Still smoking support and chat thread

[Sir Kadly]

The convenience factor is definitely my biggest issue. I vape more and smoke less if smoking is inconvenient.
So while I'm not going to go as far as rolling my own at this point, what I am doing right now is leaving my smokes in the car, in a spot in the back seat where I can't reach them while driving.

This means I can't smoke while driving, period. At work and at home if I want to smoke I actually have to grab my keys and walk out to my car. So it isn't quite as convenient. Hopefully this will help me kind of force myself to vape instead of smoke, especially for the more automatic ones (when I get up, before I go to bed, etc)

 

[Thayamax]

That sounds like a great plan, kad. A lot of people claim that vaping is too fiddly and that's a big reason why they go back to smoking. I'd much rather fiddle with my vape than have to go outside first thing in the morning and last thing at night just to grab a smoke, especially in the winter. Let us know how your plan works out.

 

[Foggy Road]

Oh my goodness, fiddlin with my vape is one of best parts of bein a vaper! Followed closely by battling with the constant urge to order the latest $10-15 clearance mod I come across.

It's taken the best part of 2 years but I finally feel like my vape is exactly where it needs to be. I've got a plethora of mods that are quite capable and reliable. The hard part was the tanks. The heartbeat of the vape. Finding one that provides exactly what Ya want And rreeeaaallly doesn't leak can take forever!

Anyway, haven't had a smoke for a couple days maybe 3. I don't really think about it enuf to keep track. Usually that's still the first thing on my mind in the morning but I no longer dread the battle cuz I don't fight it. My first thought is no longer "I want one" followed by "NO I DON'T" and the struggle commences. I've actually just noticed over the last couple days my first thought has changed to will I have one today? Totally stress free. The answer so far comes back as who cares, first things first cooofffffeeeee! And somewhere along the way while filling my Pyrex cup with water or waiting for it to heat in the microwave I'll end up grabbing my vape and start huffing and puffing. That's usually end of story as far as cig thoughts go for the rest of the day. Usually.

Don't know if that will be any help to others but thought I'd share it.

 

[Sir Kadly]

Yeah, I don't really have to fiddle with my gear, other than coiling and wicking from time to time, and cleaning of course.

 

[Thayamax]

Congrats, Foggy Road! It sounds like you're turning a corner where cigarettes aren't the first thing on your mind all the time. I think the more you vape the less you crave the smokes. I was a very heavy smoker and I'm now a heavy vaper. I work in a small group home for physically and/or mentally impaired adults and I'm lucky to be able to vape inside. My coworkers call it my pacifier.

I don't mind the extra work involved with vaping over smoking. Heck, I used to have to roll 4 packs a day and that sure took some time.

 

[Foggy Road]

Yeah, as a truck driver I'm one of the lucky ones who can vape all day long just like I smoked. I've got a mod in my hand most all the time.

Sounds like you've landed yourself in a very rewarding profession. Kudos to Ya!

 

[Sir Kadly]

Congrats, Foggy Road! It sounds like you're turning a corner where cigarettes aren't the first thing on your mind all the time. I think the more you vape the less you crave the smokes. I was a very heavy smoker and I'm now a heavy vaper. I work in a small group home for physically and/or mentally impaired adults and I'm lucky to be able to vape inside. My coworkers call it my pacifier.

I don't mind the extra work involved with vaping over smoking. Heck, I used to have to roll 4 packs a day and that sure took some time.

Wow, rolling 4 packs a day musta took some serious time. Very cool that you can vape there.
I can get away with vaping at my desk if I'm careful about it. There isn't an official policy at work, and I'm pretty sure my boss knows that I do, but if I ever started clouding up my office that would be the end of it.
Unfortunately I'm not really satisfied with tootle puffing. So I go outside on breaks to vape the higher power gear.
Which of course is when I tend to reach for a smoke instead...

 

[Thayamax]

Yes, my profession is very rewarding emotionally, not so much monetarily, though. I'm very lucky to still be allowed to vape inside. I was working a midnight shift about six months ago and everyone was sleeping so I relaxed with my vape in the living room.

All of a sudden the smoke alarm (which was practically over my head) triggered the alarm system which is one of those clanger types like you hear in a fire station. I had to hurry to each bedroom and reassure everyone that there wasn't a fire. You can only turn it off in the office to which I had no key, so I had to call the manager. She wasn't too happy about being dragged out of bed at 4am, and we weren't thrilled to have to listen to that ear piercing alarm for 1/2 an hour until she got there.

Luckily she's young and knows about vaping so I can still vape in the house...just not under the smoke alarm.

 

[Thayamax]

Tootle puffing doesn't do it for me either, kad. The thing I noticed about taking a break to smoke or vape is that vaping doesn't have an end point. A cigarette comes to an end, you put it out and you're done. You can vape as long as you want to, so how are you supposed to know when you're done?

 

[tgs3]

I am 8 or 9 days into vaping and have reduced cigs from 25/30 a day to 10/11. I have been successful, for the most part, sticking to an every 2 hour schedule for smoking. I am on vacation so I have a lot of time on my hands. When I am back at work, reducing further should be easier.

 

[Thayamax]

That's great, tgs! Cutting back that much while on vacation is probably much harder than doing it while working because of the extra time on your hands factor. Sticking to a time schedule has worked for many people, hopefully it helps you, too. Don't put too much pressure on yourself so that it makes you cave, but at the same time gradually cutting back your time frame for smoking and trying to stick to it can really help. Keep up the good work!

 

[Foggy Road]

I consider myself an DTL tootle puffer. Maybe I just don't wanna give up the tootle puffer handle?

I agree with the " when are ya done " problem with vaping. For me it's even worse with TC! How do Ya feel like you've even gotten a full puff? With cigs the heat and smoke build until you've reached the limit that satisfies. Same with vaping, the heat and vapor build until you sense you've gotten what you want. I gave TC an earnest try for a couple months and gave it up over its lack of that "crescendo" effect.

 

[Thayamax]

Tootle puffer definitely sounds better than mod womper, which is what I consider myself to be. A DTL vaper who vapes between .3-.4 ohms and lower watts between 25-35.

I've only vaped TC for quite a while now. I wrap my coils using either titanium or stainless steel 420. I have no problem getting a good lung full and blowing pretty good clouds, though nothing like the cloud chasers.

Are you putting in the proper TCR settings to match your wire? Have you tried upping the temperature setting to get more heat? I've found that TC is different with different mods. I set my DNA VT133 at 400F while my Xcube II is good at only 360F.

 

[Foggy Road]

Tootle puffer definitely sounds better than mod womper, which is what I consider myself to be. A DTL vaper who vapes between .3-.4 ohms and lower watts between 25-35.

I've only vaped TC for quite a while now. I wrap my coils using either titanium or stainless steel 420. I have no problem getting a good lung full and blowing pretty good clouds, though nothing like the cloud chasers.

Are you putting in the proper TCR settings to match your wire? Have you tried upping the temperature setting to get more heat? I've found that TC is different with different mods. I set my DNA VT133 at 400F while my Xcube II is good at only 360F.

I'm DTL but @1.5Ω and 13.5w I think I should still qualify as a tootler. Oh, I've been thru all the advice on setting up TC, just not fer me. Been as low as .4Ω and settled in @ .7 13.5w for awhile. Then one day I decided to do a 1.5 build just so I could play with my old 15w VV/VW tubes. Of course using the same 30awg SS316 wire I had to nearly double my coil mass. Ya know what, I couldn't really tell the difference in the vape! I think that's due to all the surface area. Anyway to bring my older gear back into play full time I just made 1.5 my standard build.

 

[Foggy Road]

I am 8 or 9 days into vaping and have reduced cigs from 25/30 a day to 10/11. I have been successful, for the most part, sticking to an every 2 hour schedule for smoking. I am on vacation so I have a lot of time on my hands. When I am back at work, reducing further should be easier.

Yer doin fine tgs3! Took me 2 weeks to quit completely. Like you I was off work when I started and I think going back clinched the deal. Then about 3 months later I picked the nasties up again. Don't let that happen to you. Quitting the second time is even tougher!

 

[Thayamax]

I'm DTL but @1.5Ω and 13.5w I think I should still qualify as a tootler. Anyway to bring my older gear back into play full time I just made 1.5 my standard build.

That's the great thing about vaping...there's something for everyone!

 

[Sir Kadly]

Sooooo...
Yeah, not doing as well at the whole cutting down thing as planned. I keep letting myself "accidentally" stick my smokes in my pocket, so I'm not making smoking as inconvenient as I intended to. Oh well. I'll keep trying.

 

[Foggy Road]

Yeah that playing hide and seek with the cigs never worked well for me either. Hang in there, you'll get it worked out.

 

[Thayamax]

I've heard some say that if you have the urge to smoke, vape heavy for 10 minutes and if you still have the urge, go ahead and smoke without guilt, knowing that you tried. Most of them say that after those 10 minutes have passed so has the urge to smoke.

 

[Foggy Road]

Well, I think it's been a week since I last lit one. Joining in this thread has helped. I'd love to say I've quit again and will never look back but I can't. I'm a smoker, always will be. But just like an alcoholic I'm gonna see how long I can "stay clean" this time. I made it 3 months last time, wonder if I can beat that?

I live in an 18 wheel rolling asylum and every morning I awake and my papers and tobacco are about a foot away in a clear plastic drawer. They're less enticing everyday. I switched my DIY to 50/50 @5mg nic a couple months ago and my smoking has been declining ever since. I know the 5mg is supposed to be low for my power level but the 50/50 throat hit really hits the spot for me.

We'll see what tomorrow brings.