Nine And A Half Years Ago -

(I know this doesn't apply to all of us, but for me it sure does.)

I mean.. look at us. Spending so much time here on the forum reading about tips and tricks, what's your vape? what is the juice you vape? etc etc. I haven't joined a forum for 15 years or so. The last time i was on a forum i was a 16 year old boy, trying to figure out life and the best way i knew how was being anonymous on the internet asking and pondering life's questions.. like "*** am i supposed to do here on planet earth?"

Nowadays i watch daily video's about vaping. From health concerns to indoor smokers, from conspiracy theories (tobacco companies) to Rip Trippers. Outside the digital life whenever i'm home i either vape, try new juices, building another coil, wicking and make my girlfriend try a new taste oh.. almost forgot the most expensive part, checking out webstores for... whatever i think might be missing from my collection

Don't get me wrong though, i love it. It's fun, it's interesting, it's a bit of a nerd thing i guess. Trying to find the perfect vape. It's like a drug (and i know drugs, i like them.. from time to time with moderation offcourse
nicotine is a drug, caffeine is a psycho active drug, alcohol and offcourse all the illegal ones. From xtc to heroine, one worse then the other)

But i find it very interesting that since i started vaping that i somehow had this need to find fellow vapers and talk about it. Haven't had that feeling for years, to be part of something.

I also never ever attended a demonstration for anything in my life, but today in a couple of hours from now i'll be in Utrecht vaping with other vapers against the ****ty little regulations the EU forces on us vapers. I do this for multiple reasons;

1) i truly hate that whoever says i cannot do/buy/use something *as long i'm not hurting or bother someone else with it*
2) it pisses me off that the elite, may it be a person or the bigger companies use unfair tactics to get whatever they want
3) to meet fellow vapers and talk about... vaping..

Anyway yesterday night in bed i thought this and was wondering how you guys/girls feel about it  

I guess it's been about 1 to 1 1/2 years since I've been in here. Life got busy for me.
I've been happy with the Vamo V2 and Aspire dual coil Davide setup I run. So I really wasn't chasing "the next new thing". But WOW how things have changed in a year and a half or so. Now everyone is using box mods with sub ohm factory coils, or twin stack coils.
Aspire seems to have made a name for themselves, and there seems to be a bunch of new suppliers getting in the ring. Along with the old reliable ones such as Kanger, it seems there is a whole lot of selections out there.
I feel like a newbe all over again.
I guess I'm just going to have to sit back, read a few threads, and do some catching up.
Y'all have fun!!  

I've been away from ECF for awhile but due to the influx of new devices, I recently returned (and got a bunch of new vape gear, but that's another story ).

Was just browsing the New Members forum and I am very disturbed by the amount of posts being made by people who have never smoked asking for advice on how to "blow clouds", "get into vaping" or even "get a better buzz" from vaping.

Of course, the vast majority of replies in these threads are from knowledgeable and helpful ECF'ers telling these poor, ignorant folks that it's probably a bad idea to start vaping 36mg juice in a sub-ohm device if you've never smoked...and that is great!

I just can't help to think that all these young (I'm assuming) non-smokers taking up vaping and "blowing clouds" can't be good for our cause and I find it quite disturbing.


FULL DISCLOSU I currently vape on an SX Mini / Goliath @ .4 ohms and can blow some pretty good clouds, but that's not what it's all about for me...it's about staying off the ciggies.  

I posted this in 2016 in this thread: Starting to smell smoke after years of vaping?

Some of the replies freaked me out and the phantom smoke smell went away eventually though I don't know exactly how. I received some questions from other people so I thought I should follow up on what happened in my situation.

About three years ago I ended up going to the doctor because I couldn't sleep and was referred to a sleep specialist and found out I had sleep apnea. I had a week on their sleep monitor and was told I stopped breathing hundreds (or thousands? can't remember, but a lot!) of times a night and could suffocate and die at any time. Then they wanted me to buy a cpap machine and be hooked up to this thing for the rest of my life, like a pod in The Matrix, and pay for all these supplies regularly. After a week on the cpap machine I was almost suffocated by the machine multiple times and I woke up gasping for air, either because I knocked the mask loose in my sleep or because they said they had to adjust settings over the internet.

I knew the cpap wasn't going to work for me so I took it all back and never went back to the doctor (I was "only" out the $1000 or so for all the testing and what not). From reading about sleep apnea and my own logic, it made sense if I was overweight that my nasal passages and throat could be enlarged also and could be causing my breathing problems. I totally changed my diet and never ate fast food or processed food again and had to cut back to 1500-1700 calories a day to lose about 2-6 lbs of weight a week. I lost almost half of my body weight over the course of 1.5 years and my sleep apnea went away. Over that period I also switched up my vaping hardware and juice so I don't know when the phantom smoke smell disappeared, but it did, and luckily I didn't have brain cancer or anything else some people suggested.

I know weight isn't the only thing that causes sleep apnea, but in my case it did. Now I actually get REM sleep and when I get to bed on time, I'm fully rested. From what the doctors told me, before all this I was being woken constantly trying to breath. I was tired 24 hours a day no matter how much "sleep" I got and would fall asleep just sitting down for a few minutes anywhere. Sometimes I had to pull off the road for a 10 minute nap or risk falling asleep while driving. Driving long distances was misery. Now when I think back I can only describe those years as a walking dream. That's what it felt like being deprived of sleep for years.

It's hard to believe that obstructed breathing wouldn't have contributed to the sense of smell, but it was either that or just switching up my vaping. I believe the weight had something to do with it.  

I always wanted to make this thread. Here I go, 'cuz I've had it up to "here"..........

I'm a member of a lot of different forums that aren't vaping (or even smoking) related. And let me tell you, people freakin' HAAAAAAAAAAAAATE vapers.

It's seems like out in the real world it's not nearly as bad because people aren't anonymous. But on the non-vaping internet, it's totally different. Smokers and non-smokers alike believe and parrot all the stupid lies the media has spread over the years...all of them. They did a great job at brainwashing (as they always do).

On occasion, when it fits, I'll either mention that I'm a vaper or, if someone brings up being a smoker and having to/wanting to quit, I'll throw a suggestion their way to consider switching to vaping and hooooly COW you would think that I mentioned the most terrible thing a person could ever mention, ever!

People will attack with all the usual lies...
That 'll kill ya! What're you stupid?! Those batteries blow up ALL.THE.TIME! Are you crazy?! Didn't you hear about all those people dying from vaping! (referring to "EVALI" and black market cartridges....LAST YEAR).
That's just as bad as smoking, probably worse! You better quit NOW!
Didn't you hear? That stuff has antifreeze in it, stupid! ...on and on and on. And it's no use arguing, their minds are set and it's all "facts" because why would the media lie? Right? And after all, it looks like smoke, so it's gotta be at least just as bad, right?

Meanwhile here at ECF we're vapin' away, some of 10+ years, most of us probably at least 5 years, without issues at all. Many of us even with stories of how vaping either saved our lives or improved them greatly (with some doctors even agreeing ins some cases).

But you can't tell them that. NO SIREE! THEY KNOW the truth! You're just an idiot who knows nothing and inhales poison! They heard it on the news, the talk shows, social media, blah, blah, blah. That makes them experts!

They would probably be a lot more open to me talking about and suggesting illicit drug use than [GASP] vaping nicotine

It's a real shame and I just don't see this changing because it's not just misinformation, it really is brainwashing.

So I gotta hand it to ya, American Media,
you did a GREAT..JOB! Congratulations!
You earned every dollar you made from it, I'm sure, you losers.

Well, that's the end of my rant.

Thank you, and have a happy 2021

VAPE 'EM WHILE YA GOT 'EM  

Earlier thread I mentioned I'm 32 days into no combustibles and only three puffs of e-cig. Was smoking a pack a day for 15 years on and off prior.

About a week into this 32 day streak I have had morning erections just about every morning. Have not had that in a long time. I'm also doing something called mouth taping which one benefit can be
"increase your intake of nitric oxide, which is crucial for brain function, cardiovascular health, and overall blood oxygen levels"

And we all know heart health can promote better and stronger erections. I absolutely know stopping combustibles is helping in this area. I am curious if the same is true by going to -e-cigs. I did a search and it seems to be the case but I figured I'd ask again. Which would mean that the nicotine may not be the issue regarding erection health and it's just the other stuff about smoking?

And maybe the combination of mouth taping and 32 days without a combustable have made the health down there quicker and better?

More info on mouth taping here
Mouth Taping: Does It Treat Snoring or Sleep Apnea?  

Hi ECF,

I've been a member here on ECF for nearly 4 years now, and one thing that keeps me coming back is the positive atmosphere and sense of community. There are many helpful, knowledgeable, and kind people here that go above and beyond when it comes to helping out fellow vapers, and for this I am extremely grateful. Unfortunately, for some time now I've noticed an increasing trend of being judgmental and condescending towards other people's vaping style and preferences.

Whether vaping with an eGo battery at 7 watts or a .2 ohm build on a 150 watt box, we are all still vapers. We all made an extremely positive change from smoking cigarettes (well, most of us) to the fun and enjoyable world of vaping, but it seems some people are forgetting our common interest and accomplishment and instead focus on the differences, and use those differences to deride others.

Not everybody needs a high-powered device, plenty of people are perfectly happy with a more moderate vape and they aren't any less of a "real vaper" than those with high power or high-end setups. Alternatively, not everyone is satisfied vaping at lower power levels or with cheaper gear, and it does not make someone an immature showoff because they seek out higher performance and/or higher end equipment.

I have seen more examples than I can even begin to remember of thinly veiled insults aimed at people looking for bigger clouds or more power, just as I have seen plenty of useless suggestions when people pressure someone into a piece of equipment that they have made perfectly clear they have no interest in.

So I make a humble request of my fellow vapers here on ECF:

Please show respect towards the vaping style/preference of others.
​

Thanks for your time  

Folks, I apologize for the newbie questions but trust me, I've spent a lot of time reading and still have some confusion - partly because I find contradictory information everywhere. I hate when people come on forums asking questions before doing their research but I've tried.

While I've been vaping for over a year, it's been with a Juul. (3rd party pods) My flavored pod horde is about to be exhausted so here I am.

What I'm looking for is something comparable to what my Juul with 3% pods gave me - smoothness (I do NOT want a harsh throat feel like many seem to be after), availability of nice flavors, no need for a lot of nicotine, no need for 'clouds'. I was using the 3% not really because of the lower nicotine but because it wasn't as harsh as the 5-6% pods.

I guess my question is what type juice and coil resistance should I be looking for? I purchased a Smok NFix and like the device but I seem to be getting a tad bit of juice in my mouth regardless of what wattage I set it to. (I've tried multiple .8 Ohm coils and 3mg juice labeled for "subohm" use) I also seem to be getting a lot more nicotine than I'm used to.

I've also tried a Novo 2 and occasionally get that juice in my mouth but not nearly as often. I also seem to be getting a lot more nicotine than I'm used to.

Obviously I'm doing something wrong.

Another thing I'm confused about is the wide range of nicotine strengths - 3% on up to 55+%? I must be missing something because the 3% seems to be killing me, again I must be doing something wrong.

Suggestions for what I should be looking at to find something comparable to the 3% Juul?

Thanks  

I smoked menthol cigarettes for 45+ years. Never cared for the taste or smell of cigarette tobacco, but I liked my menthol. When I tried Blu ecigs, the tobacco didn't taste like tobacco, it just tasted "meh". The menthol flavor was more meh with a mentholesque hint, and they were a freaking hassle. When I finally realized this weird vaporizer shop across the street from the hospital and next to the ambulance company actually sold E-cigarettes, not those things you steam up a room with Vick's Vapo-Rub, I went in and told them about my experience with Blu's and asked if they had anything better. I walked out with an eGo starter kit, some fruit flavors, and some menthol and mint juice to mix with them. Success! Got my menthol/nicotine fix and was able to put down the combustibles! For a year and a half I've been doing the same thing only DYI: Fruit and menthol and/or mint. Just had to have that menthol feel or it didn't do the trick for me.

Last week I got a bunch of new flavors from MFS. I mixed up some desert coffee and a key lime pie concoction, no menthol or mint, and it was GOOD!

Now if only somebody would tell this stupid spell checker there is no "u" in flavor!  

2 short years ago today I finished off my last stinkie (a PAD on average for many, many days----more than I care to remember) and switched to full-time vaping. At the time, I was vaping some high-nic 'Vivid Vanilla' on a Blu-Cig. (Actually, it was probably a few days earlier that I realized that the Vivid Vanilla was absolutely DELISH, I KNEW at that point that I could finally quit, had no desire for a stinkie at all after some heavy vaping, and that I was SURE I was gonna dump the cigarettes once and for all, but I went a few days of dual-use to just 'ease' myself into it a bit.)

Things have changed much since then: I can run again, I can work out again, and life has improved dramatically overall. Life is DAMN GOOD! It's amazing how life can change......

Most importantly, I absolutely owe a deep debt of gratitude to all of the ECF community here, which I found in a matter of days after quitting, for unselfishly sharing their knowledge and experiences with all the terrific products, gadgets, gizmos, and juices that I continue to take in at every opportunity. I can't even begin to thank you all, explain how easy (and FUN) you have made it, or explain how much you have helped along the way. This place is simply a FANTASTIC wealth of knowledge and experience!

Here's my stats since then:

2 years (730 days)
14,600 cigarettes not smoked (that's a load of tar and chemicals......)
$5,475 not spent on cigarettes (that's conservative, better than mere pocket change, and allows for junk snacks that I DON"T buy EITHER anymore when picking up smokes at the convenience store.....)

Thanks to you all !!!!.........................