All The Wasted Years!!!!!

I began vaping in 2013. It was a basic setup: Ego Twist with a couple of Vivi Nova tanks.
It took some trial and error but found a couple of juices that I liked and stuck with them. Started
at 18 mg and settled on 12 mg nicotine level. The Ego was nothing special, but it seemed to work well at the time as I quit smoking for an entire year with it. As time wore on, I began getting to get more and more burnt / dry hits. Seemed to be happening all the time. Went through countless coils and it became such an issue that I finally got tired of messing with it and quit vaping. Went back to cigarettes. Looking back, I believe I was using a High VG or possibly Max VG liquid which may have been the cause. Desperate to get off cigarettes again I tried again last year. Bought several starter kits including Innokin IO and Innokin Endura T22. Did not like either of these. Just seemed to give me a headache even after just a couple of puffs. I tried both with 12mg and 6mg. Did not notice much of a difference. I just did not get the satisfaction I remember from years earlier. So gave up on vaping again and went back to analogs.

It is now 2019 and I am really sick and tired of smoking cigarettes. I hate them but can’t stop.
Along comes the JUUL, I decided to give it a shot and just figured it would not work.
At first I did not like it. Seemed WAY to strong at 5%. Stuck with it for a week and thought - hey this is not bad. Mainly was using Virginia and every once in a while a Mango pod was nice (Maybe ½ to 1 full pod a day). I was still smoking a couple of cigs in the morning but after that I would use the JUUL the rest of the day. It was by no means great but good enough. I would constantly struggle to get a decent hit off of it though. There always seemed to be air bubbles in the pods causing a problem or I had to pull the pod out and put it back in just to get it to hit decently. Like I said just good enough. After about 6 months or I started have stomach issues. Mainly really bad gas and thought it might be due to the higher nic level in the 5% pods. So I dropped down to 3% for a month or so and noticed no difference. Finally decided to quit the JUUL altogether to see if it made any difference. Within a week everything went away and was back to normal. No more JULL for me. I am guessing something in the Nicsalts didn’t agree with me. I never had this issue with freebase nicotine.

So, am now looking for a device to replace the JULL that does not use nicsalts and was hoping to get some recommendations. I do not need a big mod device to blow clouds or anything like that.
I want something very simple that hits well and does not burn. I am open to anything really as long as it works. I do prefer MTL style and have heard good things about the Joyetech AIO as well as the SMOK infinix devices. I am really open to anything that will work well. Prefer something small, easy to use and that fits in my pocket. Also, I prefer tobacco flavors and am planning to try out the Blacknote stuff which is a 50/50 PG/VG mix so looking for a device suited to that. Any advice or recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!  

I just felt the need to share a short version of my journey to date:

I had been vaping part time you about 2.5 years before my new (now ex-) girlfriend got me to walk into what was pretty much the only vape shop in town. After trying the V3 eGo setup, I bought a tank to replace my older eGo-T crap tanks and some juice. the next weekend, I bought an entire new eGo kit and gave her my old batteries so she too could start vaping. We both cut down on smoking by 50% in a couple of days. It took me a total of 12 days to decide I was done with cigarettes and by the 4th week, I was the owner of a Provari. This all started a year ago now. The Russian 91% followed quickly after that. Next wednesday will be my TRUE one year vapaversary. I since acquired a second Provari for a ridiculous price and 2 more Kayfun clones.

I will not hide that there have been temptations, even lately, to try an actual cigarette, but I have been keeping strong. I did smoke a small cigarillo at the company Christmas party last December and resisted the urge to ask for one or two more from my coworker.

I have not felt the need to stop and take a 5-10 minute "breather" for about a year now whenever I do just about anything physically demanding and I have to thank vaping for this. I also now have a great vape shop minutes away from where I live and have been into various vape shops halfway around the world (work related travels... I'm not that rich and I can get great juices 5 minutes from here) I still get one or two juices form that first vape shop I visited, which now has 4 locations, all of them at least a 30 minute drive from home.

Remembering last year, I do miss my ex (we left each other on good terms) and I really wonder how she's doing on her side with vaping. I know she's got a great shop near where she now lives and hope they have been able to help her. I have been to that shop, but was on a business trip and it was hard enough to know she had to go back to her hometown, so I didn't call her to let her know I was going to be in the area. It's probably better that way, although I still think about her.

It's been a great journey and I now can't wait to get on my old hybrid bicycle to see if I can now keep those racer owners behind me for good; during one of my last rides last summer, 2 of them took the better part of a mile before they finally passed me, and that was on the slope uphill on my way back from my 1 hour ride. I still weight over 250 pounds, BTW and will train hard to make those snobs eat my dust with a definitely inferior bike like I used to 10 years ago

Thank you ECF for helping to keep me on track and enjoying vaping so much!  

I know I'm not a popular user on here like Baditude and all them, been I figured I'd post my story since I've been away.

I've been vaping for the past 9 months, and within the past month, I have unfortunately started to smoke cigarettes again.

In the past I have had problems with depression and anxiety (it started about 3 years ago) and I was on Lexapro and xanax for over a year. Everything was great and I was able to go places and socialize. I stopped taking it a almost 2 years ago thinking I was fine enough to stop. I was, until about 3 weeks ago, all this anxiety started rushing back out of nowhere. It didn't help that I got some sort of flu that was going around but have since recovered from that. At this point, I am afraid to leave my house. I have been having a hell of a time going to work, which was never an issue a month ago. I have had to take time off for the flu and for my anxiety and depression. I broke down at work in front of my boss (not something I'm proud of) and told him I have had these problems in the past and that I need to get back on my Lexapro. So at the beginning of this week, I went to my doctor, which I had a VERY hard time doing as I wanted to pass out and throw up the entire time. She got me back on my meds, but with any kind of anti-depressant it takes a while for it to build up in your system.

I have already taken 4 days off of work, and I'm still afraid to leave my house to do any basic task like going grocery shopping or even just driving (I start to have a panic attack anytime I get stopped at a stop light in traffic.) I'm afraid of losing my job, but I think I can do the FMLA stuff but I'm having doubts on whether what I'm experiencing would allow me to do that. I'll have to read up on what I can do, but I'm just so afraid of losing my job, which would devastate my girlfriend and I know I would get looked down upon by everyone I know. I've been so stressed about it that my body feels my vapes are inadequate and I unfortunately picked up a pack of cigarettes and started smoking again. I'm just so scared right now and I feel like I'm in a rut that I can't get out of.

I know it's not the end of the world, but my mind is telling me that it is, and it's worrying me so bad  

Hey guys, pretty new here only one previous post...
Was having problems with my K100 & Mini Nautilus combo for vaping, that's why I originally signed up!!
Talked about it with members & found my K100 was ultimately the problem, upgraded to a IPV Mini & I'm vaping like a king

& that's the issue so now I'm vaping about 6ml a day, I just smashed through a 15ml 12mg nicotine Cinnabun & 15ml 0mg nicotine Cinnabun.
(Mixing the two gives me great flavor & the right amount of nicotine hit)
So the point of this post was...

Where do you guys buy Juice?
( I usually buy from a local smoke shop about 10$ per 15ml )
Is that expensive ?
I've looked online & factoring shipping price I need to buy 3-4 bottles + to be saving money & I've bought online before, ( ordered 60$ in samples & the flavors were horrid in my opinion I guess that online vendor just isn't my taste ? )
So I'm just wondering is 10$ every 2-3 days the best I can do juice wise ?
Or are there some trusted online vendors you guys can agree on with good flavors & good prices?

I'm currently smoking from a local vendor I believe ( MadHatters )
& love there flavors.
 

Posting a picture of my set up for today got me thinking as it featured my oldest original well used, worn, scratched and faded iStick 30w which has served me so well and has far outlived its projected lifespan.


A lot changed for me back in October 2015 - my grown up daughter and her husband had switched to vaping as they couldn’t smoke even in the grounds at work and had taken to vaping.

They liked it and gave me an e-pipe, tobacco flavoured vape liquids, a couple of 18350 batteries for it and a Nitecore Charger.


I thanked them, said I’d give it a try - with my fingers crossed and the thought in my mind, “Aye that’ll be right, I’ll stick it in the drawer and phone you in a few weeks saying it broke and I’m really sad about it.”


A week later my conscience got the better of me and I tried it on a Friday morning ( the 17th of October ), was amazed that I got through a day on it without a craving, thought I’d try it over the weekend, did, and have never smoked in the four years plus since. Amazing since I had smoked for more than 50 years previous to that.


I took the e-pipe to Spain with me for the Winter and while there bought a couple of the old style Ego batteries and plastic tanks with their trailing glass fiber wicks “just in case.”


The 18350s need constant charging, the juice soon destroyed the threads of the pipe’s plastic tank and the back up devices gurgled badly and so I went down to Fuengirola where there was a big vape shop and asked could they recommend a better tank - they suggested a Nautilus Mini and when I asked about a battery for it ( I didn’t know they were actually called “Mods” then) they gave me an iStick 30w … and the rest is history.


I joined this Forum about five weeks after I switched to vaping. In those days MTL was THE thing, the setup I’d bought was “flavour of the month” along with the GS Air Tank and one by Kanger. I learned a lot on ECF in a very short time, and I’ll always be grateful for that.


I tend to be a bit of a stick in the mud when I find something I like and my motto tends to be “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it!” I’ve experimented with mechs, squonkers, drippers, and coil building over the years but always come back to my old faithful Nautis and iSticks - simply because for me they work and they work well.


Having found kits that worked, I dropped out of the Forum for a few years until in Spain over the Winter gone I thought my Nautis were failing me or giving up the ghost ( in actual fact as I discovered when I got back to the UK I had had a batch of really really bad coils ) and started reading ECF again and found that the new best thing for MTL was the Zenith, so I gave it a whirl.


I was slow to take to the Zenith I have to admit - while it made my batteries last longer for some reason and was super easy to refill on the go, at first it vaped too dry for me, seemed too airy and the drip tip didn’t initially suit me at all but I persevered with it ( them) and now keep a set of seven for use outdoors or for when travelling or for when I simply feel like a change.


Here’s the Old Soldier!


Anyone else still using old kit?


 

Hello, I have been vaping for years, at 1.8 nic strength. I have some questions.

First of all I think I've made a problem by vaping on (all kangertech devices and coils), at .5 ohms, but I only vape at 20-24 watts. Is this wrong? Anything higher is way too hot, and I just don't enjoy it. I've bought a smok mag and other devices that wont fire under anything 50 watts and it was way too strong so I never use it.

Also, over the past 6 months I've developed some mouth sores I'm pretty sure it is
Tobacco Stomatitis
I know this is from vaping or smoking, the heat I guess is causing this. I've told my dr. about this he never really looked (I was in for something different than this), he replied try to vape point it downwards towards my tongue and I have been doing this for months, but to no avail with the mouth sores going away.

I can't quick vaping. I tried for a few days and I smoked more cigarettes than I ever did. It was actually hotter I noticed. I still smoke cigarettes when I drive, just a weird habit and at work on breaks. I vape all day at work when my boss isn't around.

I'm going to stick to just the unflavored e juice from now on. I'm also cutting the strength back. I also tried cutting it before with 0% percent e juice and to no avail my mouth sores are still there.

Sorry for the diatribe but I just have a few questions.



Does smoking at 22 watts and sometimes below with sub ohm coils, is this bad? I've been doing it for years now. The problem is I bought a ton and I find it hard to find coils now over 1 ohm. It seems all they sell not days is .5 coils. And I've tried nickel and and they just burn in a day, even with the settings they are supposed to be at, so I'm really at a loss as to what to do.

Also has anyone else experienced the tobacco stomatitis as I have?  

So....been vaping for 6 years.

For the last couple years I was using a Reo with an RBA at .5 ohms and was going through about 12-15ml a day. A friend of mine let me try his sub ohm tank a few weeks ago and I was hooked! The flavor was better than my Reo/RBA setup and the vapor was OMG.

Anyways, I've since bought a couple of sub ohm tanks with an IPV2 Mini, then graduated to a Goliath RTA with an SX Mini M Class. Using the Goliath with a .44 ohm dual coil at 30 watts on the SXM and I'm going through anywhere from 25-35ml a day! This just seem excessive....

Can anyone recommend an RTA that would use less juice but still give me a lot of airflow and flavor? I'm not all about the vapor, although I do enjoy it.

I'm guessing that if you want lots of airflow (I'm a direct lung inhale kinda guy) and a warm, full vape you pretty much have to vape at higher wattages/lower ohms and therefore use excessive amounts of juice...just wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience and has successfully cut down their juice consumption.

FYI, I DIY my juice so cost is not really an issue...I'm a bit concerned that using this much juice every day just can't be good for you.  

I was in a bar / restaurant a couple of days ago and noticed another person vaping (guy looked to be in his late 60s). The guy was using what looked like a non-adjustable EGO style stick battery with what looked like an 'old-school' Kanger T3 clearomizer on top.

I struck up a conversation with him for just a moment and asked him what type of juice he was vaping ... The guy never told me the brand or flavor, but said it was 0mg Nic when I asked him.

That was basically the end of our conversation.

My question to you folks is this .... Why would anyone keep vaping if they had no nicotine in there juice? For me, the reason I vape in the first place is to keep off cigarettes. I am obviously addicted to nicotine, and have replaced the nicotine from cigarettes for the nicotine found in my juice.

If I could wean myself completely off nicotine, I think at that point I would just give up on vaping altogether. Someday I would like to be nicotine free, but for now, I just can't see it in my future.

BTW .... I have not smoked a cigarette for 15 months, but I am still vaping on my fairly strong 16mg Nic DIY juice.  

Hey guys,

I’m new to vaping. I have been a heavy 2 pack a day Marlboro light smoker for 20 years. I recently got into vaping and so far it has been an amazing journey!

I started with a small pod device (Caliburn) with 16MG nic salt. I found that I was still not able to quit smoking. I went back to my local Vape shop and got some 20mg nic salt juice, and that was too strong! It made me dizzy and confused and I just felt unwell. Even though @20mg I was getting a lot of nicotine I still wanted to smoke a cigarette.

On a whim I decided to give sub ohm vaping a try. I got myself a Lost Vape Thelema DNA 250c + a Freemax Mesh Pro 2 tank. I opted with 6MG freebase juice at 70/30. And sure enough it worked! I was able to quit smoking and have been smoke free for a week now!

My question though, is 6MG freebase nic @0.2 ohms (dual mesh), 70-80 watts too much? I feel fine for the most part and my cravings for cigarettes are under control. However from what I’ve read (and what the guy at my local Vape shop says) is that for sub ohm vaping you generally should stick to about 3mg of nicotine.

I know everyone is different, and you should do what works for you. But I’m just worried that with the large amount of Vapor I’m producing 6MG might just be a little risky.

I Vape quite a lot (200-250 puffs a day) and probably somewhere around 15-20ml of juice a day (at 0.2 ohms @ 70w the juice burns pretty quick). As mentioned above I generally feel fine. However sometimes I do feel a bit out of breath and like my chest is heavy. This could be gas (perhaps from inhaling so much air?). Or it could just be me adjusting from cigarettes to vaping. I don’t feel nauseous or have headaches.

Please let me know your opinions. Would really appreciate some advice from more experienced vapers!

Thanks!  

I smoked my last cigarette at 8:05am on May 5, 2014 . I didn't know then if it would really be the day I finally quit, but I told myself to really try to go 24 hours without smoking, a goal I had never achieved. And I made it! So then I told myself, if I could go a day, I could truly make it.

I started smoking at a very young age, and smoked 35 years. I made numerous attempts to quit going back to my college years. I tried cold turkey, cutting back, the patch, gum, a nicotine inhaler, Wellbutrin and Chantix. No matter what, I couldn't break that 24 hour goal. I would go through ashtrays and light up every disgusting butt for 1 or 2 nasty drags.

My last few years of smoking I was under a PAD, but only due to financial reasons. I just wouldn't let myself have more than 1 cigarette per hour, but I certainly smoked the heck out of each one. The filter would be collapsed by the time I was finished.

Thank you, ECF. I was so clueless when I started vaping. I didn't know which was 510 and which was ego threading on my batteries. I didn't know an atomizer from a clearomizer. I didn't know what rebuildables were, or that the ones I saw online were clones. I kept googling different things, and kept ending up here to read. Finally after 3 months of lurking, I joined.

The journey has been amazing! The technology changes alone in the 14 months I've been vaping are mind boggling. And I've met some truly kind and generous folks here, from those who give their time all day to help others, to those who give hardware and juice to those in a financial crunch. Thank you, all