as the PG stings my throat pretty bad.

To sum up, this is what I'm looking for:

Long battery life
Large-capacity tank
Large amounts of vapor
Cleanable atomizer (to help save money)
Sturdy drip tip
Vegetable glycerine, low throat-hit, non-tobacco liquids

 

[BeldarConehead]

First, wow, that's quite the story! That's amazing that nicotene helps you so profoundly. Your story reminds me of a 60 Minutes piece I saw on a child with autism who was almost catatonic, that began playing and speaking when given edible .......... Isn't it funny that what hurts some, heals others?

Anyways, onto your predicament. Aside from the backstory, I have a similar experience with vaping. The JC Canteens are truly awful, I've had nothing but leaks and lacking performance as well. Luckily, the Vea has 510 threading, which is nearly universal in terms of attachments. I have read that the Kanger Protank 2 is a fan favorite, and I know people who use it who swear by it. It's inexpensive for what you get, and you can rebuild/replace all of the parts. If you're looking for a new batt, I recommend the Triton from Halo because of their nice tanks and huge capacity(up to 1300mAh!) but honestly, your Vea should serve you fine with the right hardware because of it's quality and the nice USB Mini passthrough.

As for juice, I've recently converted to Halo. They don't divulge their mix of PG/VG, but I can assure you that it is not that irritating. I'm a bit sensitive to PG myself, the non-Red Oak liquids from JC absolutely KILL my throat. However, I have not had this experience with Halo. The problem is, a lot of companies don't divulge their VG/PG ratio, and a lot do mix the two. I'd say look on here for VG-based DIY recipes. Who knows, you could be your favorite nic liquid producer afterall!