Am I A Luddite?

Or maybe even a heretic, or a blasphemer?
I like mini tanks and small batteries. My favorite setups are mini protank version 1 clones with 650mah basic ego style batteries. Stainless steel finish, no funky colors or designs. Single bottom coil on the tanks, no air flow controls. Standard voltage batteries, no twisty things on the bottom, no usb passthrough, no digital displays, just a battery. I like the ego style because the protruding button is easier to find and helps keep them from rolling around. The lack of features I don't need means the batteries are small. I like small, sleek, simple.

I have a nice big fancy Smok vv/vw battery. If I cut my juice in half with VG I can blow some massive clouds without knocking myself out. I found this to be mildly amusing for a short period of time. I also found out that with my regular mix when I dialed around for the "sweet spot" I ended up at 3.7 volts...

The mini tanks don't hold a day's worth of juice, and the 650mah batteries don't last all day. So what? Tank gets low, twist it off and pop another on. Battery light flashes, same thing. I've got a battered old EGO case from my first starter kit, it holds four tanks and batteries and a bottle of juice with room to spare.

I got my first mini pro tank from a vape shop. I just assumed it was a Kanger, but there was no mention of Kangertech anywhere on the packaging or tank. Whatever, I really liked it. I figured the real deal would be even better so I ordered one online. Kanger had discontinued the version 1, so I bought the "new, improved" version 2. It was good, but I liked the clone version 1 better. The clone tanks are polycarbonate rather than pyrex, but I don't vape plastic eating flavors, so that's a non-issue.

Now I'm not knocking all the cloud chasing, coil winding, wick trimming gear heads that seem to dominate these forums, but if there's anybody else out there who enjoys vaping with a nice, simple, inexpensive setup, I'd like to hear from you.  


Similar Content



Wanting New Hardware

I currently use Halo's Triton batteries and I like the batteries but I do not like the tanks. I have been having issues with them wicking and it's annoying. I use the batteries now with the regular cartomizers because the cartos always work and I don't have to fiddle with them. The problem is they are a regular carto and don't hold much juice so I'm always topping them off. I've always like the streamlined look of the triton and ego style batteries and the battery life is ok on them but I'm tired of having to fiddle with crap. I just want to pour in some juice and be able to vape for a while without worrying about anything.

I have noticed the Isticks and they actually look kinda cool but I'm still concerned about jumping into the box mod world. My other concern is what tank would you use on them that would be better than the Triton tanks, do they make some that are hassle free and you can just vape and maybe screw on a new coil every week or two. Another thing is it seems all the new tanks out there have metal mouthpieces and I HATE those, they feel horrible on my lips. I like the regular plastic kind that don't get cold or hot but are just normal feeling (if that makes sense).

If someone could please give some advise on a tank, there are so many new things out there and I'm lost. I have been vaping off and on for several years but have never found anything to keep me off cigs for more than 6 months at a time because of all the fidgiting thats involved. Also any thoughts about going from an ego style battery to a Istick.

Thanks for any and all help. This stuff is so confusing to me.  

Evolution Of A Vape (sort Of)



It all started as I was bored one day and decided to drop by the local vape shop and see what they had for sell. Silly me I bought a "pod mod" to see what all the fuss with the devices was about.

Enter the mod on the far left. A "pod mod". I don't recall what it cost me but it was small and light and not very expensive and the sales person claimed "it won't leak" so I figured - what the heck, I'll get it and make up some 'salts' juice and try it out.

While it was fairly easy to fill and the sales person was right, it did not leak. It did suffer from a number of 'issues'. Namely dismal output, battery life and juice capacity. Did I mention that the "flap" to get at the microUSB connection for charging was challenging? While I tried to make use of it while I enjoyed my morning coffee after a few weeks of ether running out of juice or battery at just the wrong time I started looking else where. However now that I had 30ml of 50mg juice mixed up I though I'd 'upgrade' my "salts dispenser".

Move to the setup in the middle, a Nautilus mini clone (with aftermarket RBA) and a iStick40. While the RBA is downright painful to build on I left the 1.4 ohm Kanthal build on it and filled the 2ml tank with the 50mg juice. The iStick40 is said to have a 2700mah battery (and optional TC with NI coils). The iSticks have their USB ports on the bottom. So with the tank filled up and the iStick charged up I again went about my business. This setup was a vast improvement over the 'pod mod'. Better (but not great, after all it is a Nautilus mini) output, longer battery life and more juice. It felt good to be able to grab some gear out of my stash and put it to use. The setup did have its downsides, namely the filling of the tank. Tanks of this era are filled by unscrewing the bottom+coil/atomizer out of it and squeezing juice directly into the upside down tank and then screwing it back together. While I had a dozen or more of this style of tank in use in my early vaping days, I've grown accustomed to easy top fill tanks so started thinking that I could do better so back to the stash I looked.

Enter the setup on the right. While the mod itself is fairly new (Dicodes 21700) the tank is a eLeaf "Lemo2" (only slightly newer vintage then the Nautilus). This setup gives me 3.2ml of tank, even higher output, top fill ease, longer battery life and TC of the coil. The three drawbacks of this setup are that its MUCH larger and heavier than the pod mod that I started out with and the only way to get new energy into the mod is swap batteries. Last and importantly (for those that like to use coil wrecking flavors) is that the only way to service the coil is complete disassembly of the entire tank to gain access to the coil. (not much of a worry when vaping pure unflavored juice).

This is the setup I've been using while enjoying my morning cup of coffee though. Just all part of a evolution.  

International Flight > Spare Batteries In Carry-on And Juice + Everything Else In Checked Bags?

International Travelers

I am now in the US and I am going back to the Philippines for about a year.

I have a couple of VW box mods and a mech. tube mod along with 3 or 4 various atomizers. I also have a bunch of 18650 and 18500 batteries along with a couple of those skinny EGO style Twist batteries.

Since I make my own juice, I have some large bottles of VG and some 60mg Nic unflavored PG base, along with some bottles of flavorings.

I am thinking that everything I have goes into the checked bags except for the batteries which go in carry-on luggage ... does this sound right to you?


One thing else ... If I have a small EGO Twist battery with a small Kanger Aerotank Mini on top of it (for vaping at the airport once I get into Hong Kong), do you think I would have any problem with airport security if I put that in the TSA tray along with my other carry-on junk that's in my pocket before going though the metal detector? ... The Aerotank Mini in my pocket would have a little juice in it.

Thanks,  

I Can't Stop!

This is bad, and what's worse is I know it's bad but I can't seem to stop. I keep buying mods and tanks and juice and accessories. I've been vaping for almost a year now and for the most part I was happy with my setup (once i got past the cheap ego battery setup I had). I was rockin an MVP 2.0 and a nautilus tank. Loved every second of it. But recently the MVP threads got messed up so no tank would connect to it. So I decided to upgrade my setup and get a Sigelei 150w. Now THIS thing is amazing.

You would think since I was happy with my setup that would be enough. NOPE! I ordered an RDA (Mad Hatter) to go with the sigelei because the nautilus just wasn't fully utilizing the mod. I ordered wire, wick, ohm meter, the whole kit and kaboodle. But I also ordered an MVP 3.0 Pro for the times the sigelei batteries were dead or I just needed a smaller device. Got the MVP in today and it's amazing. I definitely love Innokin products.

That's it though, right? NOPE! I haven't even recieved my RDA yet and I was browsing the interwebs looking at forums and reviews and came across the Kanger Subtank Mini. Looks awesome. So I ordered it. But not by itself, oh no no no, I saw a kit with a Kanger Subox Mini and Subtank Mini starter kit. So I ordered it. Oh god will the impulse buying ever stop!?

Let's not get into my juice collection. I have more bottles than I know what to do with. Originally it was a handful of bottles that could sit on my desk, now I've had to rearrange my dresser so the multitude of bottles can sit up there. I have so many flavors that I love that I keep switching them around and it's driving me crazy. And everytime I see one of you post about your new favorite all day vape flavor I look into it, think it sounds amazing, and end up buying more.

Aww screw it, I love vaping. I'm sure i'll buy something else real soon. Speaking of which...I could use a new drip tip to go with my new tanks. Gotta go.

(thanks for reading my rant)  

Some Very Bad Person Stole My Istick

So I have been vaping for a few months now. I started with the ego type battery starter kit bought from a brick and mortar ( you all know the deal, littile carrying case, 650mah battery, junk clearomizer, and bottle of funky juice). I knew after a week I would not stop smoking with that alone. I then went and bought the Vision Spinner 2 and a Protank mini 3. I was feeling quite happy with this setup and went from a pack a day down to 4-6 analogs. I was even feeling better health wise. I soon discovered the vast world of vaping and "needed" the iStick mod. I bought that and threw the Protank mini 3 on it and life was good. I had no problems with my iStick and it was a huge step up from what I was using prior. It "satified" my need of "smoking". Everything was going well untill one day I busted the glass on the tank. I was not gonna let that get me down though. My vaping buddy gave me a some sort of knockoff topper that used the aspire coils ( I beleive it was a Nautilus mini clone of some sort, branded with the local shops name ). Still it fed my habit well. Now let me say I live in a small town and there is 2 brick and mortar shops. I usally would buy my coils from them and a bottle of liquid every now and then but.....I bought my iStick online. Fast forward a couple months now and I live with 2 roommates (one is a total jerk, and the other is a party machine. We all are in our mid 30's). Well recently I get off work and come home to a "party" on a tuesday night (like usual). Now remember I live in a small town and everyone vaping is using the ego type with plastic clearomizer. The brick and mortar shops here selll those and $100 RDA (which only a few friends I know have). Well this particular night my iStick was the talk of the kitchen table. Everyone wanted to try it and push the buttons. "Who can hit it at the higest watt?" type conversations. The night is ending and Im getting ready to go to my room. I set the iStick on its "charger" (just a handmade cutout box I made for it) sitting on the kitchen counter. 8 hours later I hit the BREW button on the coffee maker and reach for the iStick. IT IS FREAKING GONE!!!!!!!!! Now here is the deal. Noone there the night before knew anything about using it or finding the "sweet spot". The thing is that the knock off tank I was using is a 510 thread and I was using the included adapter to ease the wear and tear on the threads. So I am left with a Vision 2 spinner and a tank that just does not fit it. I AM SO ANGRY! I bring it up to my roommate and she is like "no one stole it, you misplaced it". If anyone of you guys and gals are like me, you know where your setup is at all times. So that leaves me with a MARK 3 disposable for now.
Sooooooooo does anyone have a lead on a good deal right now online? I see threre is a 30 watt now available. So if anyone know of a great deal please PM me or reply. I have limited funds right now but do not want to go back to Parliment analogs. Thanks for looking and letting me vent.  

New Setup

okay so don't laugh but this is really an amazing vaping experience/setup for me! I have two batteries and a dual 18650 charger, so I never have to charge onboard nor do I find myself with no power since I always have at least one charging. I love the simplicity of the cloupor mini 30w. Between the magnetic battery door, simplistic screen/button setup, and the overall minuscule appearance of it, I think she's beautiful! The arctic tank however, I've had a could problems, but not too bad (Yes, I did allow my atomizer head to soak for a full 24 hours in juice.) Before I get into that tanks problems though, I'd like to also include that I've been getting into dripping aswell. I bought a plume veil clone a while ago for around 30$, and i was dumb enough to think that there was no need for a VV mod over $15... therefore I bought an X6 battery (cringe, I know..) and long story short I had a terrible experience. the wire that came with the rda was iffy, and it also came with silica wick; which I hate. I ended up building some kinda ****ed up maelstrom of a build. I used the cotton ends of ear cleaners, the questionable wire that came with the atty, and I ran it all at a mind melting 4.4v. Best part of it is that I had no way to check how many ohms I was pushin out. Anyways, I digress. First problem with the Arctic sub ohm tank was the "Check atomizer" deal on my cloupor. The problem was that the connector pin for the mini 30w isn't spring loaded, so I had to whip out the mini screw driver and adjust it. Once that was fixed, the atty was working perfectly!! Except, I was getting a little burnt taste. That's when I've learned that with this tank you have to start at a low wattage and work up to 30 when you're starting vaping for that session. The airflow is good, but I hate airflow; so it's even more splendid that the lowest airflow setting is barely any air at all. Really. It feels like sucking through a brick, and I like it. A ton of flavor, I vape eucalyptus mint flavored juice right now, and I'm loving it. I can't even express to you guys how much I'm loving this thing! Thanks for the advice in telling me to get it!  

Good Tanks And Batteries?

I vape on a protank 3 with a 5V battery that goes up to about 30W. (With a 1.6ohm coil)

What would you say the best tanks and batteries are? What ohm's are they and how good is the battery?  

As I Stumble Through The Vaping Experience

Three and 1 half years ago a cancerous tumor was found in the upper lobe of my right lung. The 1/2 pack of cigarettes I had in my pocket were thrown away when I left the doctors office right after the discovery. I have not put one in my mouth since. I had surgery to remove the lobe.
Being seriously addicted to nicotine I asked my vaping daughter to get me started. She came up with some pencil batteries and a Kanger Protank Mini II. I replaced it many times during the last 3+ years with the same tank only "upgrading" to Eleaf Istick batteries. I worked my way down to .2% nicotine juice. I drilled out the air holes in the Protank to get more air flow. Battery life was minimal and refills on juice were frequent, vape clouds were small. I only went to 1 or 2 vape shops through the years not knowing what questions to ask for help with equipment, I just continued with the same set up. The neighbors daughter had an outfit that produced billows of vapor and a dandy looking outfit to do it with. I asked her what the brand was.... she didn't know and there was no writing on the unit.
I've came here looking for help but not knowing what questions to ask. I just looked.
The other day I was reading the GeekVape board and found someone asking for recommendations for an outfit. Most of the posters suggested an Aegis Cerberus 100W unit. I decided to order one. I have some 18650 batteries laying around. It came yesterday. I fired it up, made some adjustments and WOW what a hit. Seems to be a dandy outfit, sturdy and well made........ I ordered another one last night.

BTW I visit and Oncologist regularly and so far I'm cancer free.  

Things I'm Discovering About Vaping

I hope my naivete amuses you. Lol.


I recently graduated from a 600-ish mAH ego battery to a variable voltage pink Vision spinner ego thats somewhere in the neighborhood of 1100 mAH. I am finding out that I prefer a "sweet spot" of around 4.5 v, but that it varies depending on the eliquid's nicotine content, flavor, vg/pg ratio, & even brand. I found out that certain fruity flavors can melt a plastic clearomizer. I had the Kanger T2 2.2ml plastic clearomizer and a 6mg nic 80vg/20pg cherry ejuice from Mt Baker Vapor. The cherry juice melted TWO T2 clearomizers. The drip tip melted right off the top washer/band of the clearomizer, and I'd gotten a mouthful of juice. Gross. Quickly rinsed my mouth out. Now I'm using the Kanger glass pyrex 2.4ml? Protank, and it's a better vaping experience. Heavier than the T2s tho.

I've also discovered that I REALLY like the 80vg/20pg ratio better (even though, honestly, the cherry tastes like Robutussin). The texture is noticeably thicker. It hits my throat well, but I like the moderate lung hit it gives me. I am also liking the bigger clouds that more vg and a higher voltage give me.

The downside of the ego manual batteries, for me, is that it doesn't give me enough of a hit before the led indicator light flashes several times in quick succession and it quits until I release the driptip from my mouth and exhale.

I'm glad I found my husband's spare ego usb charger (he's deployed), because I'm going through 2 of the smaller ego batteries AND draining the Vision vv.

Just for the record, I quit smoking. I'm down from the 36mg nic. ejuice to the 111-12mg, & now I'm trying 6.

One thing more I learned: change out a wick more often than once yearly.

Have a good ya'll.

--mamma from Tacoma  

Some Advice Please :)

Hey there!
I have been vaping for a little over a year now and have gone through several different set ups but am fairly happy with what I'm using atm-- I have one of those Aspire Sub Ohm batteries and have been using a Nautilus tank with it. It seems that the coils in the tank burn out super quickly because the battery is too strong for it I guess? Any way the other day my battery and tank (the whole shebang) fell right into the toilet. The only good thing was that the toilet was recently flushed so yeah... I am now in need of a new battery and was interested in one of those lil box mods that everyone in the world seems to be using lol. The tanks I have and would be using with it are my two Nautilus tanks (one is a mini) and sometimes an Innokin iClear thingy (the one with the cool rotating tip). I vape mostly very sweet caramel, cookie and cereal juices at .6 nic and am mostly in love with flavor versus cloud making if that makes any sense. I'm not at all good with any of the technical stuff so have no desire to use any rebuild-able stuffs. Oh and I have an Aspire vv battery but it loses the charge so quickly I am kinda wanting something new...

Any one have any great advice on a new battery for me?