The Story of Another eCig Noob

[Llama]

I'm 31, mother of three, and have had a lot of botched attempts to quit smoking in the last few years. I've tried the gum, the patches, cold turkey, meditation, lollipops... the list goes on.

The reason these other things didn't work for me is that it isn't just the nicotine that I missed, but the "act of smoking." There is a certain ceremony to openning a pack, taking it out, lighting it, smoking it, ashing it, putting it out, empty the ash tray, and all of that. I don't like it, but it is part of the experience for me. I first heard about electronic cigarettes two years ago but they were still new and I didn't believe the hype. My last unsuccessful quit attempt was after New Years so it is time to try something new and I started reading up on these "new smoking without smoking gadgets."

Information overload doesn't even begin to describe my last few days. What I did figure out though:

1. I didn't want to smoke anymore.
2. I wanted something to replace my evil vice because cold turkey isn't going to work.
3. I need the nic as well as the oral fixation of it.
4. I want an automatic.
5. I am up for learning.

So yesterday instead of stressing over which one, reading a million reviews, lighting yet another cigarette as I read, I just picked one.

I ordered the Apollo Starter Kit. It seemed reasonable in price, has a bunch of stuff that I will probably need/want, and it is a starting point. With them, I ordered extra cartomizers. Then I did a youtube search on how to refill them. It seems like refilling a Zippo lighter and I can do that. So I went to another website and ordered four different 5ml bottles of juice. Two VG, Two PG, one high, one low, two medium.

I am going to give this electronic cigarette a try. If I fail at it, so be it. Everything costs me as much as one weeks worth of cigarettes so I have little to lose and a lot to gain. The biggest gain will be my health and finally conquoring this beast called "smoking habit."

My order isn't here yet, of course, but I will probably come back and update and ask a ton of questions when I have a chance to play with it a bit.

I am open to suggestions and what have you, but I have read a lot of the forum. I may get the eGo thing down the road but I am starting with what I think is right for me now.

 

[cookiebun]

I just typed you a nice reply but the board timed out and lost the message.
Welcome.

 

[joeperson]

I dip my cartomizers and they refill great for me, it's really very fast.
Just take it as it comes, and don't give yourself an ultimatum and I think you're going to like it overall, whether it has you quitting for good or at least drastically cutting down on the regular cigs.

Thanks for posting, I hope to see regular updates and wish you the best.

 

[N2rock]

My wife and I (I'm 45, she is 40) both smokers since our teens. Tried to quit all of last year, repeatedly. Tried everything except e-cigs. And by New Year this year, we were no closer to quitting. So mid-January I researched e-cigs and bought our starter kits. We are both now 45 days in, neither of us have smoked another analog, neither of us have had any cravings. We are done with cigarettes for good finally!

Now as far as what to start with. I researched and decided the ego would be best. My wife wanted something smaller, so she got the basic Joye 510 kit. Within the first week, she ordered an ego kit. The main thing was the battery life- 2 ego batteries lasted me all day. But her 510- she had to charge both batteries three times per day. She also like how the ego put out a stronger vapor. So her 510's soon became "backups", as she went with ego.

 

[DC2]

It is unfortunate that you didn't get at least one manual battery.

Automatic batteries can be a real challenge to get them to work right.
They are often the cause of people thinking their electronic cigarette is junk when it isn't.

So when you get it, if you are having trouble getting it to work, or getting it to work consistently, don't give up.

Stand in front of a mirror and watch the little light as you inhale.
You will need to learn how hard to draw to get it lit, and how hard to draw to keep it lit long enough for a decent drag.

Also, some automatic cigarettes have a cutoff which limits the length of your draw.
If you wind up hitting that limit before you get a satisfying drag, you are going to become very frustrated.

All this can be avoided with a manual battery, which is MUCH easier to use than an automatic.
The little button takes about 30 minutes to become second nature.


Check out this poll for more information: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/polls/64101-manual-automatic-batteries.html?

 

[lo thatch]

Totally agree with the "act of smoking" routine. After six weeks I automatically reach for my cigarettes and then remember the routine has changed. If I can do it anyone can. I loved smoking....and still sometimes, especially when driving, wish I could light one up. Vapping is the only way I could succeed....gum, etc. just didn't allow for an "act". I think that you will find some enjoyment from vapping...there is a ritual to it that is somewhat similar to smoking....good luck.

 

[lo thatch]

It is unfortunate that you didn't get at least one manual battery.

Automatic batteries can be a real challenge to get them to work right.
They are often the cause of people thinking their electronic cigarette is junk when it isn't.

So when you get it, if you are having trouble getting it to work, or getting it to work consistently, don't give up.

Stand in front of a mirror and watch the little light as you inhale.
You will need to learn how hard to draw to get it lit, and how hard to draw to keep it lit long enough for a decent drag.

Also, some automatic cigarettes have a cutoff which limits the length of your draw.
If you wind up hitting that limit before you get a satisfying drag, you are going to become very frustrated.

All this can be avoided with a manual battery, which is MUCH easier to use than an automatic.
The little button takes about 30 minutes to become second nature.


Check out this poll for more information: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/polls/64101-manual-automatic-batteries.html?

I started with auto batterys and love them. Vapor for Life and Bloog both have great autos. Just remember to take the battery off if you drip liquid into the cartiridge.

 

[Llama]

Thanks for the welcomes. If anyone knows what adventure I just got myself into it is you all.

Just take it as it comes, and don't give yourself an ultimatum and I think you're going to like it overall, whether it has you quitting for good or at least drastically cutting down on the regular cigs.

There are no ultimatums this time. I never live up to them. I am just going to try it and take it one day at a time. If I still smoke at the end of this, so be it. Hopefully I won't though.

My wife and I (I'm 45, she is 40) both smokers since our teens. Tried to quit all of last year, repeatedly. Tried everything except e-cigs. And by New Year this year, we were no closer to quitting. So mid-January I researched e-cigs and bought our starter kits. We are both now 45 days in, neither of us have smoked another analog, neither of us have had any cravings. We are done with cigarettes for good finally!

Now as far as what to start with. I researched and decided the ego would be best. My wife wanted something smaller, so she got the basic Joye 510 kit. Within the first week, she ordered an ego kit. The main thing was the battery life- 2 ego batteries lasted me all day. But her 510- she had to charge both batteries three times per day. She also like how the ego put out a stronger vapor. So her 510's soon became "backups", as she went with ego.

I told my husband I ordered a set and he seemed interested. I smoke 1-1 1/2 packs a day of light 100s and he smokes 2-3 packs a day of wides. He was very interested as he only tried to quit once but wants to give it another try. We are both going to try them and just go from there.

I'm a stay at home mom. He is an over-the-road truck driver. This is going to be a little harder for him I think as he has different needs in terms of ease of use, strength, battery life, and having his hands free to shift and drive. He is willing to try though and that makes me happy.

It is unfortunate that you didn't get at least one manual battery.

Automatic batteries can be a real challenge to get them to work right.
They are often the cause of people thinking their electronic cigarette is junk when it isn't.

I will certainly try those tips (that I omitted to keep my post shorter) when the package gets here.

I ordered...

Apollo Standard Starter Kit includes:
- 1 Portable Charger Pack (PCC) which charges your ecig battery on the go and has a nice power indicator
- 2 long-lasting lithium batteries
- 1 handy USB charger and 1 wall adaptor
- 1 FREE pack of 5 cartomizers with flavors of your choice

Apollo didn't offer the choice of a manual but I can always purchase one from another vendor later on. I wish I had a friend that has these so I could try their stuff out. It seems I get to be the one of my group that starts and lets everyone else try mine to see if they like it.

Totally agree with the "act of smoking" routine. After six weeks I automatically reach for my cigarettes and then remember the routine has changed. If I can do it anyone can. I loved smoking....and still sometimes, especially when driving, wish I could light one up. Vapping is the only way I could succeed....gum, etc. just didn't allow for an "act". I think that you will find some enjoyment from vapping...there is a ritual to it that is somewhat similar to smoking....good luck.

I'm somewhat OCD so the ritual is a rather important part of quitting for me. Just stopping everything or switching to gum chewing didn't work. This option gives me replacement things to do with my hands so the transition should be easier.

Thanks everyone! And if you have any ideas for what would work best for my husband, please let me know.

Smokes Camel Wides
2-3 packs a day
Been smoking since high school
Over the road truck driver

He is going to be a tough one to get a system that works for I think.

 

[jj2]

Hubby was a truck driver!!!
Get him a model with long battery life and a car / truck Passthrough so he isn't depending on batteries while driving.
Don't know if you've read much about dripping which might be a good option for you, but not for him.
He will need to keep plenty of cartos handy---a few Giantomizers probably wouldn't hurt either.
They also just came out with Clearomizers. I like them, but there are people who don't.

 

[Llama]

Hubby was a truck driver!!!
Get him a model with long battery life and a car / truck Passthrough so he isn't depending on batteries while driving.

I don't know anything about this stuff. What would be suggested for him? He doesn't seem to care if it looks and feels like a cigarette like I do.

What has the longest battery life and would be good for a truck driver?

The car passthrough seems to be a great option for him. He spends most of his time within a foot of a carlighter plug. That would probably save him a lot of time charging.

Please suggest brands/sizes for him. I don't know anything about this stuff. He just called me to see if I ordered some for him yet as I will see him Saturday. I need to order a lot of the juice for him too so he doesn't run out druing the week.

Don't know if you've read much about dripping which might be a good option for you, but not for him.

I've read about it but don't understand it. Once I get my kit in the mail maybe I will understand how this stuff works better.

He will need to keep plenty of cartos handy---a few Giantomizers probably wouldn't hurt either.
They also just came out with Clearomizers. I like them, but there are people who don't.

I will google those and see what I can find. The Giantomizer sounds good since I am guessing you have to change them less. That would be a bonus in his situation.

 

[texasgranny]

First off....Congrats on just doing it!! I've heard that the Apollo is a pretty good unit, but if you find
you want to try something different....well, you will fit in real nice here! Almost everyone has 2-3-4 and
on and on. It becomes very addicting as well as beneficial. I was a 30 yr menthol smoker and I NEVER
thought it would really work....but look at my sig...yes it does!!!
For the hubby, check out what I have. Its VERY durable and with the AW batteries, I go
about 9-10 hours before I change batteries. I have 4 and rotate thru them.
It;s called a PROVAPE. (google it)
You will get alot of responses, dependent upon what vapers have used.
Most thru time, upgrade to a unit with longer battery life and more power.
It helps increase the overall satisfaction.
So keep reading and learning. Watch YouTube videos. Just about everything ecig there.
Glad to have you and looking forward to YOUR success story...(Your hubbys too)

 

[DC2]

Apollo Standard Starter Kit includes:
- 1 Portable Charger Pack (PCC) which charges your ecig battery on the go and has a nice power indicator
- 2 long-lasting lithium batteries
- 1 handy USB charger and 1 wall adaptor
- 1 FREE pack of 5 cartomizers with flavors of your choice

I notice you did not get any extra juice or cartomizers.
Those cartomizers aren't going to last you very long so be prepared to run out before you can get more.

It is a classic newbie mistake to love vaping but run out of juice and be stuck with cigarettes.
And believe it or not, there is an extremely good chance you will not like cigarettes any more at that point.


Since you and your husband are going to most likely need different strengths of juice, it might be a good time to order some.
You should get a variety of flavors and strengths in sample sizes so you can figure out what you like and need.

Thanks everyone! And if you have any ideas for what would work best for my husband, please let me know.

Smokes Camel Wides
2-3 packs a day
Been smoking since high school
Over the road truck driver

He is going to be a tough one to get a system that works for I think.

In the end I think he is going to need a juice-fed mod with long battery life.

The Reo Grand, Phidias Woodimus, and the Ali'l are good choices.
But they are expensive, and don't look anything like a cigarette, so you may have to wait until he's ready.

Until then, he can just use whatever you get for now.

 

[Cat_in_the_Playground]

Hubby was a truck driver!!!
He will need to keep plenty of cartos handy---a few Giantomizers probably wouldn't hurt either.
They also just came out with Clearomizers. I like them, but there are people who don't.

What are Giantomizers and Clearomizers? And which models do they work with?

 

[Llama]

First off....Congrats on just doing it!! I've heard that the Apollo is a pretty good unit, but if you find
you want to try something different....well, you will fit in real nice here! Almost everyone has 2-3-4 and
on and on. It becomes very addicting as well as beneficial. I was a 30 yr menthol smoker and I NEVER
thought it would really work....but look at my sig...yes it does!!!
For the hubby, check out what I have. Its VERY durable and with the AW batteries, I go
about 9-10 hours before I change batteries. I have 4 and rotate thru them.
It;s called a PROVAPE. (google it)
You will get alot of responses, dependent upon what vapers have used.
Most thru time, upgrade to a unit with longer battery life and more power.
It helps increase the overall satisfaction.
So keep reading and learning. Watch YouTube videos. Just about everything ecig there.
Glad to have you and looking forward to YOUR success story...(Your hubbys too)

I will check out the provape for him and thank you. Durablity is going to be an issue for him that I didn't think of. Something that can stand up to being dropped would be wonderful. He goes through a few cell phones a year. It would be nice if I didn't have to order him a new one every other week. Lol.

I notice you did not get any extra juice or cartomizers.
Those cartomizers aren't going to last you very long so be prepared to run out before you can get more.

It is a classic newbie mistake to love vaping but run out of juice and be stuck with cigarettes.
And believe it or not, there is an extremely good chance you will not like cigarettes any more at that point.

That is just the copy/paste from the website. I got the ones that came with the set as the highest nic tobacco flavor and then ordered an extra set for I think $12 of the medium strength- flavor variety(vanilla, coffee, and some others). I don't know what I need so I figured I could just try them out and see what I like. I also clicked a link from here and got an order from wetyourstick:

5ml vanilla VG 11mg
5ml chocolate PG 18mg
5ml WYS4 VG 18mg
5ml Strawberry PG 24 mg

I don't know how long they will last me, but I'm new and hope to keep up with the learning curve. I may be a classic noob, but I do read even if I don't understand it all.

Since you and your husband are going to most likely need different strengths of juice, it might be a good time to order some.
You should get a variety of flavors and strengths in sample sizes so you can figure out what you like and need.

The strawberry is for him.

In the end I think he is going to need a juice-fed mod with long battery life.

The Reo Grand, Phidias Woodimus, and the Ali'l are good choices.
But they are expensive, and don't look anything like a cigarette, so you may have to wait until he's ready.

Until then, he can just use whatever you get for now.

Price of the unit aren't important. We aren't rich but are willing to invest in this with hopes of quitting. I will certainly look up those models and thank you. He doesn't seem to care if looks and feels like a cigarette. He has been smoking since he was 14 years old (1 + pack a day since 17) and so this needs to fill his nic and hit cravings. He use to steal my Camel No. 9s (they are pretty little pink cigarettes if you don' know) and take them to work with him at a shipyard. I doubt he will care if this thing is bright purple with a unicorn on it and is shaped like a teddybear, as long as he can use it as he drives.

 

[mlinky]

He needs a REO Grand. Made of solid aircraft aluminum, all mechanical, holds 6ml of juice and battery lasts all day. Drop it, wash it, doesn't matter. They will be available in a couple of weeks. Reos Mods

 

[Rosa]

Seems like the other members are taking care of you so I'll just add this totally irrelevant comment:

I think the reason why other stop-smoking methods don't work is because you have to STOP SMOKING!

The reason e-cigs work is because you DON'T have to stop, ever. You can keep using them for as long as you like, use them for the rest of your life if you want. There's no step 1, step 2, step 3.... quit. It's just like switching brands, except this brand won't kill you or make you feel like crap all the time (or smell, or cause second-hand smoke, or make your fingers yellow, or make you lose your breath when you run up stairs, or..or...or....)!

Welcome to ECF, good luck and HAVE FUN!!

 

[Rosa]

.....I doubt he will care if this thing is bright purple with a unicorn on it and is shaped like a teddybear, as long as he can use it as he drives.

LOL! That's a funny

 

[Calypso]

Maybe one of the modders can make one of those for him LOL.

 

[Llama]

It is unfortunate that you didn't get at least one manual battery.

I think you owe me $80, DC2. I did a lot more searching, vid watching, and all that. The result is this:
KR808D-1 Starter Kit - Matte Black
KR808D-1 Blank Cartomizers (2)
Creme Liquid [Strength:16mg High]
Kamel Turkish Blend/Desert Ship Liquid [Strength:11mg Medium]
RY4 Liquid [Strength:24mg X High]
High Caliber Pillow Mint - 18mg High

So if I send you the bill you will pay it since you are the one that talked me into it, right? It should be here early next week.

He needs a REO Grand. Made of solid aircraft aluminum, all mechanical, holds 6ml of juice and battery lasts all day. Drop it, wash it, doesn't matter. They will be available in a couple of weeks.

I talked to him about some of the models I could order for him. He wants to wait and try what I got and then go from there. I think I am scaring him a bit with talk of battery life, refills, e-juice, and the rest. But that one does sound like it could stand up to his wear and tear.

I think the reason why other stop-smoking methods don't work is because you have to STOP SMOKING!

I knew there was something I didn't like about it! It makes perfect sense now. LMAO

DC2, I will forward you the email from my KR808 purchase and paypal address so you can get that taken care of.

 

[DC2]

DC2, I will forward you the email from my KR808 purchase and paypal address so you can get that taken care of.

Now hold on a second....

I never suggested a KR808D-1 model, as I don't even like them.
So you need to find someone else to bill.