Vaping on a Budget.....

[Tracie L Tackett-Penrod]

Ok, you guys, now that I have bd on board with vaping at home we need to know where to start! Bd gripes that I over-think everything and have an obsession with researching on-line.... pffft whatever! I asked him what he wants his e-cig to be like and he said he was just going to go to the store and buy one (he doesn't like buying things on-line). After all that I've read here and other places, I'm afraid that will be a death knell.... So in true Tracie form, I'm going to obsess behind his back and try to figure out what I think would work best for him and "innocently" recommend it in passing.. hehheheheee mwahahahahahahahaaa *cough cough ahem! Any way, here's what I'm working with.

-42 yr old african american male, 6'3" 180lbs, pack a day Newport smoker, smoker for at least 20yrs.

-Drinks 3-6 cans of Bud Light nightly (I did read the Coors Light thread).

-Goes outside 5-10 times per night to smoke when he gets off work... btwn 4:30pm - 12:00am roughly.

-Is a maintenance man on a large college property... they break everything, constantly, making him very tired when he gets home... so he won't want to have to fiddle with a whole bunch of nonsense.

-He has a tendency to drop things when he hangs out with Bud Light.... and our 2yr old likes to throw things.

-He will most likely continue smoking Newports at work and when out with the boys, so keeping the vaping cost manageable is a must or he will just say that he can't afford a refill and smoke from the pack he already has.

-Most importantly, I want this to be an enjoyable experience for him. I want him to be able to relax and feel good when he's home with his family... not to dread coming home because he's being forced to vape and hates it.

Thank you guys so much for all of the incredibly warm welcomes and the plethora of information you have on this site!! I hope to be getting my son and bd involved here soon as well.

TIA ~Tracie

 

[Rickajho]

lol. I have to give you points for gumption, but as with any smoker - if they don't want to vape they aren't going to. Unless he has a real motivation to quit he can, and will, come up with all manner of excuses as to what's wrong with any device we suggest. Be it a simple eGo setup with cartos to a ProVari with a tank that practically fills itself, if he doesn't want to use it you have nothing but an uphill battle. Ultimately, we need hear from him about his likes and dislikes in order to suggest something that might increase the odds that he will use it. That's all I got right now.

 

[Beccca]

provari mini could hide in his hand...........but cost is outrageous. If he won't vape infront of buddies,,,,,get a kgo kit for home....but he'll only need one battery for night so a twist might do.

 

[Mike36609]

There are lots of hardware options that meet your criteria - box mod, Ego, VV Ego, kgo, Gripper, VV Gripper, Ovale, and so on. I think finding a juice he really likes is more important than the device, and the juice options are nearly unlimited.

 

[Tracie L Tackett-Penrod]

you're killing me Mike!!! hahahhaaa

Something user friendly.... not something he'd have to fumble with a lot. He doesn't care about bells and whistles, blinking lights, or looking cool, just wants it to be similar to smoking a newport.

I realize this is difficult to do through a lay person, and I greatly appreciate everyone jumping in to give me a hand! I'll even take direction to another thread as help!!

 

[Baditude]

Since this will be used primarily at home, I'm hoping he would be willing to forego the cigalike stage and go up to an eGo battery or a small mod like a Gripper. I'll provide some picks of each and you can show him.



Mini Vivi Nova tank on an an eGo battery. The Vivi Nova tank is easy to fill, just screw the top off and add e-liquid, screw the top back on. The eGo battery will provide 6-10 hours of battery time, depending upon the length of the battery. It would require the appropriate charger for the battery and possibly an usb/wall converter to charge away from a computer port. Should be less than $50 for everything.

Ego battery:
AltSmoke.com | Personal Vaporizers | Electronic Cigarette | Ecigs | | Electronic Cigarette Batteries | Cigarette Electronic Cigarette | Cigarettes Electronic| Cigarette Electronic | Best Electronic Cigarettes | Buy electronic cigarettes

Charger and Usb/wall adaptor:

AltSmoke.com | Personal Vaporizers | Electronic Cigarette | Ecigs | | Electronic Cigarette Chargers | Cigarette Electronic Cigarette | Cigarettes

Electronic| Cigarette Electronic | Best Electronic Cigarettes | Buy electronic cigarettes

Juice tank:

http://altsmoke.com/accessories/tanks/vision-vivi-tanks/vision-vivi-replacement-coil-tank-kit.html




Smoktech Gripper is only $16. Uses an 18350 battery for 7 hours use. Would need a charger, some XL length cartomizers, and a drip tip. A Vivi Nova tank could also be used with a Gripper extension that is available to purchase with the Gripper. Also about $50 with all the supplies.

Gipper mod:
SMOKtech 18350 GRIPPER Mechanical - Black Rubberized [gv-SMOKGripper18350-BLACK] - $15.95 : GotVapes.com, E-cigarette Supplies - Atomizers Cartomizers Mods Juice and more

Charger:

Battery Chargers : Xtar MP1S

Battery:

Batteries : AW IMR 18350 3.7V 700mAh

Drip Tip mouthpiece:
Drip Tips

Cartomizers, XL length:
http://altsmoke.com/smoktech-510-stainless-steel-cartomizers-single-coil.html

 

[klynnn]

I would start with a kgo. I smoked way too long 2+pad and it worked for me. I have since gone on to bigger and vv but to start with this is pretty good. It has a little more voltage than the basic ego. KGO kit1100mAh by SLB

 

[Tracie L Tackett-Penrod]

Sweeeet, thanks Bad!!! Great info, great prices!!

 

[Rickajho]

Ok, lemme back up and run over this one again.

Has he tried your PV yet? If he did, what did he have to say about it? Give us a clue where he is at at this point regarding his exposure to vaping.

If you are going to "convert" him I agree about the liquids being more important than the hardware at this point. And you put "...on a budget" in your thread title. So... I would be exposing him to some liquids first, using your own PV, to gauge his interest level. Bcuz if his reaction to any and all liquids you put in front of him is "Nah. Don't like any of it." then you saved yourself from buying hardware he just isn't gonna use. But if he likes it, and he's in, you can fight over sharing your PV for a few days until his order comes in. Unscrew your carto, screw his on - no big whoop.

You said menthol. Good - menthol is easy. Menthol smokers can always find a good menthol that tastes like what they got when they smoked. Even Dekang "NPort" is a clean, strong menthol. And cheap too. If you want to get him something more complex, consider getting some samplers from The Vapor Room. They have several menthols. The Port Menthol has a bit of a tobacco flavor undertone behind a very good menthol. Their 555 Menthol is more back to that straight menthol only flavor.

I can't second guess this guy third party. But if you want to get him to use a PV, forget the hardware for now - find something he wants to put in the hardware first.

 

[zapped]

Since this will be used primarily at home, I'm hoping he would be willing to forego the cigalike stage and go up to an eGo battery or a small mod like a Gripper. I'll provide some picks of each and you can show him.

View attachment 181322 View attachment 181327

Mini Vivi Nova tank on an an eGo battery. The Vivi Nova tank is easy to fill, just screw the top off and add e-liquid, screw the top back on. The eGo battery will provide 6-10 hours of battery time, depending upon the length of the battery. It would require the appropriate charger for the battery and possibly an usb/wall converter to charge away from a computer port. Should be less than $50 for everything.

Ego battery:
AltSmoke.com | Personal Vaporizers | Electronic Cigarette | Ecigs | | Electronic Cigarette Batteries | Cigarette Electronic Cigarette | Cigarettes Electronic| Cigarette Electronic | Best Electronic Cigarettes | Buy electronic cigarettes

Charger and Usb/wall adaptor:

AltSmoke.com | Personal Vaporizers | Electronic Cigarette | Ecigs | | Electronic Cigarette Chargers | Cigarette Electronic Cigarette | Cigarettes

Electronic| Cigarette Electronic | Best Electronic Cigarettes | Buy electronic cigarettes

Juice tank:

http://altsmoke.com/accessories/tanks/vision-vivi-tanks/vision-vivi-replacement-coil-tank-kit.html


View attachment 181323View attachment 181324

Smoktech Gripper is only $16. Uses an 18350 battery for 7 hours use. Would need a charger, some XL length cartomizers, and a drip tip. A Vivi Nova tank could also be used with a Gripper extension that is available to purchase with the Gripper. Also about $50 with all the supplies.

Gipper mod:
SMOKtech 18350 GRIPPER Mechanical - Black Rubberized [gv-SMOKGripper18350-BLACK] - $15.95 : GotVapes.com, E-cigarette Supplies - Atomizers Cartomizers Mods Juice and more

Charger:

Battery Chargers : Xtar MP1S

Battery:

Batteries : AW IMR 18350 3.7V 700mAh

Drip Tip mouthpiece:
Drip Tips

Cartomizers, XL length:
AltSmoke.com | Personal Vaporizers | Electronic Cigarette | Ecigs | Smok Tech Single Coil Cartomizers 1.7 ohm, 2.0 ohm, 2.5 ohm, 3.2 ohm

Youre much better looking than I imagined Bad

 

[Baditude]

Has he tried your PV yet? If he did, what did he have to say about it? Give us a clue where he is at at this point regarding his exposure to vaping.

Does the poster even have a PV? I'm not familiar with her, but she doesn't say in this thread if she even has one of her own.

 

[Baditude]

Youre much better looking than I imagined Bad

Especially since I'm a guy. And I don't dress in drag.

 

[Tracie L Tackett-Penrod]

You said menthol. Good - menthol is easy. Menthol smokers can always find a good menthol that tastes like what they got when they smoked. Even Dekang "NPort" is a clean, strong menthol. And cheap too. If you want to get him something more complex, consider getting some samplers from The Vapor Room. They have several menthols. The Port Menthol has a bit of a tobacco flavor undertone behind a very good menthol. Their 555 Menthol is more back to that straight menthol only flavor.

I can't second guess this guy third party. But if you want to get him to use a PV, forget the hardware for now - find something he wants to put in the hardware first.

Thank you for the great lead on juices that he may like!! That is a wonderful help. The reason I'm asking so many naive and annoying questions is because I don't smoke or vape. We don't have any hardware at all. The only vaping experience we have is my 18 yr old son trying a disposable blu and hating it.

My bd is a smoker and I can no longer stand it around the house. The smell chokes me up and makes me nauseous. He has promised to quit since I was pregnant with our 2yr old. I finally realize he's not going to quit, so I told him he had to find an alternative when he is home. He can still smoke all he wants away from home, but at home he needs to vape. I thought he would completely and irately refuse, but he said he is willing to give it a try. I want to get him set up with something that is easy to use and not seen as a hassle to him. He's willing to give it a shot, but he's not going to go to extraordinary lengths to do something he doesn't like. I'm hoping to get him started on something decent, better than running out to the gas station and getting a disposable piece of junk... hopefully if I get bd going on something great, then my oldest son will see a better product and give vaping another try as well.

Thank you guys soooo much!

 

[Baditude]

Thank you guys soooo much!

No problem, Tracie. People helped us get started here, so we return the favor to others. If you have further questions, feel free to PM me by clicking on my name by the avatar picture, and then PM to personal message me. Good luck!

 

[Tracie L Tackett-Penrod]

No problem, Tracie. People helped us get started here, so we return the favor to others. If you have further questions, feel free to PM me by clicking on my name by the avatar picture, and then PM to personal message me. Good luck!

Thanks, you rock!

 

[Tracie L Tackett-Penrod]

Oh and I keep forgetting that my mother uses/has used an e-cig off and on for the last year. I think it must be pretty low quality as I believe she said it came with a lifetime supply of cartridges?? I've never seen her charge it or refill it or do anything but puff on it. She said it was "ok." She's been a smoker since the dawn of time and has quit more times than I have celebrated birthdays!! lol I don't want a mediocre, "meh" experience for bd... I'd like for him to be able to enjoy it.

so that's two members of my family that have tried cig-alikes with no success.

 

[Rickajho]

Shoot - I thought you was a vaper. Where you at? I'm wondering if a visit to a brick & mortar store might be in order if there is one nearby.

This is still kind of a hard thing to do third party. It sounds like one of the big issues you have is going to be the fuss factor. Like or not, all of this stuff has to be refilled and fiddled with. (Except a disposable or pre-filled cartos and we already know how those options have been working out for the family... "Lifetime supply"? Did she get schnookered into one of those TV ad monthly subscriptions?) I'm thinking if he could see the stuff in person - different options like tanks or cartos - you would both get a better idea of what will be the right setup for him. Of course how well this idea works depends on the quality of the store itself. Some are really good with knowledgeable people. Some... not so much.

Just throwing up ideas here...

 

[Baditude]

Well, it's not like the bd has said that he wants to quit cigarettes, at least I haven't heard that claim by Tracie. He has only agreed to vape while at her home. That's the reason that I didn't press on getting more than one battery in the makeshift starter's kit that I recommended.

There IS some fuss involved with vaping. It's not like smoking a cigarette where you just light it up and smoke. There's preparation involved with vaping. Batteries need to be kept charged, or no vapor. Juice needs to be present, or no vapor. Knowledge on how to fill the juice delivery device needs to be had, or no vapor. Even the technique of vaping is different than smoking. Just a simple thing of trying to find a flavor that tastes like their cigarette is frustrating for many beginners. They might get close, but it will never taste like the smoke and burning tobacco leaves that a cigarette has.

I think an inexpensive mid-level battery device like the eGo battery with a mini Vivi Nova tank, or the Gripper box mod with either cartomizers or a mini Vivi Nova tank will fit the expectations of both bd and Tracie.

An Ice Menthol flavored juice of about 18mg nicotine should keep him off of the smokes while at Tracie's house.

 

[Tracie L Tackett-Penrod]

Shoot - I thought you was a vaper. Where you at? I'm wondering if a visit to a brick & mortar store might be in order if there is one nearby.
I'm thinking if he could see the stuff in person - different options like tanks or cartos - you would both get a better idea of what will be the right setup for him. Of course how well this idea works depends on the quality of the store itself. Some are really good with knowledgeable people. Some... not so much.

Just throwing up ideas here...

I searched on-line but couldn't find anything even remotely near us. I live in Va about 2.5 hrs from DC. I thought there would be some in DC, but didn't see any. Maryland was the closest I found and that's a bit too far to go right now. I really wish we had some in Richmond or Charlottesville or NoVa.

 

[Tracie L Tackett-Penrod]

Well, it's not like the bd has said that he wants to quit cigarettes, at least I haven't heard that claim by Tracie. He has only agreed to vape while at her home. That's the reason that I didn't press on getting more than one battery in the makeshift starter's kit that I recommended.

There IS some fuss involved with vaping. It's not like smoking a cigarette where you just light it up and smoke. There's preparation involved with vaping. Batteries need to be kept charged, or no vapor. Juice needs to be present, or no vapor. Knowledge on how to fill the juice delivery device needs to be had, or no vapor. Even the technique of vaping is different than smoking. Just a simple thing of trying to find a flavor that tastes like their cigarette is frustrating for many beginners. They might get close, but it will never taste like the smoke and burning tobacco leaves that a cigarette has.

I almost fell over again yesterday when he said he's been thinking more about it and said he might actually enjoy it..... IF.... I don't harp on it and make it a big deal. So I think I'm going to take your advice, Bad, with the ego bat and vivi nova tank and the advice of another to get a sampler of several menthol flavors (and a few others that aren't because hey maybe vaping will be just a totally different flavor and vibe and he might not want the newport feel to it at all). So, I think if I do the leg work and figure out where to purchase and what to purchase and just get it all into a cart and take him to the site and have him pick his "colors" we'll be good to go.

I think you guys really have me stepping out there in the right direction, and I'm looking forward to getting him started!

As far as the "fuss" involved, I think in the beginning I may just take charge and make sure his tank stays filled and his battery stays charged.... and if he wants me to back off and let it be his experience I will.