I've been vaping for about a year (not counting time on cigalikes) and off the cigs completely for a couple of months. Noticed recently that I sometimes don't pick up my vaper for longish periods, especially if I'm busy doing something absorbing. This morning I was up for a couple of hours before I realized I hadn't had a hit. That would never have happened with cigarettes. Other times, like when I'm on the computer, I vape non-stop.
Anyway today I went off to work in my truck. I have a couple of spinner powered protank mini's that I always take to work. I was driving around doing odd jobs for 6 hours. Realised soon into it that I had screwed up big time. One tank was almost empty. The other one had a coil that was close to death. Started thinking I might have to buy some cigs. I was desperately sucking on both of them all day. As dried out and burned as they both tasted I suspect I took a lot more hits than I would have if they had both been good. Didn't figure out until I was almost home that I could have poured the juice from the one with the bad coil into the one that was low, and invented a new flavour.
It made me realize how shaky the recovery process is. Just knowing I couldn't have a good hearty vape for a whole 6 hours almost threw me into a panic attack and brought on visions of a pack of cigs. Like a kid going on a trip without his security blanket.
I need more equipment. I need spares stashed everywhere.
Yeah, you really can't treat vaping with the same casual attitude you treated cigarettes -- yeah, you can get crappy cigalikes at a local convenience store, but they probably won't be anything like the vape you've come to love.
Also keep in mind that failing to make preparations -- not refilling, not making sure your coils are good, not recharging -- is a sneaky way your old addicted brain can manipulate you into giving it what it REALLY wants -- cigarettes. The brain is addicted, and it really doesn't care what the MIND wants -- to quit cigarettes -- it will do
everything it can possibly do to sabotage your efforts to deprive it of cigarettes: cause you to "forget" to make the necessary preparations; manufacture physical symptoms that seemingly can only be relieved by smoking an actual cigarette; send you messages, if you do break down and smoke one, such as 'well I've smoked now, I might as well keep doing it;' send you messages like 'I wonder if they really would taste as bad as everyone says; I should try one and find out.'
Make no mistake, that addicted brain will do all that and more, to try and get what it really wants: more cigarette smoking. The brain is a wonderful, powerful tool, but it makes a terrible master. If you aren't in charge of it, it will be in charge of you.
Andria