New vaper - the story so far

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Discordian

Full Member
Jan 12, 2014
44
86
Memphis, TN
I've been lurking for a little while, sponging the information, time for me to step out of the shadows and introduce myself. So here's my story so far.

I've been smoking since I was approximately 17 (I'm 36 now). When I got heavily into martial arts, I quit cold turkey for nearly 3 years. Unfortunately my training came to a sudden halt when my career took an unexpected turn and I found myself trying to start my own business. Stress combined with sudden inactivity put me back on the cancer sticks. That was about 12 years ago. About 5 years ago I was first introduced to the concept of an e-cigarette. Curious, I bought a small 510 bat and a set of cartos an some juice from totally wicked (I think). In either case, my experience was awful. The battery ran down quickly, constantly having to refill the carto was annoying... the whole set up quickly got buried in the drawer and forgotten. Skipping forward a few years, like a great many people I found Blu. The convenience factor was what I thought was missing and at the time I thought the Blu pack would be perfect. Blus got me pretty darn close to quitting - but could never quite get to the end. I described it to my friends that it's like .........ing while lying next to a naked woman. Sure, it'll take the edge off, but sooner or later... I won't get too graphical, but I'm sure you get my drift. The vape was inconsistent as the battery discharged, every carto was a bit different, tasted a bit different. Flavors were limited and not all that great - although I know many people really like Johnson Creek. Between a great many smoker friends and my girlfriend still smoking, I could never cross the line and just not smoke with the Blus. I cut down severely, but kept reaching for the lighter.

Few weeks ago, I decided it was time to step up to a 'real' PV. After dinner one night I went to a Vape store in Memphis and picked the brain of the poor guy that was working there that night for about 2 hours. Told him what I wanted, what I needed, what I was concerned with. Got a lot of useful info - and a very good idea of what to ask of the internet. So my research started, and today, finally my chosen setup arrived.

I found a great starter kit, which had most of everything I wanted - and then added a few things to 'complete' my set up... at least for now. I ended up with a kit containing 2 Vision Spinner 1300 mAh batteries and 3 Kanger MTS3 clearomizers - and all the supporting accouterments, of course. I was a little confused at first, and thought I would do better with 1.8 Ohm coils, but have since found my mistake and got 2.5 ohm coils for when the 1.8s wear out. I'll stick with the 1.8s for now, though - no need throwing money away.

6 hours is, of course, not enough time to tell - but I'm overjoyed with this setup and the feel of the vape. So far, I've gone on 3 'smoke breaks' with the better half, and had absolutely zero desire to even take a drag off her Marlboro. I'm currently I'm vaping 70/30 18mg Kiwi-Strawbery from sweet-vapes.com Tastes great, love the throat hit, vapor warmth and quantity. It may be the excitement of new 'toys' but I'm pretty optimistic that with this setup I may finally quit.

I've rambled on long enough. I'll finish it off with saying this forum proved to be most useful in researching all things e-cig. From tips and tricks, to product reviews to general 'good to know stuff'. For what I already learned here, I thank you all. And I look forward to learning more from and with you guys.
 
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ccubed

Super Member
Supporting Member
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Oct 22, 2013
459
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Denver, CO
Hi Discordian and welcome to ECF. The gear you have should work great. I have both eGo-t upgrade and Vision Spinner batteries and I like them both. Also using Kanger MT3S clearos with 1.8ohm coils which work fine for me. For some juices, I turn the Spinner down to 3.3v (like with chocolate chip mint ice cream) and sometimes it put it where the eGo-t would be (about 3.7v) for some of my menthol flavors.

Thanks for letting us know about the kiwi-strawberry mix. I have both flavors, but love the kiwi and the strawberry is not my cup of tea. Based on your suggestion, I may try mixing enough for half a clearo to see how it is.

It is absolutely possible to switch completely from analogs to vaping. A bunch of us have done it. Others have cut back. Both sets of us are successes.

Glad you found us and joined. You are so right, there is a ton of good info here and the people are really helpful. Some of the best advice I've received here is to be sure to have backups and backups for your backups. I don't want a discharged battery or equipment failure to tempt me back to analogs. I also had to be reminded to drink tons of water and stay hydrated, which is something I had to work on. Vaping has been great for me and I haven't had an analog or even a puff off of one since Sept 30, 2013, the day after I started vaping.

Hope your vaping journey continues to grow and you find what you need here and in the rest of the vaping world. Thanks for sharing your story. I get inspiration from hearing about successes like yours. Enjoy and namaste.
 

Wizard Bliss

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Dec 25, 2013
92
54
somewhere oklahoma
wow I presume you have authored several books.. / Just kidding.. . welcome aboard, your story will sound totally familiar to many of us. It took me three days to change over to full vaping. I no longer like the first flavor I used, though I'll hit it occasionally for the extra nicotine 24mg. I'm now vaping 11% and mostly JohnsonCreekSmokeJuice, as it's my girl's preference. If you're like me, or many of us, you will go through several flavors before settling in on a few favorites. The Juice is the Key.

If you find a flavor you love and can keep the batteries charged you'll escape the analogs faster. One tip. Refill the tanks before the juice drops below the silicone ring cap. And if you have the extra 1.8ohm heads, pull off the head when you refill, drop them in hot water to soak and rinse. Dry them the next day. Change the head. Many will suggest you rinse the new heads to clean off the debris from manufacturing. Those heads will last you months and you'll never get a burned hit. Do not be shy about changing them out and cleaning them, once that becomes habit it won't feel time consuming or a bother. No need to dry burn the coils for a couple weeks either.
Vape ON.. :)
Blessings and Joy,
Bliss
 

dasein_geist

Full Member
Jan 4, 2014
10
2
nowhere
Discordian,

I have recently gone through a similar experience, after a 25+ year habit.
I, too, quite TWICE, for several year in between, only to pick it up again.

However, on the first of the year, I switched to e-cigarettes and haven't looked back since.

Like you, I have had zero desire to smoke cigarettes since I started vaping. Unlike you, however, I still prefer the taste of tobacco--I was a pipe smoker for several years. Luckily, I discovered that some of the naturally extracted tobacco offerings offer a pretty good flavor alternative. Although, my wife has been vaping a peach/vanilla mix that is certainly a nice treat. If you like the Kiwi-Strawbery mix, you may give a peach/vanilla mix a try.

Best of luck sticking with it this time around...
 

Discordian

Full Member
Jan 12, 2014
44
86
Memphis, TN
If you like the Kiwi-Strawbery mix, you may give a peach/vanilla mix a try.

I'm experimenting. While at the vape store i tried a few of the fruit/berry mixes they had, so Kiwi-Strawbery was just the first juice I ordered with my starter kit. I already have a bottle of watermelon waiting for me, and 3 other flavors scheduled for delivery next Tuesday - tobacco being one of them. Today I also discovered that my vape store here in town has a 'tasting station' set up. They give you a little drip-tip condom and set you loose at a table of pre-filled clearomizers to try their offerings. I'll find my groove sooner or later. :)
 

Buggainok

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ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jan 1, 2014
2,194
2,761
oklahoma city ok usa
Welcome, and thank you for telling your story. I think it helps all newcomers to know what others have gone through, and what got them here. I'm a couple of weeks in myself, and so far it has been amazing to me that I have not smoked a cigarette since I started out.

I was a heavy smoker for all of my adult life, over 40 years, and didn't dream it could be this painless for me to quit cigarettes.

I first brought the Blu starter kit at my local Walgreens Drug, and knew in a day or so of using it, that e-cigs could work for me. I had no patience with the tiny batteries and charging them constantly, so I did a little research and found this forum pretty quick.

After reading many posts on this forum, I realized there were so many options that might work better for me, and I took myself to a local vape shop and spent an hour or two with the very friendly and helpful people there.

I came home with an ego starter kit and 3 bottles of e juice. It was love at first vape (corny, I know, but that's kind of how I feel.)

I keep pinching myself every day, waiting for that uncontrollable urge to grab a cigarette and light up. So far, it hasn't happened.

I think a big part of why it's working for me is finding this forum and all the interesting, caring folks who are here day or night to answer questions, or offer encouragement. You've come to the right place, and I wish you great success.
 

Discordian

Full Member
Jan 12, 2014
44
86
Memphis, TN
wow I presume you have authored several books..

I've always sucked at math, but I've been reading since I was just over 3. I do tend to get a bit loquacious, though. Can't help it.

Refill the tanks before the juice drops below the silicone ring cap. And if you have the extra 1.8ohm heads, pull off the head when you refill, drop them in hot water to soak and rinse. Dry them the next day. Change the head. Many will suggest you rinse the new heads to clean off the debris from manufacturing. Those heads will last you months and you'll never get a burned hit. Do not be shy about changing them out and cleaning them, once that becomes habit it won't feel time consuming or a bother. No need to dry burn the coils for a couple weeks either.

Good tip. I think I've got a basic grasp on maintenance, cleaning/refilling - but I'm still actively researching all of that stuff. I've got enough of the Kiwi-Strawbery left to last me another 2 or 3 days, after which I'll be switching to Watermelon flavor. I figure that's when I'll try cleaning the coil - and will probably go with your suggestion. Put a new one in and soak the other one.

Is it ok to soak it over night and just letting it air-dry during the rest of the day? Any risk of rusting?
 

dasein_geist

Full Member
Jan 4, 2014
10
2
nowhere
I'm experimenting. While at the vape store i tried a few of the fruit/berry mixes they had, so Kiwi-Strawbery was just the first juice I ordered with my starter kit. I already have a bottle of watermelon waiting for me, and 3 other flavors scheduled for delivery next Tuesday - tobacco being one of them. Today I also discovered that my vape store here in town has a 'tasting station' set up. They give you a little drip-tip condom and set you loose at a table of pre-filled clearomizers to try their offerings. I'll find my groove sooner or later. :)

That Tasting Station sounds like a great idea; I could only wish there was such an option where I currently live. Unfortunately, I have to rely on the local "Smoke Shops" or order online. It would be great to be able to try-before-buy.
 

ccubed

Super Member
Supporting Member
ECF Veteran
Oct 22, 2013
459
479
Denver, CO
I'm experimenting. While at the vape store i tried a few of the fruit/berry mixes they had, so Kiwi-Strawbery was just the first juice I ordered with my starter kit. I already have a bottle of watermelon waiting for me, and 3 other flavors scheduled for delivery next Tuesday - tobacco being one of them. Today I also discovered that my vape store here in town has a 'tasting station' set up. They give you a little drip-tip condom and set you loose at a table of pre-filled clearomizers to try their offerings. I'll find my groove sooner or later. :)

Hi again discordian. My clearo with kiwi just got down to about a quarter tank. So I did a mix with kiwi and strawberry, put in a new coil (and of course washed my used one and it is sitting in water that I boiled) and am now vaping the kiwi-strawberry mix. Tastes pretty darned good. Because of your experience, I just tried something new....and me likee.

Glad your B&M has a tasting station. That is a great way to experiment and try some flavors you might never consider buying that you might like.

So again, thanks for sharing your experience. Namaste.
 

savannah31411

Full Member
May 24, 2013
19
33
savannah ga
I didn't so much quit smoking .I left smoking behind .find yourself some real flavor with naturally extracted tobaccos . check out the natural tobacco thread right here on ecf. you can pull the flavor from tobacco without pulling all the carcinogens tar and cancer causing agents . it's always easier to quit smoking when what you are vapingg is better than what your friends are smoking check out naturall y extracted tobaccos.com good luck with your new hobby .
 

Raccoon_Canada

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Jan 10, 2014
81
75
Toronto
you can do it trust me :) i went out and got mine and after 6 days i got 3 more and a lot of little bottles, vaping will grow on you especialy if you love the taste of your juice. i have sterted with one ego-c and went out and got vission spinner and few tanks here is what i got so far and i am not done yet lol

63660_10202875622952504_852439327_nsetup.jpg
 

kathi17

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Dec 30, 2013
6,249
16,635
Stonington, ME, USA
Congratulations! I found this thread when I searched for the Kanger MT3S. My story is like yours, various cigalikes, but I wasn't really happy with them. My regular cigarette shop started carrying something called Puffs, which had a clearomizer and battery, and it was so much better than the cigalikes. I guess it's kind of an off brand, but they aren't that bad.

All of the juice they carry is really bad though, and I still had some analogs from time to time. It all tasted more like tobacco and you couldn't taste any of the flavorings. I wanted to get something that tasted like dessert, so I would like it better than cigarettes!

Today I got to a real vape shop, and got a Kanger MT3S in a pretty shade of deep red. They were out of Kanger batteries though, so I got a Vision Spinner, also in deep red. I like this set up!

They don't get good reviews on their juice, (they mix it themselves), but it is all they carry, so I got four flavors anyway. (They have a vape bar, and it was fun)! I got green apple, sour candy, caramel candy, and butterscotch. Even though they have lousy reviews, this stuff is so much better than what I was getting at the cigarette shop, that maybe I will be able to get off the analogs completely this time! There was another lady in there with me, and we really had fun checking everything out together!

Welcome to the forum, everyone here is so nice!
 

kathi17

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Dec 30, 2013
6,249
16,635
Stonington, ME, USA
It's been about 65 hours since my last analog. I think my sense of smell is starting to return. I'm picking up some unusual odors at work and my Kiwi-Strawbery vape is particularly good this morning. I know i'm still a long way off but this is... this is kinda cool. :D

Congratulations! I'm still cheating every now and again. No more than two or three, since I got my new flavors on Sunday, but I'm feeling better healthwise since I started vaping again a few weeks ago. Before I got the new flavors at 24, I was using some terrible ones which were at 12. I went from about a pack and a half a day to about half a pack a day, but it was a real effort.

I think the good taste of my new flavors, and double the nicotine will do it for me. Now, I seldom think of having a cigarette, and automatically reach for my PV instead. Even though I cheated a few times, I'm feeling pretty happy every time I realize that I haven't had a cigarette, and haven't really missed them!
 

Discordian

Full Member
Jan 12, 2014
44
86
Memphis, TN
Congratulations! I'm still cheating every now and again. No more than two or three, since I got my new flavors on Sunday, but I'm feeling better healthwise since I started vaping again a few weeks ago. Before I got the new flavors at 24, I was using some terrible ones which were at 12. I went from about a pack and a half a day to about half a pack a day, but it was a real effort.

I think the good taste of my new flavors, and double the nicotine will do it for me. Now, I seldom think of having a cigarette, and automatically reach for my PV instead. Even though I cheated a few times, I'm feeling pretty happy every time I realize that I haven't had a cigarette, and haven't really missed them!

That's how it was for me when I was using Blu. I could go for maybe 3-4 hours without a cigarette, but it was an concious effort, and I keep looking forward to my next 'cheat'. But in my case, invariably that one cheat would become two and next thing I knew I was back on analogs for a few days before trying again.
 
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