Tootle Redux (FREE STUFF)

[OCD]

I have some 350mah shorty eGo batteries that go great with our 15mm cartomizer tanks for about the tiniest vaping package you can have short of a cigalike and certainly the smallest cartomizer tank available.

We will put together a package for someone with battery, charger, tank and cartomizers (sorry no choice on colors will be a get what we ship).

So how to get it? Post here a short (or verbose if you prefer) bit about your own story of vaping.

Mine was 37 years of smoking until January 7th 2012 which was the day we got our first cigalikes. We quickly moved to eGos then on to larger devices within 6 months or so. In that time we also decided we like the ease and experience of cartomizer tanks and decided we wanted glass ones.

Well, back then glass cartomizer tanks were nearly $100 for quality ones so needless to say I made our own. After showing them to some folks the first question was how much, when I gave them a price that was a third of what was the norm for this quality we soon found ourselves in the business of making tanks for many many folks.

Within weeks of making the switch both The Mrs and I noted great changes that came with no longer smoking and now going into four years of being not smokers we continue to enjoy much of life deeper than we had in the past. I have wrote about it before on the downward spiral and helplessness of being an addicted smoker, knowing the damage yet unable to effect change. Vaping has been the tool that allowed us to break from that path and now we continue to through our food and lifestyle to improve what every day offers.

Tootle Puffin and glad about it.

 

[NancyR]

One out of every two smokers die from smoking related deaths. These aren’t just numbers these are real people. I was going to be that one, maybe you or someone you know is also going to be that one.

I lit my first cig when I was 14, just a few weeks shy of being 15. My grandmother was in the hospital, we knew she wouldn’t be coming home, my mom had MS so dad and I where shouldering most of the stress related to this. Then due to work my dad had to be away. I didn’t know what else to do at the time. We lived in another part of Cali so didn’t even have my friends close to talk to, and all of the adults I knew smoked to deal with stress. Goes to show how little we knew.

No one in the family knew I was smoking until I was 16. They all sorta had the same outlook, they had hopped I wouldn’t but they where not surprised. For Christmas that year everyone gave me cartons of smokes.

When I was 24 my ex’s grandmother passed away from lung cancer, that same year my father was diagnosed with it as well. He had part of his lungs removed, he continued to smoke until he passed away when I was 25.

At the age of 41 my story took a turn as I found this wonderful thing called vaping.

 

[erratum]

Picked up my first cig 30 years ago. I started with Benson and Hedges Ultralight 100's...then Camel Unfiltered....& then a lifetime of Marlboro Reds. Went from a pack a week to, at the worst of it, 5 packs a day....then dropped to a pack a day when I picked up cigars & pipes on the regular.

About 4 1/2 years ago, I decided to try hypnosis. Told the guy I wanted to stop smoking cigs but not cigars or pipes. I left 1/2 a pack there when I left that office that day. The next morning, I bough a fresh pack of Marlboro Reds, but never opened it. I continued to smoke my pipes & the occasional cigar for the next 4 years, but no cigarettes.

Fast forward to about 6 months ago. Some things in my life went south & the first thing I wanted was a pack of cigarettes ... not a cigarette ... a pack of cigarettes. I smoked that pack in about 3 hours...bought another & was up to 2 packs a day in just a couple of days time.

I figured anything had to be better than this & I went to a local vape shop the next day. They sold me an Aspire clearomizer, a Kanger Evod VV battery & some 24mg e-juice. I smoked the last 3 or 4 cigs in the next couple of days & have not bought a pack since.

 

[Vchick]

I wasn't looking to quit, did it on a whim after the neighbors told me they were going to try it. Fast forward 5 years and haven't looked back. It's been an amazing ride after 30+ years of moking!

Thanks for the contest!

 

[Uncle]

Stealthing a post to know where the new contest is - I'll Be BACK ! ! !
Gonna post a link in the PIF Contest Thread . . .

 

[vmtorres1]

I had been smoking for 18 years (PAD) when out of a whim, my father-in-law kind of dared me to pick up an ego starter at the mall. I picked up a two pack (one for the Mrs.) and gave it a whirl. The first thing I noticed was that it was crazy expensive (stupid me, I got it at the mall) but I liked the taste of the blueberry ejuice... Anyway, my bliss lasted all of a week when the thing died. I was about to buy a pack of smokes when I noticed that there was a B&M right across the street of where I work... (I did not even notice the place until then) So I went there, and they set me up with an kangertech evod starter kit (very overpriced, but worth it). Kept on vaping blind, buying some jolly rancher juices (at 12 bucks for 15 ml) until a guy at work told me about ECF... I now own a CoolFire IV and an iStick 30, a genitank for my nic cravings and stealth vaping at work (at 12mg) and an iSub for home, got some increadible juice recommendations off here and have been getting into the custards and other more complex flavors. I still need a good stealth vape, because we are moving offices and going to a big old fishbowl (all windows)... I don't know how I will survive!

 

[redrebel821]

Started smoking at 16, was probably going thru nicotine withdrawals my whole life as both of my are parents were chain smokers, even through pregnancies. I tried every way to quit, because I didn't want my son to become a smoker (he was adopted so I can't be blamed for hooking him during pregnancy). Cold turkey didn't work, I moved on to the patch. Even wearing 2 at a time didn't help. Gum? Please...that's for rookies. Hypnosis and accupuncture failed. Tried the Wellbutrin when the hospital I worked at went non-smoking, but felt stupid running across the road on lunch break to puff. Tried patches again, seriously thought about putting the whole package on at once. Then my son started smoking...I felt like the worst mama in the whole world. Tried cold turkey again, no-go. Tried switching to lights, just smoked twice as much. Got kicked out of a stop smoking support group for lighting up on a break. I tought that was kind of rude...lol...was my first meeting! Then my horribly failed attempt with Chantix. BAD reaction, got head to toe hives. Figured I'd just quit "quitting". Last summer, my son came on break from college with a spinner and said I should try it to at least cut back on smoking. He was reducing his analog count by vaping on campus. Whatever flavor he was vaping tasted like what my garbage bin smelled like. Nope, no vaping for me! Then, in January, he came for a visit again and gave me my Christmas gift. My own little bright green (they were out of stock in purple, go figure) Kanger 650 starter set. I looked at those 2 tiny batteries as something foreign....lol...but this time, we filled the tank with Njoy Butter Crunch. Oh, my, I can still taste that buttery sweetness!!! We went to the vape store the next day, I sampled, I tested, I asked questions! Such yumminess I have never imagined. January 4, 2015 was my last analog. My son said if I could quit in one day, so could he. We are both now analog free!!! I tootle puff because it works!

 

[bwh79]

I smoked for 22 years, from thirteen up until age 35. Last year, I got a coupon in the mail; instead of the usual "$1 off 2 packs" or "$5 off a carton" that they usually send, this was for a free VUSE Solo cig-a-like kit and a couple extra cartridges. "What the hell," I thought, "why not give it a try?" They weren't very good, and the nic content was so high I couldn't inhale the vapor without choking on it, but they did taste better than cigarettes and it was enough to get me "thinking maybe I could actually do this, if only I had something better." I dual-used between the VUSE and my regular brand of smokes for about ten weeks, until I headed down to a local vape shop about seven months ago to get a "real" setup, in the form of an eGo battery and refillable EVOD tank. That's essentially when I "quit" smoking, although I would still have the occasional one here and there, when my battery was charging or just when I felt like cheating. Since then, I've picked up a couple other backup devices, so I no longer have the "it's on the charger" excuse. Since April 18th, I haven't cheated once, except for a couple puffs here and there when lighting a cig for my GF who still smokes, but also sometimes vapes when I have a plain menthol or unflavored liquid (she doesn't like any of the flavored liquids, says they all taste "like gum.")

 

[OCD]

Great start folks, I always love reading these success stories of people who have left the stinkies behind. Nice to see the topic has brought out the wordiness too, they say the devil is in the details but I think it is more like the beauty is there. Wonderful to be able to envision these individual wins while reading through.

 

[Boden]

Well, it was summer 2010. A hot foggy morning here in Kentucky. The chickens were chasing the cat across the yard... While I was walking through the mall I saw a lady with a purple hat... Then to make matters worse my shoe was stuck to the floor... After climbing the hill to get a better vantage point I realized... This perplexed me, could she really be a man... But why would I need a cantaloupe, surely the doctor knew something he wasn't going to give up easily... Then I got a Provari V1 and an IBTank to go with my cartos... After That I realized why we needed the cantilope. It was for... And that's how I switched to vaping with this very setup. The End

 

[Uncle]

I always love reading these success stories of people who have left the stinkies behind.

Well - Then I really dislike saying that I am still one of those who is a "Dual-User" and have yet to become a "Non-smoker" . . . Yes - I still smoke cigarettes, as I continue to cut back "My" Addiction of 46+ years (varying from 2-4 PAD - to approximately 1 1/2 - 2 PAD now) and try to become a fulltime Vapor to eventually quit smoking all together like so many other have . . . AND - Like "You" I do enjoy reading stories that tell of both those who continue their struggle with the addiction and those of other people's successes . . . Maybe - Just one of those stories of accomplishment might have an answer/solution that will work for "Me" too . . .

So - I will be continuing "My" Transition into the Vaping World . . . Just Sayin' . . .

 

[redrebel821]

Well - Then I really dislike saying that I am still one of those who is a "Dual-User" . . . Yes - I still smoke cigarettes, as I continue to cut back "My" Addiction of 46+ years (varying from 2-4 PAD - to approximately 1 1/2 - 2 PAD now) and try to become a fulltime Vapor to eventually quit smoking all together like so many other have . . . AND - Like "You" I do enjoy reading stories that tell of both those who continue their struggle with the addiction and those of other people's successes . . . Maybe - Just one of those stories of accomplishment might just have the answer and work for "Me" too . . .

So - I will be continuing "My" Transition into the Vaping World . . . Just Sayin' . . .

If my son could transition, so can you. Be proud of how far you've already come, you're saving your life with every stinky you avoid!!!

 

[Lannie]

Wow, how can we ever hope to top Boden's story? LOL!

I started smoking when I was 13, like Redrebel, both my parents smoked (mom while she was pregnant with all five kids), and it was just what people did. Our family doctor smoked. It wasn't considered bad back then. Mom still didn't WANT me to smoke at such an early age, so I had to sneak around behind her back, but on my 16th birthday, she brought out a pack of her awful Kents, gave them to me and said that I could now smoke openly, but only in the house, NEVER on the street or out in public. (I asked if it was OK if I went and got my Marlboros, because her Kents tasted like cat poop! LOL!).

And that was the beginning... I smoked an average of 2 packs a day for the next 41 and a half years, until 6 weeks ago. Two months ago, my husband had gone shopping and brought home one of those little cigalikes for me to try, because I'd expressed some interest in the e-cigs. I know they're mostly garbage, BUT, it kept me from smoking any analogues for as long as the battery lasted, which was about 8 hours of use for me. And I wasn't even using it right! LOL! The taste was awful, and I have no idea what the nic level was, but it let me know that THERE WAS AN ALTERNATIVE. Just in the back of my mind lately, I'd been bothered by occasional wheezing, and shortness of breath when I walked anywhere fast (you do that a lot on a little farm), and I was ready to make the switch. I never tried to just QUIT smoking, because I knew I'd fail (and I'm also a stress-smoker), so I just avoided those thoughts the best I could. However, when I thought there might be a chance of succeeding, I went for it.

We did a little research, and finally ordered a Kanger EVOD starter kit for me with a few bottles of juice, and once I figured out to soak the wick before I tried using it (YUK! DRY HITS!), I never looked back. I did smoke just ONE analog the next day, to see what I felt about it, and I didn't much care for it. I wanted to hurry up and finish it, so I could go back to vaping. Now I'm six weeks off cigarettes, and couldn't be happier. I'm just now learning to make my own juice, and I'm succeeding, so things will be even better (and cheaper! LOL!). The improvements I've noticed, not only in my breathing, but my physical stamina, now that blood is able to get to my muscles, is nothing short of amazing. Like a whole lot of other people, I kicked myself and said, "Why didn't I do this YEARS ago?" but then I remember, the equipment wasn't as good back then, and if I'd tried then, I might have failed and not tried again, so for me, the timing was perfect. Better late than never, right? Oh, and I almost forgot, UNCLE SENT ME!

~Lannie

 

[Uncle]

If my son could transition, so can you. Be proud of how far you've already come, you're saving your life with every stinky you avoid!!!

OH - No Martyrdom NEEDED for "Me" - I AM Very Proud of what I have accomplished so far . . . Including the fact that I'm still here on ECF (and a couple of other sites) too . . .

 

[redrebel821]

OH - No Martyrdom NEEDED for "Me" - I AM Very Proud of what I have accomplished so far . . . Including the fact that I'm still here on ECF (and a couple of other sites) too . . .

As long as you never leave here...lol...I look forward to seeing your colorful posts! I just re-read what I actually typed about my son...have to smile a bit, as he made the "transition" between analogs to vaping while he's also "transitioning" genders. Between that and making it through finals to graduate from UC-Berkeley back in May, I couldn't be prouder of him!

 

[Uncle]

As long as you never leave here...lol...I look forward to seeing your colorful posts! I just re-read what I actually typed about my son...have to smile a bit, as he made the "transition" between analogs to vaping while he's also "transitioning" genders. Between that and making it through finals to graduate from UC-Berkeley back in May, I couldn't be prouder of him!

I don't even know "Him" and I am very Proud of his accomplishments too . . .

​

AND - THANKS for the compliments . . .

 

[redrebel821]

I don't even know "Him" and I am very Proud of his accomplishments too . . .

I'll pass that along! Trying to get him to sign up here, we were both long time lurkers.

 

[anjelvape77]

Well - Then I really dislike saying that I am still one of those who is a "Dual-User" and have yet to become a "Non-smoker" . . . Yes - I still smoke cigarettes, as I continue to cut back "My" Addiction of 46+ years (varying from 2-4 PAD - to approximately 1 1/2 - 2 PAD now) and try to become a fulltime Vapor to eventually quit smoking all together like so many other have . . . AND - Like "You" I do enjoy reading stories that tell of both those who continue their struggle with the addiction and those of other people's successes . . . Maybe - Just one of those stories of accomplishment might have an answer/solution that will work for "Me" too . . .

So - I will be continuing "My" Transition into the Vaping World . . . Just Sayin' . . .

Keep moving forward sweetie you will get there! I didn't think I ever would but with so much help here I got there and got my brother there too so I believe anyone can

 

[anjelvape77]

As long as you never leave here...lol...I look forward to seeing your colorful posts! I just re-read what I actually typed about my son...have to smile a bit, as he made the "transition" between analogs to vaping while he's also "transitioning" genders. Between that and making it through finals to graduate from UC-Berkeley back in May, I couldn't be prouder of him!

What an awesome list of accomplishments! You have got to be all smiles when you talk about it all!!

 

[redrebel821]

What an awesome list of accomplishments! You have got to be all smiles when you talk about it all!!

I think I'm the luckiest mama ever!!! I got to raise this awesome child to be a wonderful young woman, and now I get to watch and see what an amazing man he's becoming. I get the best of both worlds!!! AND...we it each other to quit smoking!!! WIN-WIN all the way around!