How do you like the Rampage, Darth? I still can't get more than 5 puffs out of mine w/o rewetting. Maybe I just have it built too much on the foggy side? It holds about 2.5ml, but I can suck it dry in 3 puffs at 80W. And the dry hits are craptastic.
The flip floppers like myself...
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U mean the chuff tip or the lil black grommet for a standard tip?
I meant the little mushroom looking thing that screws in above the posts. Supposed to be a vessel for the juice to drip evenly but its just in the way.
I love the Rampage. My idea didnt work for it but i put a triple coil .6 build in it and it works pretty great. Gonna drop a new build in tonight for a .4-.5 i will show pics whembi have it done!
I love the Rampage. My idea didnt work for it but i put a triple coil .6 build in it and it works pretty great. Gonna drop a new build in tonight for a .4-.5 i will show pics whembi have it done!
Eww no I couldn't imagine going back to those nasty things, there is no excuse in my opinion other than yourself wanting to smoke..There is no excuse for a dead battery, carry more, or if its built in, charge before you leave or carry two, have backups for your backups, there is no excuse for running out of juice if you plan ahead, if money is tight, go down the DIY route, which I recommend doing even if your flush..If you have left your vape gear at home, I'd love to know how you do that because there is no way in the world I would ever forget mine and if for some crazy reason I did, I would be going back to get it, not buying a pack of death sticks..
How you can vape for 12 months and then smoke, I have no idea, all I can think is you need to upgrade what your vaping because it's not satisfying.. don't mean to sound harsh, please don't take it that way, I'm just trying to help you get away from those nasty stinky's for good.
Subox kit, extra batteries, charger, is a good step in the right direction..Whether its sub ohm coils 0.5 lung hits or 1.5ohm coils mouth to lung, that kit has you covered (you will have to buy 1.5ohm coils separate). The juice problem, if you don't fancy DIY, check out mech sauce, buy it by the 500ml, great juice, great price.. Best of luck !!
How you can vape for 12 months and then smoke, I have no idea, all I can think is you need to upgrade what your vaping because it's not satisfying.. don't mean to sound harsh, please don't take it that way, I'm just trying to help you get away from those nasty stinky's for good.
Subox kit, extra batteries, charger, is a good step in the right direction..Whether its sub ohm coils 0.5 lung hits or 1.5ohm coils mouth to lung, that kit has you covered (you will have to buy 1.5ohm coils separate). The juice problem, if you don't fancy DIY, check out mech sauce, buy it by the 500ml, great juice, great price.. Best of luck !!
Oh! That's supposed to prevent spitback. Works great until juice condenses on it between puffs. Just make sure it doesn't touch the neg screws. It will weld itself to them.
Lol! Mine is built around .2 right now and it's a lil hot. Gonna try it again this weekend too. Sorry OP. Didn't mean to hijack our thread. 
I have plenty of juice always have a mod with me (and I do keep a itaste clk 1280 in my car as a back up and have never had a problem with either hot or cold weather) and I still have a problem with flopping. I'm at 10 days now and still feel the draw of the old nasties every time I smell one. You're not alone, plenty of us have the same problems... I suffer from post marital 'bliss' and that has been the catalyst of many of my most recent relapses. I hate it because I'm still letting her control my life so I'm doubling my efforts this time (again ).
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Oh! That's supposed to prevent spitback. Works great until juice condenses on it between puffs. Just make sure it doesn't touch the neg screws. It will weld itself to them.
Lol i thought it was for the juice to drip directly on the coils/wick. Either way i dont get spit back, i have my coils slightly angled for wicking purposes and i dont seem to get much spitback that way. I will take a before pic when i go to build tonight. D
Or you could do both.
I mean, it's possible.
I learned in my first couple years of vaping that unexpected things can happen with vaping gear, or juice and that unless you do have backups for your backups, it can lead to situations where a smoke is on the table for something to use instead, when just a day or week earlier, you were sure you would stop smoking for a long time to come.
Was thinking recently that if you weren't the type of smoker that bought cartons at a time, that it could take a little while to realize a suitable setup for vaping. And if you go with the suitable setup, you might be spending lots of money. Less if you are able to find perfect set up with first time you seek. Much more if you try set up, then learn there are better ways to go about vaping, try those and realize your previous set up was missing something. So, you could have backups for your backups on what is your current perfect set up, try new gear and realize you now need to get more backups for your backups on your new gear.
Would be like smoker that buys carton of Winstons, and someone else says try these Newports, and after trying it, you then feel you have to get carton of Newports. Until the Marlboro Man comes around and says, "here try these."
Without a great set up, nor commitment to never smoking again, I can understand how any smoker trying vaping might not stick to vaping over several months. But even with great set up, and some desire to never smoke again, I can understand how ex-smoker could go back because of short falls that are inherent with vaping, as already noted in this post or in OP. With commitment to never smoke again, it would be much harder to see how one would go back to smoking, as vaping product is now more readily available and if you can tolerate disposables for a day or two, you'll be fine.
@johnkong - if you can go 8 to 12 months without smoking, I'd call that a good thing. Finding the set up you are most comfortable with, might take time, but once you do, you'll likely stretch that out if you have strong desire to not ever smoke again. And if not smoking (at all) appeals to you, just remember with vaping it isn't so much how long have you stopped for as much as it is about how many smokes you have managed to avoid. Imagine as a heavy smoker going from a pack a day habit to 2 a day and sticking with that. Where would be the significant problem with that?
Myself, I do still dual use, and for first 6 months of 2015, was at a pack a month habit, or what a normal person would call moderate smoking. Here in late July, I managed to have a period of 3 packs in nearly a week (oh heavens). Now, I get to demonstrate to myself once again, how vaping can, rather easily transform me back to moderate smoker, and pretty sure I'll be able to do it in less than 10 days.
planning ahead is the key with vaping u cant wait till 2am and realize u have no juice or having only one battery and waiting for it to charge. redundancy is the key !
Nope, never flip flopped myself. I tried a cigarette while out at a bar with a guy I know, just to see how it'd make me feel since quitting a year ago. I only smoked about half of it and got a headache, and I haven't touched one since.
Every once in awhile I'll get tempted watching how easy it is for smokers to just take a tiny little cigarette and light it, compared to the vaping process...then I remember all the garbage contained in that small white package, and the sick feeling that comes with it...no thanks
Every once in awhile I'll get tempted watching how easy it is for smokers to just take a tiny little cigarette and light it, compared to the vaping process...then I remember all the garbage contained in that small white package, and the sick feeling that comes with it...no thanks
I'd like to take a stab at why you might flip flop the way you do, by sharing my theories on smoking in general along with why I flip flopped so many times. I'm not a psychiatrist by any means, but perhaps you can find the "reason" somewhere in this text and figure out a way to solve the problem behind that reason. I openly invite anyone to provide counterpoint or additions to the my theory.
Smoking is a multi faceted habit. I think it breaks down in to several key components, with a few having sub components as to why people continue to use it.
A little background on my cig experience. In my 20s I was a party animal, but also a dedicated martial artist. So I resolved I'd only smoke when I went out as a social thing. This would have been fine but I went out several times a week every week so I smoked 4 nights a week. However I never did more than three or four. That all changed of course as life forced me to stop partying so much, and I stopped. It was truly only a social thing. Later on, when I shipped off to afghanistan, I noticed the only people who got breaks constantly throughout the day were the smokers, so I literally picked it up so I could have a break every hour and not get in trouble for it. I spent nearly 8 years there, and it became a true addiction. I was an early adopter to the e smoke phenomena. I spent the 200 dollars to get the early kits with the light up end and cotton you soaked in juice. Looked like a real cigarette, and nearly got me thrown out of several places until I showed them it wasnt real. It didnt do it for me though. That was around 2005 if I recall. Throughout the years I tried many different methods to quit smoking: patches, switching to cigars, cold turkey, gum. Everything but Chantix.
I left A'stan and thought I would leave behind smoking as well. However it had a true hold on me. I quit cold turkey while the wife was pregnant, and even got into vaping again. But my dripper still didn't quite do it for me and when my dad died on April first, I started smoking heavily again after six months of not.
Now I'm done. I got a good system that does what I need, and I actually enjoy it. So lets get back to the main point and dissect the hows and whys and compare and contrast to why vaping did not always work for me (and perhaps you too).
Addiction and Habituation.
You know all about addiction OP. So I won't beat it to death.
- Addiction: You're body has a chemical dependency on nicotine. Plain and simple. You can smoke for years and not be addicted, and find its simple to put down. You can smoke for years and find you've built a tolerance and need more to get the relief you need. I'm not a biologist but there is plenty of easily digestible scientific articles that explain how it works in relation to nicotine and why it makes your body feel the way it does.
-Habituation: heres where things can get sticky and there are many sub ideations here. This is the mental dependency on doing something, often the mind associates it with comfort. The things presented here probably easily translate across other vices than just smoking.
1 Oral fixation - I have this bad. I constantly chew gum, or eat, or chew on a toothpick, etc. Cigarettes are comforting for this. The hand to mouth action of a cig gives great relief to this particular desire. It was why I thought the first e cig I spent all that money on would help me, because it looked like a real cig.
2 Work place - Lets be honest. Smokers are freaking rewarded. Almost every company I've worked for in the corporate, military, or govt world, gives special dispensations for smokers. They are allowed to take breaks on the clock to indulge in their habit. While those of us who are healthy are punished by having to take up their slack when they slip away. It almost makes smoking seem appealing doesn't it?
3. Social - This plays off of number 2. Regardless what type of smoker you are, most humans enjoy contact with others. Most of us are social creatures to some extent. Even if its just sitting amongst others who share the same vice as we do. However if you're an extrovert this really makes smoking appealing. If you're bored, or lonely, heck you've got a built in group to be in with at the smoke pit/circle/bar whatever. Its like the smoking crew are the cool kids; or at work, it replaces the water cooler. Especially when Janet from Accounting is out there smoking with you.
4. The self destructive nature - Here is one I wasn't sure I should include, but I have a feeling if I've felt this before then I'm not the only one this applies to. When my dad died I was hurt and angry but a little numb too. I didn't feel I had any way to express my feelings of anger so I internalized it. I knew cigarettes were bad for me, and so I turned to it as a way to hurt myself. I can't honestly say why, but it just seemed like the thing to do.
5. Non social - I knew I was a serious smoker, when I smoked alone. The wife and I originally used our smoking excursions outside the house as a way to get a break away from the kids and stressors of every day life. We'd sit and talk. It was pleasurable and a nice way to focus. However I eventually would just do the same thing with my ipad and a pack of smokes. Don't bother me for 20 mins, I'm smoking and finding my center.
I have a few more which I'll edit in later, but these cover most. Now lets contrast on why my experiences with vaping didn't always beat out the above, or why it does now.
Addiction - I honestly believe getting the right set up is what made the difference with this. Maybe I just hadn't found the right juices yet, but the nic delivered by my dripper made the experience kind of unpleasant. Thankfully I have a great vape shop nearby and they let me try a few different types of kits and juices with varying nic levels. I've found what works for me. Some people here will tell you to learn your kit and avoid buying or upgrading new stuff. I say hang around a vape shot with your tip, and ask some of the patrons what they're using. You might just find a kit that really seems to "work" and it will be worth shelling out the cash for.
Habituation
1. Often nearly every iteration of vaping/ecig I've tried over the years, took care of the oral fixation thing. However even though I have the hand to mouth thing, I also want to enjoy whatever it is I'm tasting. I can honestly several of my early vaping experiences weren't as pleasant or as productive as smoking a cigarette. Either they tasted crappy, or didn't deliver the nicotine that I was feening for, or worse, made me cough because the vapor wasn't very fine.
2. Most of my smoking was done in a warzone where you lived and worked in the same place. I honestly wonder if I could have gotten away with telling my boss/NCO/XO Im a vaper instead of a smoker and will be going outside to indulge every hour or so. Of course this was years ago, we didn't have access to the awesome stuff we have now. I might hit up some of my buddies still over in iraq or A'stan and see what they say. If they get to join the other smokers out at the pit. However I work in a bar now, as a dj of all things, and its a smoking bar. I'm allowed to vape as much as I'd like. I'm in the minority though. So long as I don't forget my kit, I'm good. When I had my drip kit, if I forgot my kit I would smoke. Now with my subox, I simply don't forget it. Maybe because its bigger than the pen I had, so its harder to forget.
3. Now I find being around other smokers uncomfortable. The stink really bothers me. However nearly every person I've met who vapes has been pretty cool. The subculture of vaping gives you instant conversation.
4. I don't think I'm in that place any more. If I feel self destructive, which I hardly ever do, I imagine I would just raise my nic level and vape until I'm coughing. Which to me still seems less dangerous than smoking a pack of stinkies a day.
5. I can vape in my basement. No one cares. So basically any time I'm alone I can vape without having to go outside, get dressed, whatever.
I don't know if any of this helps you. I hardly doubt anyone will read it all, but perhaps you can realize what area keeps drawing you back to cigs. I had a clear and honest desire to quit. My son would cry when he caught me smoking a cigarette which broke my heart, not to mention I've seen my cardio (and singing ability) drastically reduce from my ever increasing smoking habit. So the biggest factor is, do you actually really want to quit? If not, is one of the reasons that draws you back, listed above. How can you remedy it?
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I thought this thread was going to be about the problems faced by male strippers...
Anyway, I used to flip-flop between vaping and smoking, I did that for a couple of years. I would vape for a while, then either get fed up with it or run out of decent tasting juice. Back then I didn't have very good kit (ego-C) and I felt it was a hassle to have that on a night out rather than the relative ease of non-leaky cigarettes.
What helped for me was two things:
1) Decent kit (not to be confused with expensive kit)
2) Decent tasting juice (not to be confused with 'premium' juice)
Vaping only works for me if I actually enjoy the experience, which means a nice satisfying cloud of delicious smelling (and tasting) vapour.
Anyway, I used to flip-flop between vaping and smoking, I did that for a couple of years. I would vape for a while, then either get fed up with it or run out of decent tasting juice. Back then I didn't have very good kit (ego-C) and I felt it was a hassle to have that on a night out rather than the relative ease of non-leaky cigarettes.
What helped for me was two things:
1) Decent kit (not to be confused with expensive kit)
2) Decent tasting juice (not to be confused with 'premium' juice)
Vaping only works for me if I actually enjoy the experience, which means a nice satisfying cloud of delicious smelling (and tasting) vapour.
Absolutely. Not many people can say that they quit for that long, and it is a great feat. Everyone has little bumps in the road, and it is not the end of the world. Sometimes people need that hard kick an analogue provides, and I understand completely.
If you dont mind me asking, which juice finally got you to kick the habit? Was it a tobacco based flavor or fruit/dessert/etc.? I couldnt really kick my analogue habit until I got away from tobacco based flavors and into fruit/dessert flavors. Not really sure why, it doesnt make a lot of sense looking at it, but that is the way it happened with me.
I think you covered smoking addiction (or even desire) quite well.
I would possibly elevate your #4 (self destructive nature) higher. Most smokers I meet will readily admit that smoking is bad for them, and so I think smokers get harm of addiction better than other addicts, and are perhaps less defensive about this aspect. This point could easily be elaborated upon, but is really worthy of its own thread rather than sound bite points being made.
All the other things you covered are either known or great insight (like your #4, as that one is rarely mentioned by other people).
I think one thing you missed is triggers. It's somewhat stated in your social point, but not as much as I would make note of it. When I had quit cold turkey and it was say 6 years of non-smoking, whenever I saw a classic film (i.e. from 1950's or earlier) and a cool character lit up a smoke, I wanted one. But 10 minutes later, I didn't and so I realized it was a trigger for me. For sure, finishing a (good) meal was a trigger for me, and I perhaps had 3 or 4 others where I was strongly compelled to smoke.
With vaping, I still get the after meal trigger, but all the other ones are gone. Even as a dual using / moderate smoker, they aren't there. If I'm vaping while watching a classic movie and character lights a smoke, I just assume keep on vaping.
I also think desire is far more powerful than addiction. I think the perception is that desire is some willy nilly subtle push for a smoke, but in reality I think it is what is paramount to addiction and is how I currently process my relationship with moderate smoking. The desire to have another smoke in my life is very strong, even while I currently know I can wait a day, a week or maybe longer for that cigarette. When, in heavy smoking mode, I am not sure if I can wait 3 hours for my next smoke. And desire goes the other way. You have to desire to be non-smoker for not-smoking to continue indefinitely. And you realize after a month of not smoking, that it becomes easy. It can even get to a point where you are addicted to not-smoking, but I find (or found during cold turkey days) that that addiction wears off and you are just comfortable being non-smoker. Almost as if you are a never-smoker type person, though your memory tells you otherwise.
Perhaps by desire I mean will-power, but I really do think desire is the better word.
Anyway, I don't really have any counterpoints to what you stated and just looking to add to it in way that makes sense for me.
Occasionally I will still have one or two here and there. Whether it be out camping or just because. I agree there's nothing wrong with it considering it's still a huge improvement going from a pad+ to maybe a pack a year. Plus I never buy them so I always get from other people. But the longer time goes on, the less I want them.
I think this is the point that the ANTZ just DO NOT and WILL NOT get, about flavors -- in order to happily abstain from smoking and just vape, we have to be MOTIVATED -- it's hard to beat something that tastes really good, as a motivator -- just look at all those overweight people for proof -- they're motivated to keep eating even when it's the very opposite of their best interest. With vaping good flavors, it's totally in our best interest to keep tasting that whatever-it-is that's so yummy -- I discovered this feature when I finally made the total switch to sweet flavors away from tobacco flavors -- sweet stuff tastes better than any tobacco ever grown!
Andria
Yes.
This is one that thought of but forgot half way through writing my post. (You'd think with all the essays I've ever written I'd know how to write a topics list before beginning the main verbiage first). I agree this is one that is definitely a factor and goes under the Habituation topic. In the zenith of my smoking days (while in A'stan), we'd watch movies all the time as a diversion. Someone would light up a smoke in the movie or show we were watching and immediately I'd get the desire to light one up. What's worse is when that trigger still happens after you quit. When I see that I sometimes still think about it and immediately start looking for my vape kit. Although I'm finding that trigger is starting to wane.
Stress is another, (the destructive mentality should be a subtopic of it now that I look back). Stress can cause us to run on a thought process that is subconscious. So many people equate smoking with stress relief that the brain instantly goes with what it knows. Sometimes picking up a smoke can be a near involuntary act if you run on automatic. The longer you do it, the harder it probably is to get rid of that.
Non-supportive peers - My best friend who loves me to death, still tries to offer me smokes. Even though he knows I've quit. Not wanting to insult someone can be a factor in the flip flop, especially people you care about.
I think the ultimate one that I had to look at is...
Addictive personality - This one probably goes without saying. For some of us, we know limits and know how and where to keep our addictive personality from being too dangerous (like alcohol, drugs, etc). Others don't and smoking is nothing but one of the long list of addictions they need help with. I have an addictive personality, it was a hard hard thing to come to terms with. Which is why a flip flop on smoking can be difficult, because once you start up again, its just in your nature to power through and keep doing it. Of all the things my addictive personality is attuned towards, smoking is probably the one that offers the most options. I'm actually glad vaping exists because I'd rather be a vape addict than the alternative. There aren't many options for adrenaline junkies with a penchant towards combat zones. You get the idea. When I find something I like, whether harmful or not, my very personality compels me to stay at it.
A great line from "House" really resonated with me, when he was tryng to stop using his narcotic of choice -- "I have to find something I can turn up to 11 without frying my brain."
That's me. The main reason I'm a huge reader, have spent untold thousands on PCs, and now many hundreds on vaping. Those things, I can turn up to 11 and they won't fry my brain.
Andria
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