I've gotten to the point where I feel like if I continue to smoke cigs, I will die. Oddly enough, I'm not considered a heavy smoker by most standards, but the health effects to me, over the past decade of my life, from being young and 20, to not as young and 30, are finally manifesting themselves in material, tangible ways - and it has to stop.
I started smoking at age 16, and started smoking regularly at age 18. I started with Camel TG's, then became a long time Marlboro Lights smoker, and for the past 4 or 5 years have smoked Camel Filters. During this time I went from smoking 1 cigarette a day, to 7-10 on average for the past 4 or 5 years (when I switched to the Filters). At first I didn't mind, now I hate it. It's a filthy habit, but I can't let it go. I hate the smell, the ash, the taste, and the way my respiratory passages feel like a damn ash tray at night time.
I'm looking towards E-cigarettes to help me 'cheat' in that they will at least get me to the point where I am battling chemical dependency only, but can at least be free of the carbon monoxide poisoning and tar build up, and maybe even reap some partial health benefits.
I've noticed that many people embrace e-cig's as a comfortable alternative - that's understandable and respectable - it's a better alternative to the cancer sticks, but I would like to think that e-cigs are a tool to help me be free of nicotine wholly eventually, something temporary, not a long term alternative. Then again, I am jumping ahead of myself.
I've been lurking for sometime, and find the mass of information overwhelming, with this forum being the only really centralized (relatively speaking) source of information. I wish there was a wikia on the hardware aspects of e-digs. I totally get the boys-and-there-toys aspect of it, and would love to piece together just one e-cig that fulfills my requirements, and not really turn it into a hobby where I have different ones for different times etc. - I have other hobbies like that, and like I said, given that I don't want this to be a long term solution, it seems most prudent to stick to whatever e-cig I can buy/create that will be able to replace my half-a-pack-a-day habit.
I have found a lot of products out there, through this forum, but every new one I find makes me come up with more questions!
To aid in finding something right for me, and to help you guys give me pertinent advice, I have tried to set constraints and parameters to help:
- It must be cigarette sized. I'm not down with fat cigar sized ones, or wands - this is replacing my cigarette, it has to mimic that hand to mouth motion, and has to be as portable and compact. I think this will be the most helpful in limiting my choices and making a decision easier.
- It must be of quality built. Money isn't a limiting factor here. Even the gigantic contraptions which are comparatively expensive aren't absolutely expensive - especially when compared with the cost of cigs over the year and medical bills. I'm MORE than willing to pay for quality.
- If it can be like a handgun, in that you can buy a basic frame and upgrade components as you gain experience and learn about their relationship with the other hardware involved - that would be great. Interchangeability and customizable while maintaining the cigarette form factor are what I'm after I guess. For the cigarette form factor, it seems there are usually just 3 prts: the batt, the cartridge, and the atomizer. I would be down to buy high quality components and piece together something good.
- Availability and local-ness? I want a brand that is reputable, has parts and supplies readily available.
As for my usage - I smoke about 5-10 cigs a day, usually around the 7-8 mark. 4 or so before I even leave work, and another 3 or 4 in the evening by the time i go to bed. It has to be able to last 7-10 cigs worth in a day. Nicotine delivery and throat hit are important to me, because to me I don't just smoke for the nicotine, I smoke for the smokey feeling especially after those big meals... and sex.. and I've had friends who tried disposable ecigs say that it just doesn't hit the spot on occasion. As for the amount of visual vapor, or smoke, I could care less. As long as I feel like it, it doesn't have to see like it!
Anyhow, if anyone can point me to comprehensive lists of the various components, or reviews or brand names of quality components, or leaders in the cigarette form-factor type... It just seems overwhelming with the variety of the different types of vapes out there, and I guess since it's a relatively new phenomena there is no centralized encyclopedia of e-smoking haha.
I started smoking at age 16, and started smoking regularly at age 18. I started with Camel TG's, then became a long time Marlboro Lights smoker, and for the past 4 or 5 years have smoked Camel Filters. During this time I went from smoking 1 cigarette a day, to 7-10 on average for the past 4 or 5 years (when I switched to the Filters). At first I didn't mind, now I hate it. It's a filthy habit, but I can't let it go. I hate the smell, the ash, the taste, and the way my respiratory passages feel like a damn ash tray at night time.
I'm looking towards E-cigarettes to help me 'cheat' in that they will at least get me to the point where I am battling chemical dependency only, but can at least be free of the carbon monoxide poisoning and tar build up, and maybe even reap some partial health benefits.
I've noticed that many people embrace e-cig's as a comfortable alternative - that's understandable and respectable - it's a better alternative to the cancer sticks, but I would like to think that e-cigs are a tool to help me be free of nicotine wholly eventually, something temporary, not a long term alternative. Then again, I am jumping ahead of myself.
I've been lurking for sometime, and find the mass of information overwhelming, with this forum being the only really centralized (relatively speaking) source of information. I wish there was a wikia on the hardware aspects of e-digs. I totally get the boys-and-there-toys aspect of it, and would love to piece together just one e-cig that fulfills my requirements, and not really turn it into a hobby where I have different ones for different times etc. - I have other hobbies like that, and like I said, given that I don't want this to be a long term solution, it seems most prudent to stick to whatever e-cig I can buy/create that will be able to replace my half-a-pack-a-day habit.
I have found a lot of products out there, through this forum, but every new one I find makes me come up with more questions!
To aid in finding something right for me, and to help you guys give me pertinent advice, I have tried to set constraints and parameters to help:
- It must be cigarette sized. I'm not down with fat cigar sized ones, or wands - this is replacing my cigarette, it has to mimic that hand to mouth motion, and has to be as portable and compact. I think this will be the most helpful in limiting my choices and making a decision easier.
- It must be of quality built. Money isn't a limiting factor here. Even the gigantic contraptions which are comparatively expensive aren't absolutely expensive - especially when compared with the cost of cigs over the year and medical bills. I'm MORE than willing to pay for quality.
- If it can be like a handgun, in that you can buy a basic frame and upgrade components as you gain experience and learn about their relationship with the other hardware involved - that would be great. Interchangeability and customizable while maintaining the cigarette form factor are what I'm after I guess. For the cigarette form factor, it seems there are usually just 3 prts: the batt, the cartridge, and the atomizer. I would be down to buy high quality components and piece together something good.
- Availability and local-ness? I want a brand that is reputable, has parts and supplies readily available.
As for my usage - I smoke about 5-10 cigs a day, usually around the 7-8 mark. 4 or so before I even leave work, and another 3 or 4 in the evening by the time i go to bed. It has to be able to last 7-10 cigs worth in a day. Nicotine delivery and throat hit are important to me, because to me I don't just smoke for the nicotine, I smoke for the smokey feeling especially after those big meals... and sex.. and I've had friends who tried disposable ecigs say that it just doesn't hit the spot on occasion. As for the amount of visual vapor, or smoke, I could care less. As long as I feel like it, it doesn't have to see like it!
Anyhow, if anyone can point me to comprehensive lists of the various components, or reviews or brand names of quality components, or leaders in the cigarette form-factor type... It just seems overwhelming with the variety of the different types of vapes out there, and I guess since it's a relatively new phenomena there is no centralized encyclopedia of e-smoking haha.
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