Tired of chasing the perfect vape...

[six]

I gave up searching for an all day vape a long time ago. I also gave up trying to find a single mod that can do anything I want it to do in any situation I happen to be in.

I've found quite a few juices I like.. but none I can use all day every day. And, I have a lot of different PVs. I have attys that perform well. I have cartos of all sorts that do their job.

Personally, instead of feeling like I was somehow failing to find the right thing, I feel like I'm discovering all sorts of new things that taste and behave differently from each other but still deliver the nicotine. Along the way, I've purchased junk gear and bunk juice. I try not to let that bother me too much.

When i was smoking, I was brand loyal. Smoking was simple. Buy a pack of my brand, tap it on my wrist a few times, open it, pull one out - strike a match and everything works and it tastes and acts the same every time. - vaping can be more complex than that. Sometimes it can be a complete pain. Sometimes vaping can be an effort in frustration and dissatisfaction. - But, sometimes it can be fun, too. Trying new gear and sampling new flavors is fun.

I have no less than 10 PVs within my reach right now. No two are alike. They all have different attributes whether it be flavor, voltage, atty vs carto, different styles and ohms of attys and cartos... etc etc etc.

I don't think the "perfect vape" exists for me, but I've found a few combos I enjoy. Today, it was my REO Mini with bobas bounty in a 2.0 ohm cisco atty - and my 5.0v triple-v with a 3.2 ohm single coil with BWB Applewood - and a Maxi Rough Stack with a 1.7 ohm single coil (often called the resurrector) with BWB Maple Tobacco. Tomorrow, I'll probably spend some time with one of my MAP tanks since I'll be home most of the day, so it will be a 2.6 ohm CE2 in a MAP with BWB Vanilla or MadVapes TopVapor Spearmint. I'll probably use the triple-v quite a bit too since that carto just got good and broken in today. I'll probably drip here and there whatever flavor sounds good at the moment. On Sundays for some reason, I tend to gravitate towards my sweeter flavors like AVE PGHype in a dual or triple coil on 5.0v and I'm sure I'll probably drip something like rootbeer or spearmint....

I embraced the variety of flavors, PVs, and attys/cartos. By letting my mood dictate what I'm going to vape and how I'm going to vape it, I no longer get bored with any one flavor or any one set of equipment. I just plain stopped looking for the "perfect vape" and decided that the variety is perfect for me.

 

[Reveen]

^^^

Awesome post.

 

[Retriever]

I just started vaping last month and have already fallen off the wagon for a day - then went back to vaping. Try not to be too discouraged as nothing is perfect. There are a lot of good flavors out there and equipment too - but you know that. I am really ...... at the cigarette companies for making such an addictive product that causes such death and destruction. I wish you all the best and I hope you find the right answer for you.

Don't give up!

 

[pizza2me]

Hey loft,

I've only ever been able to vape menthol and mow tobacco. Have you ever tried VS phoenix? Or tampa? He's out of stock right now. But if you PM me I can send you some. Closest to analog I've found.

And, as somebody else said, unflavored (high nic for me) juice does the trick for me sometimes.

And, sort of like what somebody else said, I find when I'm getting "burnt out", if I stop chain vaping and vape much less often, I find it more satisfying when I take a hit.

Hang in there bud!

 

[krijmo]

I know how you feel. Ive been vaping since Feb of this year and have spent a disgusting amount of money on my ecig habit. People think I'm nuts, lol. I dont think Ive even tried as much as you. I started on 808s, went to an ego tank, then just went to egos with a boge and a drip tip and thats where Ive stayed. I like my johnson creek tennessee cured vg and i mix it with spiced apple cider and thats how i roll, but i feel like im always replacing batteries that I break or lose in a bar (drinking and vaping is awesome, but a lost ecig is more expensive than a lost pack of smokes). I bought a spark plug and got some replacement batteries and now the damn spark plug doesnt work at all with the old or the new batteries. SO I bought another ego and also have the new ego type e power or whatever that has the removeable batteries. Money money money. I've actually recently decided to just wean myself off nicotine slowly. I have some 0mg stuff on the way and I'm going to mix it with whatever I have in my arsenal right now and see if I cant just break the habit once and for all. Just keep a couple of batts and some 0mg on hand when I wanna inhale exhale...

 

[famous]

I've been on the vape for a couple of years now and I have to second the ego batt with an atty and a drip tip for a sure fire all day vape. For me the frustration had set in mostly with all the money i had spent on different rigs and cartos etc. filling and leaking and small duration batteries were what got me to the point you are at now. the ego batt/atty/drip tip eliminated most of the fussing around and frustration.

I never had much of a juice issue. i tried a few and found a couple of flavors i liked better than others and just stayed with them alternating once in a while. (ry4 and juicy peach with vg)

hope you get over the hurdle. maybe a few marlboros will send you running back to vaping like they did me!

good luck!

 

[vafromnc]

After smoking reds for 32 yrs and trying to quit a thousand times, I discovered that the analogs will always try to get back into your life. I know that if I go back to them, I won't escape again. Don't give up, friend. We're here for you.

 

[Nicko]

If you haven't already, try unflavored juice. I have a zillion flavors but about two weeks ago I switched to unflavored. It's consistently fresh and light, and my cartos just last MUCH longer, so I'm saving money too. That's something that was really bugging me. Cartos lasting only 3-4 days. I had no success in cleaning them.

I think the flavors are kind of a wonderful novelty for new vapers, but more experienced vapers might be better off without them. Also keeping in mind we don't know the long term effects of inhaling flavors. I'm just saying.

There's a thread about unflavored in the DIY section. Sometimes I add just a hint of flavor. Less is more really is true.

I buy 36mg pg, then dilute it with more pg and add vg about 25%.

 

[loft]

Thanks for all the support guys... I think the only thing I haven't tried is unflavored. I'm not upset with the amount of money I've spent with vaping as it's still less than when I smoked analogs (2 pad) but more-so just the amount of dissatisfaction across the board with all the juices I've tried. At one point in this journey I've had family members come to me literally concerned that the DEA was going to knock on my door due to the amount of shipments I was receiving for juice.

I'm a TH junkie. So with that, I order really strong stuff usually. But then I got the notion that high nic strength resulted in less implied flavor and added more peppery taste to the mix so I started buying low nic juice to find, to my dismay, sucked even more.

I've looked into DIY - but I just don't have the time to sit down and really do it. I'm always on the go. And when I'm at home, there's never any downtime lately. 3 year old that has an endless supply of energy and a nonstop curiosity for everything. And now I have to run to work so I hope everyone has a great day. Thanks again for all the kind words!

 

[otrpu]

I settled on Cinnamon about a year and a half ago. Month ago, I used too much in my DIY, fried my tongue. Next batch I went Zero Flavor Added to give my tongue a recovery period. Also, forgot to add my Nicotine to that batch. Ever since then I'm vaping 0Nic0FA, Zero Nicotine Zero Flavor Added. I'm blending straight VG with 25-30% PGA to thin it. Makes a great eliquid, on the tongue is has a slight sweet taste. My clearo's last forever. Figure it costs me about 6 cents for 3.5mL. And most the expense is in the alcahol. The VG is out 3 deicmals. JMHO

Cheers,
otrpu

 

[Noodoggy]

I would try the flavorless. I have much more satisfaction going to flavorless. No tired taste buds or trying to decide which flavor I am going to vape for the day. Maybe it is not as exciting as flavored but it's become alot less hassle. I am also at the point where I am thinking of cutting back and weaning off. But I havent gotten there yet lol Good luck!

Also with diy flavorless you can make up a bottle of it like i do with nic and vg or pg (whichever you prefer) and you are set for a couple of weeks. i use a 120ml bottle for my mixed liquid and i buy the nic in 250ml bottles and mix it with my free sample gallon of vg. look on ecf for the free gallon of vg or pg.

 

[Huffelpuff]

You're not alone with feeling a bit frustrated with the amount of $$ that can be spent finding the perfect vape. I'm glad that you posted this because, from time to time, I wonder if it's really worth it. This feeling usually is accompanied with the urge to have a real cigarette.

Analogs are proven killers. The price you have paid chasing the vape is pennies compared to one chemotherapy treatment. The discomfort you feel is much less than carrying an oxygen tank with you when you cannot breathe.

I try to remember that this is just an alternative. Try some snus or vape yourself silly with higher mg nicotine. Anything to stay clear of the analogs, if you can.

 

[JW50]

Will add my 2 cents. I empathize with the frustrations of vaping, the inconsistencies, and the effort needed in comparison to analogs. On the other hand, I am personally quite convinced that the convenience and consistency of those analogs is short term (relative to ones life time) and that payment for the short term convenience will eventually be required with the added frustrations of prematurely dealing with our health care system - not to mention the dollars associated. So, it would be my suggestion/urging that the return to the analog mode been placed way, way down the possibilities list. Firstly, the technologies of vaping are changing all the time and that perfect, consistent, satisfying vape is getting closer and closer all the time. Secondly, even if vaping can't currently satisfy what you feel is needed, there are other methods short of life again with the devil. For example, smokeless tobacco. Smokeless tobacco in the form of snus, and particularly in the US Camel snus, is nearly as convenient as analogs. Easy to find, easy to buy, easy to use and, IMO, reasonably consistent. A snus every now and then gets me through some of those more frustrating times with vaping. Maybe not the perfect solution but all evidence indicates a whole, whole lot less worse for you (and others around you) than analogs.

 

[Brewlady]

I smoked Marlboro Menthol Lights forever. I might have six different kinds of beer in my fridge, but that pack of smokes never changed. When I started vaping I would read about people finding an "all day vape", but no matter what I vaped, I found myself changing up flavors so often that I wasn't sure exactly what flavors were lurking in my atty. Seven months into this I switched from 80PG/20VG to 50/50, which eliminated the constant thirst I was experiencing. I like smaller sized mods, and I bought various ones from the classifieds until I settled in with my mini Reos. My all day vape is actually four different ones. During the day I either have Velvet Vapors bear claw or Kick Bass Vapors rice krispity treat in my purple mini, my black mini is always filled with Velvet Vapors buttered popcorn and my mini Woodvil has Tasty Vapor caramel popcorn. During the week, I carry my purple mini with me, and my 1000 mAh purple eGo with an LR atty and drip tip along with a few different bottles, currently coquito and heaven's kiss, both from eVaporClouds. My purple Buzz Pro sits on my kitchen counter, with a purple drip shield and drip tip that currently has triple punch mist from Void Mist. Now that my taste buds are back, I really don't want one all day vape.

There have been times where nothing tasted right, I've had the dreaded "bad atty week" where nothing seemed to work. I don't expect that to change, even though I've been vaping for over a year I still have days where nothing seems to click. But most days I am just amazed that I am not smoking, and even more amazed that I actually DON'T WANT a cigarette. For me that makes vaping worth all the effort.

New England Vapers has meeting in Worcester every month, if you can make one of our meets it's a great way to try out different liquids that you might otherwise not ever try. Velvet Vapors sent bear claw to me as a free sample, I probably never would have ordered it on my own, and now it's one of my favorites. When I bought my first 901 kit I never anticipated all of the money that I spent on finding the perfect flavors or hardware, but in the end, I no longer smoke, and that makes it all worth it.

 

[Tersur]

I May Get lynched on the ECF boards for saying this but ill put it out there. When was the last time you tried an analog? My Pv broke a few weeks ago and i was forced to buy a pack. IT WAS VILE> mabey the solution is for you to puff on an analog and realize they are nasty as hell and be happy vapeing again.

 

[Sportswaffle]

Like you, I've been vaping for over a year. I've smoked a few analogs along the way but have been pretty much smoke free. I used to not have a particular juice vendor, but I currently use BlueMist Vaping for all of my juices. Their Robacco line is the closest juice to analogs that I've found by far - and they have different flavors of Robacco. For instance, Menthol Robacco, Apple Robacco, Caramel Robacco, etc. I use 24 strength nic (was at 32 for a while) and will try to cut it to 18 for my annual New Years resolution (why do I punish myself!?). For a better throat hit, select the all VG option, that will definitely give what you are looking for. Also, the BlackJack is highly recommended.

Since you've tried all of the pv's and hardware, try a single juice vendor and try to mimic your analog habits. We've all been in your shoe's and definitely sympathize and someone else already mentioned that if you take up analogs again you might have "temporary" satisfaction but remember why you took up vaping in the first place!

Best of luck to you.

 

[warlike36]

Loft, my fellow Iken..... I deal with exactly the same flippin thing. And it IS hard to get through, but lately I have found peace with simple 3.7, IKV XLR 510 and Tobacco Haze from momandpop, or Mocha Cappuccino from crossroadsvapor.

None of my HV stuff works, not even 42mg works when I go through what you are going through...the above set up does.

If you need anything...send me a PM.

 

[rstreet55]

I had the same feelings towards vaping for months. I'm coming up on my one year mark. I almost quit vaping because I couldn't vape the juices I bought. Until I found virgin vapor. A tad more expensive but head and shoulders above the rest. I never smoke menthol before but I found mint flavors are my favorite now. VV mint chocolate and kbv waffle are now what I vape almost exclusively. Just hang in there and keep trying. I never thought I'd find my all day vapes but I finally did.

 

[nanovapr]

krljmo, I've dealt with a Sparkplug some. It is all mechanical. Take it all apart, and buff up the metal contact surfaces. The brass one gets a little scummy from juice, and won't make good contact. The aluminum button at the bottom comes all apart as well. Clean them with iso alcohol, and shine them up with very fine sandpaper/emery cloth.

 

[DC2]

I'm another one that just decided to embrace the variety.

I use DK-TAB or BWB Casablanca most of the time, but I always have a bunch of sample bottles too.
I use a drip tip and do nothing but drip, which eliminates pretty much all the hassle for me.

If I had to use the same flavor for too long, it just wouldn't work for me.

Just recently I got some Vaperite samples, and there is a chance the Tuscany Tobacco might break into my regular rotation.
And the Rou's Hazelnet might be something I'd use now and then.

But in general, about 90% of the samples I buy wind up being given away.
Another 5% get used up but I don't buy them again.

So that leaves only about 5% that I want to keep around for occasional use.