Electronic Cigarettes

[Ceyrin]

So, I just got one of these. I've used it a few times, but I'm not quite sure it's doing the same thing for me that cigarettes did/do.

Has anyone else tried switching from 'analog' cigarettes? What was your experience?

For those curious, the brand I went with was e-cigs

[Reltov420]

I made the switch about 5 months ago, and It's perfect. Get the refillable one, EGO tank or somesuch. You can order it online. Helps worlds with my cardio endurance.

[Wheelerm]

Yup, I used V2 cigs. I didn't like electronic cigaretts, not because they didn't deliver the nicotine, but because part of what I liked about smoking was the whole experience - lighting the cigarette, seeing the smoke from the cigarette, the taste of the tobacco, etc.

I have since quit smoking, however, using Nicoderm CQ. While I did enjoy smoking, after more than 20 years it was catching up with me. I feel more energetic, food tastes better/different (food I used to like I don't like any more and vice-versa), I can smell odors/scents I haven't been able to smell before, my wife is happier, and even my seasonal allergies have been better.

[Gizmo]

[Numbers]

I was a 10 year smoker and quit overnight with them. I gave one to my mother, a 40 year smoker, and she quit overnight with them. They're pretty awesome, but you need to get the right stuff.

A general rule of thumb is that if your e-cig looks like a cigarette, it's gonna suck. Not enough battery or power to put out any amount of good vapor. A good starter kit is what Reltov mentioned, a Joye eGo-T or eGo-C.

E-cigs usually come in multiple parts. The battery (the bulk of the device,) an atomizer or cartomizer (what burns the smoke juice) and a tip of some kind (what you suck through.)

A cartomizer will generally have a fluffy substance inside (a polymer that absorbs the juice, completely harmless.) An atomizer is just a cartomizer without the polymer. An atomizer is good for dripping, which is where you drip two or three drops of juice directly on the heating element every few drags. With a cartomizer you don't need to do this, as the polymer absorbs it, but you do need to refill occasionally. The general lifespan of a carto/atto is 2 to 3 weeks, but I've squeezed up to two months from one. Usually, you'll get the most flavor from dripping, but this means you'll need to carry a bottle of juice around and constantly drip, and it often leads to messes (juice can easily leak out using this method.) If you're vaping at home, that might not be a problem for you, but if you're out and about, it can be a hassle.

There's also a relatively new way of smoking them that uses what's called a tank system. This is just a cartomizer with holes punched in them that's encased by a plastic or glass tank. You fill the tank up, and you don't need to refill it for a day or two, as the cartomizer is constantly absorbing the juice from the tank through the holes. I currently use a tank system.

There's also very high end e-cigs where you can change the voltage to determine how hot you want it to burn, so you can control how much vapor you get. The cream of the crop right now is the ProVari, which is what I currently use.

I generally get my carto's at www.madvapes.com. They also sell starter kits if you want to get better gear.

I get my smoke juice from www.juicyvapor.com. Juice can be made from either vegetable glycol or propylene glycol (same stuff that's use in fog machines and asthma inhalers, completely harmless,) or a blend of the two. VG is generally thinner and burns easier, but produces less of a throat hit. PG is the opposite, thicker but with a better throat hit, though some people can have allergies to PG, so be careful of that. The more nicotine in your juice, the harsher the throat hit. My favorite flavors from them are Ecto Plasm, Tiger's Blood, Fire and Ice, and a mint of some kind.

It's important to keep in mind that vaping won't give the same buzz that analog cigs have (unless you have super-high nicotine smoke juice and take really big drags.) But they do get rid of the craving for cigarettes. Nicotine on its own is no worse for you than caffeine -- it's all the other stuff in analog cigs that kills you. With vaping, there's generally only three ingredients: PG/VG, nicotine, and flavoring.

Hope this helps.

[Gnome Rage]

I spent 90 dollars on cartridges and e-cigarettes, charger etc. I used them for like 2 months and it just wasn't working. I've tried to go back to them multiple times, but they're no longer functioning - I've tried charging them, changing cartridges etc. I'm really disappointed. I probably should have done more research before I chose which brand to use.