Starting day 2, need some advice.

[Australe]

Alright, I posted in here earlier in the week about what I wanted to buy. I bought a vision spinner with a protank mini 2 head. A few days before that I had ordered for my husband the Halo Triton Starter Kit. His Tritons came yesterday. Because I know that our juice wouldn't be here yet I ordered a 7ml bottle of Southern Classic 18mg 50/50 to have on hand so we could play with his new toys. I'm borrowing one of his Tritons until my vaporizer gets here later in the week.

My first thoughts on using the Triton? I don't like it. I've googled and hunted and youtubed information about proper use of a vaporizer. I have experience smoking cigars and am okay treating it like a cigar, but man if I pull any amount of that vapor into my lungs I feel like I want to turn inside out. Even exhaling the vapor from my mouth through my nose burns my sinuses too.
I honestly feel like this isn't an option to NOT vape, we ARE quitting analogs. I just gotta figure out what the heck to do differently. I was pleasantly surprised about how much flavor came through with the vapor, compared to the crappy disposables we were using before. I have mixed feelings about the Southern Classic, but we can get through this small bottle.

Most of the sample size bottles we have coming are 12mg-18mg nic and we bought a range from 100%vg to 60vg/40pg to 50/50 to 100%pg. I'm wondering if I shouldn't go and grab a lesser nic like 6mg to have on hand when my protank mini 2 gets here... I want.... I NEED to make this work and I know if anyone is going to be able to help support me getting through this adjustment its going to be you lovely awesome folks.

 

[Bunnykiller]

try a lower nic lvl 6 maybe and consider going to 100% VG ( easier on the throat and lungs) Hi nic lvls 24+ and PG ratios above 20% can be a tad hard to deal with for most people who smoke 1 PAD or less...

you can also try lighter draws too

 

[Talyon]

Yep having a 6 or 10 won't hurt, u can even mix a lower with a higher to get an in between.

Also learn how to Vape as in don't draw like its a cigarette, gotta go very slow but a bit longer as u get used to it.

Also have lots of water on hand.

Liquid makes a lot of difference as well.

There are several variables involved, and can take some some time to sort it out.

Others well be by to expand, hoping the best for the both of u.

 

[Kezrak]

I've only been vaping for a week, and I started off how you did. Drink plenty of water, and just practice the whole draw into mouth>then into lungs process. Your body has to adjust to the humidity of the vapor, so it'll take some adjustments. Like Bunnykiller said, consider dropping your nicotine amount, and also try different percentage mixes of PG and VG. Once your spinner comes in you can also drop the voltage on it to give you a bit of a cooler/smoother vape.

 

[Australe]

With analog cigarettes I always used my mouth to draw smoke off of the cigarette then inhaled... so I already have that habit. I've tried drawing on the triton as lightly as I'm able to, if I dare let any of that vapor into my lungs its instant gag right away. I honestly don't think I can even practice drawing into my lungs with this setup. I got shipping confirmation from ECBlends yesterday... so I would imagine by thursday my setup will be here along with my juices, one of which is 100%vg. I'll just have to treat this triton with this juice in it as a full blown cigar and not inhale any of it... it feels so silly that its this big of a deal. I'm glad on my previous thread someone had mentioned about not getting my expectations up. I know I just gotta get through this and figure out what the heck I'm doing. Really hoping my spinner and mini pt2 is going to love me more than these tritons

 

[Spazmelda]

Even going from 18 to 12 mg/ml can make a big difference in the harshness of the vape. The liquid itself can make a difference. Liquids have different ratios of PG and VG, and this can make a big difference on throat hit. Getting a bottle of 6 mg/ml is definitely a good idea. It probably seems like you are being nickled and dimed to death here, by having to buy this and that extra thing that you didn't think you'd need, but this will level off. I promise. It can take a while to find exactly what suits you.

If you have a local vape shop I'd highly recommend going by and using their tasting bar (if they have one). This can allow you to try 20-30 liquids without having to pay for them. It can really cut down the cost of this experimental phase.

As someone pointed out above, adjusting the voltage on your spinner might also help a lot. That's one of the reasons spinners and twists are so often recommended to beginners. When you get it in, set the voltage to the lowest mark and slowly increase it as you test it out. You will eventually find a voltage that is good for you and works with the resistance of your atomizer. This also leads into a discussion of what resistance atomizer to use. Do you know what resistance heads are coming with your protank? Say you set your spinner to 3.7 volts... A 1.8 ohm atomizer(head/coil) will give you a harsher vape at that voltage than a 2.2 ohm atomizer. I hope that's not too much information for you at this moment...

This preference (voltage/resistance combination) may change as you become more used to vaping.

A couple of scientific studies point out that throat irritation and coughing are common in the beginning, but these symptoms usually go away rather quickly.

 

[Kezrak]

I had that gagging feeling when I first started too. Try to do very slight direct lung inhales for a bit to overcome it.

 

[Virtual Life]

I coughed a lot at first, I mean surprised that one of my lungs wasn't on the floor kind of coughing. Never did pinpoint why.

But like you, I was determined to make this work. I continued to smoke until I stopped coughing when vaping. Slow, small draws into the mouth, then inhale is what I did.

Then one morning I decided to see how long I can go without smoking and from 50 smokes a day went to 12 in 4 days. Then just put the final 8 smokes in a corner of the desk where they still sit, 2.5 months ago.

 

[Australe]

Even going from 18 to 12 mg/ml can make a big difference in the harshness of the vape. The liquid itself can make a difference. Liquids have different ratios of PG and VG, and this can make a big difference on throat hit. Getting a bottle of 6 mg/ml is definitely a good idea. It probably seems like you are being nickled and dimed to death here, by having to buy this and that extra thing that you didn't think you'd need, but this will level off. I promise. It can take a while to find exactly what suits you.

If you have a local vape shop I'd highly recommend going by and using their tasting bar (if they have one). This can allow you to try 20-30 liquids without having to pay for them. It can really cut down the cost of this experimental phase.

As someone pointed out above, adjusting the voltage on your spinner might also help a lot. That's one of the reasons spinners and twists are so often recommended to beginners. When you get it in, set the voltage to the lowest mark and slowly increase it as you test it out. You will eventually find a voltage that is good for you and works with the resistance of your atomizer. This also leads into a discussion of what resistance atomizer to use. Do you know what resistance heads are coming with your protank? Say you set your spinner to 3.7 volts... A 1.8 ohm atomizer(head/coil) will give you a harsher vape at that voltage than a 2.2 ohm atomizer. I hope that's not too much information for you at this moment...

This preference (voltage/resistance combination) may change as you become more used to vaping.

A couple of scientific studies point out that throat irritation and coughing are common in the beginning, but these symptoms usually go away rather quickly.

I was hoping you'd find me again I think the closest B&M vape shop is about an hour and a half away. Its not something we'd be able to do right now. Even though maybe I should feel like I'm getting nickle and dimed to death I really don't... I know we'll get through this its just figuring out how to get through it. I was thinking of placing an order with MBV today for some lower nic juices. I honestly was not expecting the vapor to be so harsh.

What yours opinion on max VG vs 70vg/30distilled water?

 

[Australe]

I coughed a lot at first, I mean surprised that one of my lungs wasn't on the floor kind of coughing. Never did pinpoint why.

But like you, I was determined to make this work. I continued to smoke until I stopped coughing when vaping. Slow, small draws into the mouth, then inhale is what I did.

Then one morning I decided to see how long I can go without smoking and from 50 smokes a day went to 12 in 4 days. Then just put the final 8 smokes in a corner of the desk where they still sit, 2.5 months ago.

So when you are saying slow, small draws into the mouth about how many seconds are you thinking? I know there is supposed to be a downside to taking really small draws but I'm thinking at this point its the only way I'm going to get through this tank.

 

[Geckgo]

I used to hate throat hit, and sometimes I still ge a little too much, specially if I'm drinking a coke while vaping and don't have enough fluid in my system. Now I max out my zmax to get all the vapor that I can get. For me it took time, I didn't quit right away. I cut down to 5-10 cigs a day with a blu, then 2-3 a day with an ego, then (after a month of that stuff) got a zmax and finished off my cig pack with one-before-bed every day. Have yet to buy another pack. My lungs took a while to get used to vapor and sometimes if my technique faulters I still get a weird throat hit and cough, but it's much less often now.

I kinda like the tingly feeling in the sinus cavity, but that's me. Nic is an irritant and too much will cause that feeling. Dropping your nic level will relieve that, but flushing an irritant through your nose is going to tickle. If you stick with it these little annoyances will go away after a while. For me, I had to force ecigs on myself. Some others have had an easier transition. I'm 74 days today.

 

[Australe]

woohoo!! A really light 2-3 second draw and I can inhale very carefully... I feel so silly.

 

[Australe]

I used to hate throat hit, and sometimes I still ge a little too much, specially if I'm drinking a coke while vaping and don't have enough fluid in my system. Now I max out my zmax to get all the vapor that I can get. For me it took time, I didn't quit right away. I cut down to 5-10 cigs a day with a blu, then 2-3 a day with an ego, then (after a month of that stuff) got a zmax and finished off my cig pack with one-before-bed every day. Have yet to buy another pack. My lungs took a while to get used to vapor and sometimes if my technique faulters I still get a weird throat hit and cough, but it's much less often now.

I kinda like the tingly feeling in the sinus cavity, but that's me. Nic is an irritant and too much will cause that feeling. Dropping your nic level will relieve that, but flushing an irritant through your nose is going to tickle. If you stick with it these little annoyances will go away after a while. For me, I had to force ecigs on myself. Some others have had an easier transition. I'm 74 days today.

I've been using a blu disposable for the last week and actually enjoyed using it for the most part. even before that I really only smoke about 10 cigarettes a day. I'm quite stubbornly set that this is my last week smoking cigarettes... One way or another this will work.

 

[Australe]

On another note, I spoke to my boss yesterday about vaping... I work at a mom and pops computer shop and am there 4 days a week by myself for the most part... We talked about vaping and I shared what we've learned so far with him. We came to a logical compromise that he's allowing me to vape in the bathroom with the fan on. Considering both of my bosses are non smokers I guess thats a pretty decent compromise. Then we will evaluate from there...

 

[Virtual Life]

So when you are saying slow, small draws into the mouth about how many seconds are you thinking? I know there is supposed to be a downside to taking really small draws but I'm thinking at this point its the only way I'm going to get through this tank.

Sometimes less than 1 second. Miniscule. Part of my problem was 100% PG at 24mg nic. But that isn't what you have. I focused on quantity, or lack of. I even practiced by drawing, not inhale, bow it out to see quantity so I could "measure" it.

 

[Spazmelda]

I'm glad you don't feel like you are spending too much! Sounds like you have a good plan and know you will have to do some experimentation to find what works.

You've ordered quite a few liquids right? And they are coming in various strengths and ratios. There may be something there that works for you. So far you've tried this one liquid (aside from the disposables you had tried) and that one liquid is 18 mg/ml. It's kind of difficult to decide where to go next based on just one bad experience with a liquid. I think you said that you are getting samples in 12-18. Try some of the 12 mg/ml. It may suit you fine.

One thing you could try if you feel like experimenting. You can get a bottle of VG from Walmart (humco brand) and cut down the current liquid you have. Like, mix 1 ml of the Southern Classic and add 1 ml of the VG . That will cut the nic down to 9 mg/ml. It will also cut the flavor in half, which might make it unenjoyable, but it might give you an idea of how less nicotine and more VG can change the throat hit of a liquid. I don't know if you want to dive into that, but I'm just throwing it out as a possibility while you wait for your new purchases.

I don't really have an opinion on using 100% VG or cutting VG that much with water. I use liquids that are about 50/50 VG/pg (I sometimes thin them with a little vodka). I know people successfully use all sorts of ratios and get it to work for them.

 

[Virtual Life]

On another note, I spoke to my boss yesterday about vaping... I work at a mom and pops computer shop and am there 4 days a week by myself for the most part... We talked about vaping and I shared what we've learned so far with him. We came to a logical compromise that he's allowing me to vape in the bathroom with the fan on. Considering both of my bosses are non smokers I guess thats a pretty decent compromise. Then we will evaluate from there...

I spent a lot of time with a non smoker who hated my analogs. When I got to vaping I convinced her to allow me to put a cloud in her face because you can't get more extreme than that, and she loved it. Now I can vape anywhere/anytime around her.

 

[Australe]

I'm glad you don't feel like you are spending too much! Sounds like you have a good plan and know you will have to do some experimentation to find what works.

You've ordered quite a few liquids right? And they are coming in various strengths and ratios. There may be something there that works for you. So far you've tried this one liquid (aside from the disposables you had tried) and that one liquid is 18 mg/ml. It's kind of difficult to decide where to go next based on just one bad experience with a liquid. I think you said that you are getting samples in 12-18. Try some of the 12 mg/ml. It may suit you fine.

One thing you could try if you feel like experimenting. You can get a bottle of VG from Walmart (humco brand) and cut down the current liquid you have. Like, mix 1 ml of the Southern Classic and add 1 ml of the VG . That will cut the nic down to 9 mg/ml. It will also cut the flavor in half, which might make it unenjoyable, but it might give you an idea of how less nicotine and more VG can change the throat hit of a liquid. I don't know if you want to dive into that, but I'm just throwing it out as a possibility while you wait for your new purchases.

I don't really have an opinion on using 100% VG or cutting VG that much with water. I use liquids that are about 50/50 VG/pg (I sometimes thin them with a little vodka). I know people successfully use all sorts of ratios and get it to work for them.

Maybe instead of just jumping into ordering more juice today I'll just stop by Walmart after work and pick up some VG. Typically what department is it sold in? Can I just add some VG to the current tank I have going?

 

[Australe]

I spent a lot of time with a non smoker who hated my analogs. When I got to vaping I convinced her to allow me to put a cloud in her face because you can't get more extreme than that, and she loved it. Now I can vape anywhere/anytime around her.

That's what I figured... its a way that he's allowing me to not have to go outside to vape and a happy compromise. Once we are more familiar with vaping his feelings may change as to just staying in the bathroom to vape.

 

[Tinkiegrrl]

I would definitely try the lower nic liquids when they arrive. If Blu was satisfying, then I'd also look towards VG based liquids over those with more PG. Mtbakervaper is an excellent place to get liquid from. You can order whatever ratio you like, and even add extra shots of flavor if you find it muted, which can sometimes happen with 100% VG liquid. PG is the ingredient in liquid that carries more flavor and allows for more throat hit from the nicotine. If you cut that down and up the VG, I really do think you'll have a more favorable experience.