Noob to Vaping

[BluebirdGal]

I hope you will, and there's a very good chance of it. After 20 years of smoking and 4 of vaping, I've long since reached the point where I want to vape and I no longer have any desire to smoke. That too varies among vapers - some find it an ongoing struggle, while others find their interest in smoking eventually vanishes.

If vaping isn't doing it for you after you've tried for a bit, start asking questions. Tell us what you like about your AIO and what you don't like. It might or might not be the right setup for you, and if it isn't someone around here will be able to recommend something that suits you better.

Vape on!

My mind would love to have zero interest, and I feel I'm much closer than ever before so I sincerely hope this will be a smooth transition to vaping only.

I agree that it must be the right equipment and I'll take all the advice I can possibly get. My biggest issue, in a small town - not to mention living in Colorado - is we have no vape shop where I can physicall lay my hands on one to see the differences, see what feels right in my hand, etc. Everyone here vapes everything but tobacco. LOL

With this AIO .. I already don't care for the gurgling and a little spitting. Don't know if it is there stock 18mg classic tobacco juice (thickness) or just the device itself. I do like the shape & size of the device. And I do like that it is a fill it & use it device. From what I've seen here, I believe I would prefer to have a device that was adjustable heat-wise, and I was able to clean & re-use coils. The old brain is on overload about batteries, and wicking and who's cotton, etc.

After my present research here over 3 days, I'm a MTL sort of person and prefer to replicate the actual act of smoking a cig, rather than just puff out a huge cloud of smoke so any suggestions in that department are surely welcome. I really believe that after so many years of the cigs that 1/2 of my battle will be replicating the act of smoking and, of course, finding the right juice to lure me 100% away from ever wanting to taste another real cig.

 

[Hawise]

My mind would love to have zero interest, and I feel I'm much closer than ever before so I sincerely hope this will be a smooth transition to vaping only.

I hope so too. It takes some time for smoking to lose its hold, but many people find it does - even after decades of cigarettes.

I agree that it must be the right equipment and I'll take all the advice I can possibly get. My biggest issue, in a small town - not to mention living in Colorado - is we have no vape shop where I can physicall lay my hands on one to see the differences, see what feels right in my hand, etc. Everyone here vapes everything but tobacco. LOL

It is nice to be able to get the feel of devices before you buy them and it's a pity that's not an option for you, but I started before there were any real options so I just got what there was and it worked for me.

About the tobacco, that's actually a common issue at the beginning. Most people (including me) start out wanting something as similar to a cig as possible and only consider tobacco flavours. As we get more into vaping, most of us start looking for other flavours. Some keep tobacco flavours on hand, others don't.

You might want to get a couple of other flavours that appeal to you so you can try them out when you get interested. At the same time, if tobacco flavours are what's appealing to you now, then yay tobacco!

With this AIO .. I already don't care for the gurgling and a little spitting. Don't know if it is there stock 18mg classic tobacco juice (thickness) or just the device itself. I do like the shape & size of the device. And I do like that it is a fill it & use it device. From what I've seen here, I believe I would prefer to have a device that was adjustable heat-wise, and I was able to clean & re-use coils. The old brain is on overload about batteries, and wicking and who's cotton, etc.

I think I've heard that the AIO and some Joyetech tanks are known for gurgling and spitting. A different tank might work better for you.

Cleaning coils is a bit more involved than it sounds. To clean them properly, you need rebuildable coils that you build and wick yourself. The wick stays disposable, but you can take the wick out, clean the coil and rewick with new material. It doesn't sound like you're interested in anything that complicated right now.

Replaceable batteries scared me a bit at first, but they're really not that bad. Key points:

• Get a good charger and don't charge them in the mod. Xtar and Nitecore are the manufacturers most often recommended.
• Never use a battery with a torn wrapper.
• Never let a battery lie around loose. If it isn't in a mod or a charger, keep it in a case.
• Only use brand name (LG, Sony or Samsung) batteries you purchased from a reliable vendor. Mooch has a chart of recommended batteries with reliable vendors listed at the bottom. You can get a charger from the same vendors.

After my present research here over 3 days, I'm a MTL sort of person and prefer to replicate the actual act of smoking a cig, rather than just puff out a huge cloud of smoke so any suggestions in that department are surely welcome. I really believe that after so many years of the cigs that 1/2 of my battle will be replicating the act of smoking and, of course, finding the right juice to lure me 100% away from ever wanting to taste another real cig.

The most common tanks for MTL are the Nautilus series - the Nautilus, Nautilus Mini, Nautilus 2 and Triton Mini. All four take the same coils - and they're some of the cheaper coils out there. The Nautilus is the biggest, so it requires the least refilling. The Triton Mini and Nautilus 2 are top fill, so they're easier to refill. They're very similar otherwise, except perhaps the Nautilus 2 which hasn't been out long enough for good assessment.

For a simple, cost-effective mod that will let you set the wattage, the two I'd start with are Eleaf's Pico or Joyetech's eVic VTwo Mini. I happen to prefer the Mini because it's taller and thinner and I prefer the way it sits in my hand, and I like the buttons better. That's just preference and the Pico has plenty of advocates.

If you do get a Nautilus tank, you would run the mod in Power mode. Start at 5 watts and gradually work your way up until you reach a point you're happy with. That's about all there is to it.

Good luck!

 

[Smoke_too_much]

Hi Bluebird & welcome
When I went to quite I used 18 mg too. I never denied myself a cig if I wanted one but I did strike up an agreement with myself that before I had a cig I had to vape first. Strangely enough after vaping 18 mg I just never seemed to want that cig after.

 

[batteredwombat]

@BluebirdGal - Welcome! You've come to the right place for support, answers to questions, and encouragement on your journey to quit smoking.

After 42+ years of smoking 1 - 1 1/2 PAD, vaping is what finally helped me quit...for good! I'd already gotten down to 1/2 PAD in Nov. 2013, when I got so sick (flu maybe?) that I didn't have any smokes for 3 days. When I had my first 1 on day 4...I thought I was going to cough up a lung I coughed so hard. It was horrible! I rummaged around and found the ecig kit I'd bought a year earlier, had tried once, and put it away...telling myself maybe I'd try it sometime later, but not then.

From that day, I started vaping while gradually cutting down on the number of smokes I could have each week. I knew that for me personally, going "cold turkey" to switch wasn't going to work. On Jan. 14, 2014 I had my last smoke and was vaping only...and loving it! I can honestly say I've never even wanted another cigarette (even when around smokers), and I know I'll never have one! I really enjoy not smelling like an ashtray any more, nor my house or car reaking of them either. Quitting was also the only thing in my life I'd wanted to do, that I'd never been able to accomplish. With the help of vaping, I finally did it.

I was the last holdout to quit smoking, of all my friends and every family member, except for 1 niece who's now trying the same thing I did to quit. So far, she's finding that dual using is also helping her switch totally over to vaping. Everyone is different though, as far as what method works for them. Finding it for yourself...is the key.

Hang in there, and please come here for support and answers to any questions you may have. We've all been where you're at now, and have made the transition. You CAN do this, too!

Yes, finding it yourself is key although don't get frustrated if you pick up some things you don't like ( at least you will know what's not for you) and keep at it.

 

[vapdivrr]

Also agree on the nautilus tanks, my wife does the nautilus mini with the pico mod (battery) and loves it. She has been vaping the nautilus for years. It is however a changeable coil, so no cleaning it (when it goes, it goes ). There are people however that do take them apart to rework, but it's pretty small and perhaps a little difficult for new vapors. I would get this set up and maybe after some time, you could switch to a tank in which you could "clean" the coils. These tanks are rebuildables and do save you a ton of money because you don't have to buy their premade coils, but do them yourself. Once you make your own coil , which is not that difficult, it lasts for months. What does need changing more often is the wicking material like cotton, this on average is changed out every 3 days or so . Basically to change cotton, you just slide out the old wick from coil and thread in a new piece. So you would need a roll of wire (for coils, usually kanthal) and some cotton. Either way (a tank with premade coils like nautilus or a rebuildable ) uses the same mod or battery, so if you were to purchase a pico now with the nautilus, you still would use the pico if you did decide to buy a rebuildable tank. the nautilus is a mtl tank and imo an 18 to 24mg juice is about where you might want to start .

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[OlderNDirt]

I agree that it must be the right equipment and I'll take all the advice I can possibly get. My biggest issue, in a small town - not to mention living in Colorado - is we have no vape shop where I can physicall lay my hands on one to see the differences, see what feels right in my hand, etc.

I understand your situation with being in a small town with no vape shops. My rural town is just over 1,000 and I have never even seen another vaper here. Please don't let that little demon whisper in your ear that is justification to have just one smoke.

The day I decided to take the leap into vaping, I made the 100 mile drive to the city with a list of 4 vape shops to check out. My intent was to spend what 2 weeks smoking would cost me and make every attempt to make it that 2 weeks without a cig. I figured that would end up costing me nothing should it fail. I won't lie, I walked out of the first shop I visited with two complete set-ups and a couple 30ml bottles of juice. I went a bit over my "budget", but that would actually last me at least a month.

The rest is history. Haven't had a cig since day 3. I found an even better shop (unfortunately still 100 miles away) that I get to every month or two to stock up with enough to get me through until the next trip. Between that and a few online shops I've found, it is working out quite well even though I am out here in the sticks.

Being in a small town with no vape shops is only an inconvenience. Plan ahead on your supplies and like I do, take advantage of this great site for all the support you need. That does work if you want it to.

Again, good luck!

 

[BluebirdGal]

I understand your situation with being in a small town with no vape shops. My rural town is just over 1,000 and I have never even seen another vaper here. Please don't let that little demon whisper in your ear that is justification to have just one smoke.

The day I decided to take the leap into vaping, I made the 100 mile drive to the city with a list of 4 vape shops to check out. My intent was to spend what 2 weeks smoking would cost me and make every attempt to make it that 2 weeks without a cig. I figured that would end up costing me nothing should it fail. I won't lie, I walked out of the first shop I visited with two complete set-ups and a couple 30ml bottles of juice. I went a bit over my "budget", but that would actually last me at least a month.

The rest is history. Haven't had a cig since day 3. I found an even better shop (unfortunately still 100 miles away) that I get to every month or two to stock up with enough to get me through until the next trip. Between that and a few online shops I've found, it is working out quite well even though I am out here in the sticks.

Being in a small town with no vape shops is only an inconvenience. Plan ahead on your supplies and like I do, take advantage of this great site for all the support you need. That does work if you want it to.

Again, good luck!

Oh absolutely will plan ahead .. in fact I'm going to order my back up unit today, along with a few more tobacco flavors to try out. FedEX or UPS is always on time and this is a great place to virtually get my hands on everyone's experiences with different devices

 

[JCinFLA]

Yes, finding it yourself is key although don't get frustrated if you pick up some things you don't like ( at least you will know what's not for you) and keep at it.

Just to clarify, my suggestion that finding it yourself is key, was in reference to what method (ie. cold turkey, dual using & tapering off, etc.) she'd use to switch to vaping. It wasn't in reference to hardware.

 

[tazzle]

One thing to keep in mind about how much nicotine you want/need is how much you end up vaping. If you are having a few puffs every now and then, higher (like 18 mg) is usually better, but if you are chain vaping (like I do!) you might want to go lower. I smoked close to 2 PAD, but started at 12 mg, very quickly went to 6, and then to 3, because I vape a lot. If you find a juice you like, you can always get two strengths, or one high, and one zero nic, that you can mix as needed. So if you have 18 mg, but it seems too much, you could mix half and half in your tank, and have 9 mgs. Or 1/3-2/3, whatever is needed, until you settle on what is just right for you.

Some people use a higher nic juice while at work where they can only take the occasional vape break, and vape lower nic at home where they can vape at will.

 

[BluebirdGal]

One thing to keep in mind about how much nicotine you want/need is how much you end up vaping. If you are having a few puffs every now and then, higher (like 18 mg) is usually better, but if you are chain vaping (like I do!) you might want to go lower. I smoked close to 2 PAD, but started at 12 mg, very quickly went to 6, and then to 3, because I vape a lot. If you find a juice you like, you can always get two strengths, or one high, and one zero nic, that you can mix as needed. So if you have 18 mg, but it seems too much, you could mix half and half in your tank, and have 9 mgs. Or 1/3-2/3, whatever is needed, until you settle on what is just right for you.

Some people use a higher nic juice while at work where they can only take the occasional vape break, and vape lower nic at home where they can vape at will.

I have just ordered a couple more tobacco flavors that are 12mg. The 18mg does seem to do the trick, but I was used to - especially since I work from home 6mos out of the year, darn near chain smoking, and I'm pretty confident that chaining it on this AIO was my Day 1 issue. I drink a lot of water already & that was having no effect on the head-high

 

[BluebirdGal]

I really want to thank everyone for all of the welcomes, shared stories, encouragement and thoughts on different equipment since I joined!

 

[BluebirdGal]

Replaceable batteries scared me a bit at first, but they're really not that bad. Key points:

• Get a good charger and don't charge them in the mod. Xtar and Nitecore are the manufacturers most often recommended.
• Never use a battery with a torn wrapper.
• Never let a battery lie around loose. If it isn't in a mod or a charger, keep it in a case.
• Only use brand name (LG, Sony or Samsung) batteries you purchased from a reliable vendor. Mooch has a chart of recommended batteries with reliable vendors listed at the bottom. You can get a charger from the same vendors.

I happen to prefer the Mini because it's taller and thinner and I prefer the way it sits in my hand, and I like the buttons better. That's just preference and the Pico has plenty of advocates.

I really like the looks of the VTwo. The kit I found has a Cubis tank which I presume will be OK for a noob. The battery part is quite confusing but I will take a look at Mooch's chart. Joyetech offers the Samsung INR18650-25R 2500mAh Battery - Flat Top, but they are just individual batteries, no charger. So I think I'll just order the VTwo and get my batteries & charger from one of Mooch's recommendations instead. I'm a bit lost on the "25R" notation means?

 

[Eskie]

I really like the looks of the VTwo. The kit I found has a Cubis tank which I presume will be OK for a noob. The battery part is quite confusing but I will take a look at Mooch's chart. Joyetech offers the Samsung INR18650-25R 2500mAh Battery - Flat Top, but they are just individual batteries, no charger. So I think I'll just order the VTwo and get my batteries & charger from one of Mooch's recommendations instead. I'm a bit lost on the "25R" notation means?

The 25R is just a model designation. It's an excellent battery and pretty much my main go to. It is a 20A battery which is more than enough for routine use, especially in a regulated mod, and a capacity of 2,500 mAh which is sufficient. Decent charger brands include Nitecore and Xtar. Both work well. I would advise a 4 battery version. While you might not need 4 bays to begin with, you likely will down the road and will kick yourself if you already bought a 2 battery model. As always, Mooch's recommendations are the ones to follow.

 

[DancingHeretik]

I agree that it must be the right equipment and I'll take all the advice I can possibly get. My biggest issue, in a small town - not to mention living in Colorado - is we have no vape shop where I can physicall lay my hands on one to see the differences, see what feels right in my hand, etc. Everyone here vapes everything but tobacco. LOL

Back when I started, there were virtually no vape shops. I had never seen one. I've been to a few. But, by the time I first saw one, I had been vaping long enough that they had nothing I wanted (not for the price anyway).

But, back then there was very little to choose from. So not such a big issue.

After my present research here over 3 days, I'm a MTL sort of person and prefer to replicate the actual act of smoking a cig, rather than just puff out a huge cloud of smoke so any suggestions in that department are surely welcome. I really believe that after so many years of the cigs that 1/2 of my battle will be replicating the act of smoking and, of course, finding the right juice to lure me 100% away from ever wanting to taste another real cig.

With me, it's the actual holding it in my hand and vaping, not so much the nicotine. But, the flavor is just as important.

It's not so much finding the yummiest. It's about finding what's comfortable for you. With me it was Caramel Macchiato (a sweet coffee flavor). I never would have thought to try it. My brother bought it and didn't like it. So, he gave it to me. It was too sweet for him. But, it didn't taste sweet to me. It was just perfect. Something I could stand to vape (and even like) all day every day.

But, tastes change. Now I can't stand it. But, it got me through my first 9 months!

Now, my favorites are Tiramisu (less sweet coffee flavor) and Root Beer Float.

 

[Hawise]

I really like the looks of the VTwo. The kit I found has a Cubis tank which I presume will be OK for a noob. The battery part is quite confusing but I will take a look at Mooch's chart. Joyetech offers the Samsung INR18650-25R 2500mAh Battery - Flat Top, but they are just individual batteries, no charger. So I think I'll just order the VTwo and get my batteries & charger from one of Mooch's recommendations instead. I'm a bit lost on the "25R" notation means?

I'd be more inclined to buy the mod and tank separately and get a Nautilus-style tank, but I'm sure the Cubis has its adherents. I've never tried it myself, but you can search for it here to learn more about it.

Eskie has you covered on the battery. 25R is the model, and it's one of Mooch's recommended batteries, although not the longest lasting one. I would definitely buy from one of the vendors on Mooch's chart rather than Joyetech, though. Come to that, I don't think I'd buy anything directly from Joyetech. Manufacturers always sell at the recommended retail price, so other retailers tend to be less expensive.