On the fence

[Daisey Moonshine]

It's been two weeks since I started vaping. I am getting really frustrated with the liquids and the hassle it is to find what I need to help me quit smoking. My first experience with a 25mg nic was a disaster for me. There is way too much bad advice out there, IRL for a novice like me to depend on B&M stores. It's ridiculous.

The tobacco stores and local B&M's are the equivalent to eating a gas station sandwich when you're starving.

Ordering liquid online is a crap shoot. It's inconsistent and vaguely unreliable. Who knows when it'll be here, or if vendors like Mrs. T's Bakery or Alice In Vapeland will be open for business.

The legislation and outlawing eCigarettes does not help matters, either.

I'm smoking again and hardly vaping at all anymore.

Maybe I am just a smoker, and will live and die a smoker?

 

[melissa1928]

Hi,

For me, using Whole Tobacco Alkaloids (WTA) helped tremendously. I went from 25 cigs/day pre-vaping and 15 cigs/day vaping nic-only to 2-4 cigs/day, and eventually those fell away almost by themselves.

I ordered from Aroma Ejuice:

Aroma Ejuice Manufacturer of WTA Whole Tobacco Alkaloid Eliquid

I can highly recommend the Vanilla Splash. The Dark Honey Tobacco is good if you like tobacco flavors, and some people love the Beatle Juice. Perhaps 10 mil of each, and anything else that looks great, would be good to try.

ETA: Oh, and as for laws -- tobacco is almost certain to be outlawed in my lifetime, IMO. If you don't plan to quit when it's outlawed then you'll need to stockpile, and eliquid is a lot easier to stockpile than packs of cigarettes are. They're also easier to smuggle. Once nicotine is outlawed in the USA, as I'm pretty sure it will be, vapers will be in much better shape than smokers.

You're right about vaping involving a lot more fiddling around, though. That's annoying, but I'm just learning to deal with it.

 

[Rugar7]

Well without knowing what kind of setup you have its hard to help you, But I will try. I started out with an EGO setup which is very simple but effective as for liquid I buy unflavored nicotine base that comes in various strengths and then I flavor it with Loranns food flavorings (the stuff you use to make rock candy) which you can find at Krogers

 

[bacc.vap]

Your right, there are alot of potholes on Vaping Boulevard, if you keep on the road you may end up with a few dings and dents, but sooner or later you will arrive at your destination, Non Smoker Street. You can do it, you don't have to do it all at once, it's easier for some than others. Don't worry if you smoke some, just keep at it and you'll find something that works for you. It'll happen. I'm never wronng.

 

[oxygenated]

Daisey, for me it took about as much time to "adjust" myself to e-cigs as it used to take me to fail in any attempt to quit cigarettes; 4 days. My recommendations to a beginner would be to start with a QUALITY "cig-a-like" with a significant investment in extra batteries, a charger for your car, and a supply of cartos that assures you will not run out and head for the cigarette store. Once you have successfully transitioned to vaping, you can start shopping for a system that will feature longer battery life and less refilling/replacement requirements. I got so frustrated with the snowstorm of flavors (most all of which I did not care for) and the expense of paying $10 for a 30ml bottle that would last me only a few days that I finally settled on buying 1-liter bottles of both propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin and a 500ml bottle of 100mg/ml PG-based nicotine liquid for a total of about $75 (will last me around a year at the rate I am going). I started out mixing 2 parts PG with 2 parts VG and 1 part nicotine for a solution that delivers 20mg/ml. Every 150-300ml ml or so I reduce the nicotine content by 1ml, and am I'm vaping a 16 mg/ml at nine months in. It doesn't escape me that in acclimating myself to this solution, I eliminate the single "unknown" ingredient in this whole process: the flavorings that all seem to come from China that are made of unidentified ingredients and are not regulated or scrutinized by the FDA.

I'm saving an extra $1,200/year, I no longer stink, my house no longer stinks, I'm not burning holes in my clothes or the carpets in my cars, I have better endurance, I can taste things better and smell things better and have a much better chance of spending some priceless time with my as yet unborn grandchildren.

Stick with it!

 

[Rugar7]

Yes try to keep enough on hand so you don't run out.

 

[*deleon517*]

stick with it daisey and dont get discouraged, my transition was fast. as soon as i got my first kit in the mail i was done with cigarette's. my cousin on the other hand battled back and forth for a little over 6 months. He has now been vaping for 2 years straight since he found the option that works for him and is starting to catch and surpass me in collection of setups as well as over working knowledge of the devices. everyones transition is different and what worked for me wasn't good enough for him. 3 years ago there wasn't many options to go with, new vapers now think its harder with so many options but it can be easier since if something doesn't work trying something else is a possibility.

since you do have local b&m's(which we didnt starting) you can always go there and see if they will let you sample a few set up options, to see what works best. Many B&M's do that and they may even have juice samplers, so you can try out different nic levels and flavors. that can help you find the right level nic, and pick a few(3 or 4 flavors) to start out with. dont complicate your juice, most will start out with a few flavors then branch out to many different from various vendors once we know what we like. In the end most end up going back to what we call ADV or all day vapes, and will have a rotation of just a few of them.

 

[28if]

Daisy, I have seen a lot of good advise given to you over the course of the past week or two.

Vaping is not going to make you quit - that is completely your decision. In the same breath I would like to note that nothing anyone here says can make you quit, again, completely up to the individual.

Vaping is a proven method to stop smoking cigarettes while still taking in the beautiful chemical we all love - nicotine.

Accepting that this is a way around smoking and not the end all solution to ending smoking/nicotine ingestion may be less frustrating to you.

I say you keep plugging away - make a plan to have juice on hand. Accept that these devices are not 100% predictable and not made in a NASA Clean Room with billions of dollars of R&D behind them. These are simple tools made available to us by people that would want to help us quit inhaling the 1000 or so chemicals that are present in a cigarette.

Dont give in - Dont give up! Dont let the little white tube of evil beat you!!

Stay strong, stay on ECF and give yourself a fighting chance.

 

[Grimwald]

Finding the best liquid for me was the absolute hardest, most frustrating part of my journey. First everything was good, then it was all bad. I still have piles of sample bottles from those days...although I have "donated" many of them to my son-in-law.

My problem, I think, was trying to replicate the taste of smoking. I tried tobacco flavor after tobacco flavor. What I call my "great tobacco hunt of 2012". My advise would be to try many different flavors because you never know what is going to suit you. It turned out that fruit flavors were better for me to get over the hump...and I never considered myself to be a fruity kind of guy...who knew?

In the end, at least for the time being, I have gone to unflavored liquid...so you never know where you will end up.

 

[Rugar7]

Funny but since I started vaping I look at people smoking analogs as living in the stone age. Vaping is the way of the future.

 

[Nanny22]

Hey Daisy -- we started here at the forum on the same day, I think. I am having trouble, too. My equipment is fine and works like it is supposed to. But I am having trouble with the juice because as it turns out, I am PG sensitive. Before finding that out, I had a juice I just loved and I was thinking this was going to be a cakewalk! I have to find a new juice because the one I loved is not available in 100% VG. Hardly anywhere around here sells juices at all and those that do, don't sell anything but high PG. Frankly, you are right - ordering juice online is a total crap shoot. Wait days or weeks only to know in an instant you hate what you bought -- it is a roller coaster you really don't need when all you want to do enjoy a good vape and get back to feeling *normal* again! Why does it have to be that darn HARD??? But when I think about it, there really only were about THREE good cigarettes in a day -- that first one in the morning, the one after dinner, and the one before you go to sleep. ALL the others I smoked pretty much tasted like CRAP, but I smoked them any way. They made me stink, cost a LOT of money and were really bad for my health. So if the juices I am getting taste a little like crap, they are still not as bad as those cigarettes. I hope you find something you like and something that will work for you. Since you are already smoking a little again, do a side by side comparison - hit the juice then the ciggie a few times. I bet the juice tastes better. I hope this encourages you to not give up. All we gotta do is find the juice that gets us there!

 

[FigNewton]

Daisy, I have seen a lot of good advise given to you over the course of the past week or two.

Vaping is not going to make you quit - that is completely your decision. In the same breath I would like to note that nothing anyone here says can make you quit, again, completely up to the individual.

Vaping is a proven method to stop smoking cigarettes while still taking in the beautiful chemical we all love - nicotine.

Accepting that this is a way around smoking and not the end all solution to ending smoking/nicotine ingestion may be less frustrating to you.

I say you keep plugging away - make a plan to have juice on hand. Accept that these devices are not 100% predictable and not made in a NASA Clean Room with billions of dollars of R&D behind them. These are simple tools made available to us by people that would want to help us quit inhaling the 1000 or so chemicals that are present in a cigarette.

Dont give in - Dont give up! Dont let the little white tube of evil beat you!!

Stay strong, stay on ECF and give yourself a fighting chance.

Well said! Stick with it Daisey!

 

[Daisey Moonshine]

I have to say, you guys are literally THE BEST. Thank you.

I'm just putting this out there and being honest with you, and with myself.

I am just so lost. I thought I'd be miles down that "No Smoking Road" but everyday I end up right back where I started. I'm a hardcore cigarette smoker who loves to smoke, and quitting is not anywhere near as easy as I thought it would be.

I'm also frustrated with the trial by fire with the liquids and getting adjusted to vaping.

I am two weeks into it.

I'm not knocking eCigarettes, but I'm frustrated with it. I'm frustrated with myself, too.

Week 2: I still struggle every day

 

[03FXDWG]

Sample bottles. Lots of them from several vendors or search out shops with taste bars to try & narrow down where your taste buds want to go. Vaping tobacco flavors is nothing like smoking so if you limit yourself to those--you are limiting your options. I couldn't understand why anyone would want something other than menthol or tobacco before I became a non-smoker. In less than 2 weeks I was tired of the menthol & apple-cinnamon I started with. Also, be forewarned & fore-armed that you will get vapor's tongue or flavor blindness. Sucking on the same flavor tootsie pop will do the same thing as vaping the same flavor to me so I learned quickly to keep a bunch around at all times. Some people even keep a bottle of unflavored around just for those episodes when nothing tastes good. Some even feel that unflavored tastes more like smoking.

Having backups for your backups is a sound philosophy for your hardware and liquids. What's the first thing you do when you get down to just a couple smokes? You run out & buy more. How many cigarette lighters do you have laying around or even hidden? I'm still finding them after 6 months!

For the "this is just too much work" thoughts--remember how much work it is to clean the ashtrays, buy new clothes to replace the burned ones, keep a stock of air freshener in the house & car, wash the smoke smell out of your hair & off your hands & clothes, and even the added medical expense that you may incur. What about having to go outside in the wind, rain, sleet, snow, cold, etc.? Yes, it's a bummer that many places won't let us vape in public now but the bathroom stalls even have a "seat" in them.

Lastly, there is a thread on this forum for those vapers who still need the real thing. Those folks will help you get over the feelings of failure if/when you make yourself feel miserable for having a coffin nail. Talking to those of us who have completely gone over to the other side doesn't always help your self esteem even though most of us are of the opinion that you should only count the cigarettes you don't smoke--not the ones you do.

 

[xyanide]

I'll keep it short.

What flavors are you using currently. Which do you like, which do you dislike. What kind of cigarettes do you smoke, how would you describe the flavor? What kind of vaping setup are you currently using?

 

[yooperdad]

I have to say, you guys are literally THE BEST. Thank you.

I'm just putting this out there and being honest with you, and with myself.

I am just so lost. I thought I'd be miles down that "No Smoking Road" but everyday I end up right back where I started. I'm a hardcore cigarette smoker who loves to smoke, and quitting is not anywhere near as easy as I thought it would be.

I'm also frustrated with the trial by fire with the liquids and getting adjusted to vaping.

I am two weeks into it.

I'm not knocking eCigarettes, but I'm frustrated with it. I'm frustrated with myself, too.

Week 2: I still struggle every day

Daisey, I am only into e-cigs for a week now, after 50+ years of more than 1 PPD. What made the transition easiest for me was to get something that looked and tasted quite like a cigarette....the Kanger 808D1....with several tobacco juices is what I started with. I also have the fancier and larger stuff too, i.e., clearomizers, etc., that I use in the house, but the fake cigarette is what I grab when I leave the house, and for me, it works. Best of luck to you.

 

[28if]

Daisy. It's hard. It is very hard. But just by you being here tells me that you want to quit - that's all we can do. We put our best effort forth and sometime we succeed and sometime not. I don't want to sound like a PSA but never quit quitting.

I smoked ~ 2 packs a day for 30+ years, I would wake in the middle of the night and have a smoke or 3. I have kicked it and I know in my heart that quitting is doable.

Being honest with yourself is a great thing. Had the tobacco companies been honest with us none of would be in the predicament we are today.

I wish you the best in your endeavor. We all know you have it in you to end the madness.

 

[Daisey Moonshine]

I am using the Kanger Mini Pro II and it works perfectly. I have two of them and I clean it after each use.

However, my juice supplies have been limited to the local tobacco shop and gas station varieties. I threw them all out.

Monday I received some new Halo products that are good, but find I get bored with the same flavor after one day.

I've been looking online and see the same juice profiles everywhere,
the website is closed (AIV)
or they're out of stock (great vapes and lizard juice).
Ahlusion has some kind of blur effect that you have to cursor over to see it.

It's become quite a hassle in and of itself.

I read the legislation news and worry the state and federal government are going to ban it, make it harder than it already is.

So, I wonder to myself if this is actually going to work for me, or not?

I really don't want to blow anymore cash on it if it's not going to work for me.

I never planned to become a full time vaper. The plan was to use this for nicotine until I get off the cigarettes, but I'm back to smoking smoking smoking all the time, and now more than I'm vaping.

I don't want to do both.

If I count the ones I didn't smoke, there aren't any I didn't smoke.

 

[Ahoy]

Try DIY ejuice, if you are up for the challenge of trial and error. It's worth a shot if you have a few bucks to spend extra. You can customize your flavor and really try to pin point that flavor sweet spot that you are in search of. It worked for me, vanilla watermellon...mmm and vanilla cinnamon...mm. You can expect to get that exact tobacco flavor either, it's really hard to simulate it. WTA is probably your best bet, nothing to lose! You have to want it though! You have to really want to quit! Any questions please ask

 

[TheReign]

i thought it was hard to quit the analog phase but it's really in your head. once you find the right setup that you like you"ll never touch another analog again. it took me a while to find my perfect combo of device/juice but now i havent touched or thought about an analog. if your having trouble with juice. let me recommend Velvet Cloud Vapor. they are all organic and they're flavors are out of this .......*** world!! the strawbguab and sour skittles have become a daily Vape for me and i will be ordering constantly from them, Very friendly too!

if thats too pricey for you check out Mt baker vapor. they have really good prices and a great selection of juices which i also order from too when im on a budget but the quality is excellent also. i love Spurberry and peach. both also send you a free sample so next time you can order that one if you like it.