Not to confuse matters even more but what if you don't like the flavor of liquid you picked?

It's hard because you haven't started and don't know where your tastes lie. I get buying a good supply, are you getting 2 different flavors? I know I've had liquids I've just not liked and if that was the only liquid I had... I'd be smoking.

Taste is so very subjective, I'm still test driving a bunch of different flavors/vendors, etc. It took me a couple of months to find my 'all-day-vape'

Good luck.

I agree with Loren, you're better off buying a few smaller bottles than 2 big ones. There's such a range of flavors so hopefully you picked something you'd normally like tasting a lot - because you're going to be working with those 2 flavors you have and you may start to want something else. With a bunch of smaller bottles or, on some sites, sample kits, you can sort of taste the rainbow without breaking the bank.

Just make sure if you run out of something that you go buy something (to hold you over while you order some more juice online) like blu cartos - they *should* fit (i'm not sure what you're using) most standard starter kits as long as what you're using is referred to as "510 threaded." It's better to spend the $10-15 for a package of 5 blu cartos than picking up a ciggie if you get in a bind!

Since you're using V4L i don't know if you'll be getting 510 or their choice of threading - if you haven't ordered yet, make sure it says something like either "ego" or "510" - you will have trouble finding other parts, tanks, etc. if it's an 808, 901, 401 and there are a few others. I'm not saying not to order with them, that's completely your choice - just be an informed buyer :)

GL!

-daisy :)

Loren,

I read the reviews from users who have sampled the liquids and gave them high/good reviews. This doesn't mean I will like them, of course; I'm just hoping for the best! I got 2 different flavors of bottle liquid and 3 different flavored atomizers. So, this should be enough to at least get me started. If all else fails, I will just order more/different liquid to try. Worst case, if I don't like it, I can send it someone else who may like it.

I imagine it does take a while to find your specific flavors. I don't anticipate that the first flavor choices will be the ones I decide to stick to.

Thanks for your input and insight! :bouquet:

Daisy ~

I totally get the idea of trying many different flavors of liquid. I purchased the 2 - 30 ml. bottles because they were on sale, basically, for the same price as a small bottle. The reviews were very good for each one - I checked before I chose them. One is cherry the other is pear. I also bought coffeehouse variety cartomizers, banana cartomizers, and green tea cartomizers. I thought about the flavors a lot before I selected them. I looked at the Alice in Vapeland site when they reopened for ordering and will definitely try their sample boxes in a few weeks. I am going out of town soon and will not be home to receive the shipment if I order now, so I will have to wait until I return.

The reason I chose the V4L start-up kit is that there are a lot of videos/reviews of their stuff on youtube. This doesn't mean much, I know. But, I really had a difficult time understanding the e-cig itself and the different model options and the differences between cartomizer and atomizers and batteries, etc. It was too much for me. I just wanted to order the simplest way possible to get started. And they seemed to be the simplest that I could find. There are drawbacks to this, I realize. One of them being I don't know exactly what kind of equipment I have yet. I'm guessing it's either a 510 or an 808, but I'm not positive yet.

Thank you for suggesting the blu-cartos. I don't anticipate going completely cigarette free for a while. So, I will likely do both during a day, but I would like to decrease my smoking as much as possible, as soon as I can. So, if I run out of juice, I will do that.

You have been great, Daisy, truly. I appreciate your help and guidance during all of this. I will pay it forward and help the next person wanting to get off the smoking bandwagon using e-cigs.

I will let you know how it goes when the kit arrives. I should receive it by Saturday.

Meri :bouquet:

I was thinking about making a basic e-cig 101 post of all the stuff I have learned i.e. battery types, cartomizers vs. atomizers, etc. I only have limited knowledge so far, but I could make a basic post for those interested in a quick way to get the basic idea of e-cigs without having to search websites/youtube videos for hours. I work from home, so I have more time to spend doing this than most do. If you would be interested, thank this post. If I get a couple of hits, I will go ahead and do this.

:hippie:

E-Cigs for Dummies/E-cigs 101
 

This is my limited knowledge of e-cigs that I’ve compiled from various sources to help people get their feet wet and hopefully use this as a tool to quit smoking (or to pick up vaping). Much of what you need to learn, I can’t adequately explain to you as I am not a mechanical engineer/chemist, nor am I am a seasoned vaper. But, if you want some basic info as a place to start, here you go.

The first thing to know is that there are basic disposable e-cigs with a certain amount of ‘puffs’ per unit, which varies by unit, and you simply toss once it’s depleted. You can buy them in varying nicotine strengths, depending on the type of cigarette you normally smoke – i.e. lights, mediums, non-filtered or light, medium, heavy smoker.

Once you bypass disposable units, you move into the e-cigs with rechargeable batteries. Websites sell units with wall/car chargers and a USB ‘pass through’. Some kits you buy have all 3; some supply only the wall unit. Keep this in mind when purchasing your ‘starter kit’ as you will not want to run out of battery power and have limited options for recharging it. There are 2 basic types of setups for the rechargeable battery e-cigs. One type is a 2-piece unit consisting of a battery and what is called a cartomizer. The cartomizer (or carto) is the housing for the apparatus that vaporizes the liquid (or juice) so that you can vape it. It is constructed of a thin metal element that heats when activated by the battery. The metal element is surrounded by ‘filling’ or filament that looks like thinly intertwined fibers. These fibers act like a sponge and hold the liquid that the heat turns into vapor, allowing you to vape. The cartomizers are designed to be disposable. And for those with financial constraints, or those who simply want to save money, you can perform some basic maintenance on these to make them last longer. I have heard/read of some vapers getting as much as 30 refills per cartomizer, if it is cleaned well and the original design is good. There is also a 3-piece unit on the market that utilizes an atomizer to vaporize the liquid instead of a cartomizer. The atomizer is designed differently, using a wick that soaks the liquid or juice into a heating element that vaporizes it. The liquid or juice is housed in a separate tank or cartridge, which is the 3rd portion of the 3-piece unit. The most important difference between a cartomizer and an atomizer is that the cartomizers are designed to be disposable whereas the atomizers last a lot longer. Another important difference is that the atomizers are encased in a separate compartment from the liquid, allowing for quick and easy exchange of liquid if you want to change flavors. The atomizers also require maintenance cleaning, but in doing so, you will get long life from them. Cartomizers come prefilled with a flavor liquid of your choice, ready to use, or you can buy blank/empty ones to fill with your juice of preference.

The batteries come in different sizes from some vendors, I think to better mimic your preferred length as compared to a cigarette. Some are short, some are regular and some are XL, which also means the battery is more powerful and lasts longer. There are more powerful battery options than the basic batteries that last longer. I do not know about these (yet). There are 2 types of batteries. One is manual and one is automatic. The manual battery requires you to push a button to activate the heating element. It only takes a few seconds to heat then vaporize the liquid, and not surprising, it also lasts longer than the automatic battery that is on standby until it runs out of charge. The automatic is fully activated when you suck on the e-cig. One difference between the two is that with a manual battery, you can control how much you inhale.

The final part to consider is your juice or liquid. There are hundreds of varieties out there among the different vendors that I have seen and all of the websites seem to recommend beginning with basic flavors before you move into the more gourmet ones. On Youtube and on various websites that discuss e-cigs, there are reviews for the different flavors. I have utilized these because apparently some of the flavors are not so good. And of course, it will depend on what you prefer (i.e. fruit flavors, coffee flavors, traditional tobacco flavors, dessert flavors, etc.). The ingredients of the liquid vary. I will write a separate post on that.

There are many tricks, tips, and recommendations that I have compiled from various sources that will be uber helpful to someone just getting their feet wet. So here is a partial list:

1) Clean your cartomizers daily. Some suggest more often than that, such as between each refill to keep it clean and in tiptop working condition. I think it will depend on how much you vape. The reason the cartomizers need to be cleaned is because the liquid leaves behind resins on the filling/fiber sponge that adhere to it, preventing the liquid from absorbing, resulting in lessoned flavor when you vape. There are various methods to cleaning them. 1 method is to sit the cartomizer in boiling water then turn the stove eye off and stir the cartomizers around in the water for a few minutes to loosen and dissolve the resins. Another is to use tap water as hot as you can get it, get half a cup of it, drop your atomizers in it, then let them sit for about 30 mins. Some suggest using distilled only water because it has no minerals that can also cling to the fiber and render is less absorbable. Minerals can also stick to the heating element causing it to be less efficient. I have heard of using the steamer tip of an espresso maker to force steam through the cartomizer as a quick clean. After you use water, you have to let the cartomizer dry or the filling/fiber will be wet and not hold the liquid adequately. This can take from a day to air dry to various times using quicker methods of drying. Here, you just use common sense and what would be not such a good idea (drying them in an oven) to what would be helpful such as blowing the water out of the cartomizer to allow a faster drying time. You will notice it needs to be cleaned when the e-cigs begins to deliver less flavor or when it becomes burnt tasting. Do not let your carto dry all the way while using it, or the heating element will burn through the dry fibers and render it useless. Some suggest topping it off frequently to prevent this from happening.

2) There are drip tips available to put on the tip or end of your e-cig that were originally designed for a specific purpose too complicated to explain here, but it does lengthen the tip and apparently make it more comfortable to use. It also keeps any liquid that comes from the carto or atomizer from getting into your mouth, which is good also apparently as the liquid is not tasty. They have basic ones, fancy ones, metal ones, plastic ones, etc.

3) When you refill your cartomizer, you want to apply the liquid to the perimeter of the inside of the carto, careful not to drop liquid into the center where the heating element is located. Allow the liquid to absorb and keep adding until the fibers look glistening, but are not saturated and wet. Blow on the carto to express excess liquid or this will make your heating element malfunction over time. I have watched videos of various methods of getting the maximum absorption so that you do not have to refill it so often. I will post some links at the end for you to watch and see for yourself. Some of the methods are humorous. You should get about 25 drops of juice or liquid per refill.

4) You do not have to clean your carto between using different flavors of liquids, but then you will get a blended taste if you do not clean it, or you can use a clean carto/designated carto for each flavor.

5) You will need to draw or inhale differently from the e-cig than you do with a cigarette. I will post video links that demonstrate that.

Hope this helps!

Anyone more knowledgeable in this area is welcome to correct any error herein.

:praying:

E-Cig pictures to clarify
 

This is the 3-piece e-cig with an atomizer:

http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/...pse64d4462.jpg

This is a 2-piece e-cig with a cartomizer (The gold piece is the carto, the white is the battery):

http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8e6f0c68.jpg

These are 2 views of the inside of a cartomizer where you can see the filler/fiber sponge and the tip of the heating element:

http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/...pse220f9a8.jpg

http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/...psa4a67461.jpg

Video on maintaining cartomizers
 

This an introduction to e-cigs:



This is a video on basic refilling technique and cleaning of a cartomizer:



This is a video that explains how to draw from the e-cig/refill the cartomizer:

Just received my starter kit in the mail...
 

Oh boy, so excited here! I just received my starter kit in the mail. As a plus, this company sent me two free extra cartomizers (1 spearmint, 1 clove). I am impressed by their packaging. It's not artistic like the Alice in Vapeland (which is cool, I think), but it's better than I expected. Not sure what I expected, but I guess I anticipated the items would be tossed into a bag and mailed. Instead, each item is in a separate box, etc. The items seem to be decent quality so far. I have the first battery charging as I type.

Reading the instruction booklet that came with the kit, it says each battery can be recharged up to 300 times. One cool feature I notice about this particular kit - the wall charger has an indication light that turns from red to green when the battery is fully charged, so that's nice. The USB charger also has an indicator light on it. The booklet says there will be a slight sizzling sound when the battery is activated either by pressing the button on the manual battery or drawing from the automatic battery. This is the sound of the liquid/juice vaporizing. The booklet says each cartomizer lasts approximately 200 puffs; that is without the recycling maintenance/cleaning steps posted earlier. The booklet says the battery will last about 3-6 depending on how frequently you use it. When the battery is depleted, the LED that lights up like the lit end of cigarette will blink, indicating it needs to be recharged.

I got a kit with a small carrying case. It has slots for 2 batteries and 4 cartomizers. This is personal preference, I suppose, as to whether you want a standard/factory one with the company logo on it, or you want a more self-expressive/artistic one that you can buy elsewhere. They have them for sale on amazon and ebay and other e-cig websites. I specifically wanted one that was not fancy or artistic so that I wouldn't become attached to it and want to keep vaping. I want to move off the nicotine! The only drawback to the logo case (other than cheesiness) is that it's not discreet. But, no one rummages through my purse anyway, so no big deal in my situation.

I purchased varying strengths of nicotine because I was unsure what nicotine concentration would be best. I smoke ultra lights, but smoke frequently. I got a range between 24mg and 11mg of nicotine. I will see what suits me best. My hope is the more concentrated juices will allow me to crave less often. Not sure if it will work like that or not.

This is all I can think of to mention before I begin vaping.

Hope this helps someone!

:cheer:

I sampled 4 flavors today:

1) Tobacco flavor - OMG disgusting!

2) Clove - heavenly

3) Cappuccino - pretty good

4) Mocha Frap - pretty good

Going to look at Heather's also. They operate out of Newnan! That's not far from me. Black tea sounds really, really good!

:tea:

I favor tobacco flavor, but it needs to steep. Depending where you get it from anywhere from 1 week to 1 month.

My absolute favorite tobacco flavor is HHV's Legend... mmmmm

Hi Loren,

The tobacco flavor are cartomizers, not a bottle of the liquid. Do they still need to steep or set for a bit? I got all of my starter supplies at vapor4life.

I'm looking at Heather's liquids now...do they tell you how long each liquid should steep or is there a standard time to steep for all of their products?

Meri :smladybug:

Oh, pre-filled cartomizers, sorry, I don't know if they steep or not. The ones I got with my Apollo starter kit were very good, but those/that brand were the only prefilled I got. I went to filling my own pretty quickly.

I don't recall seeing any steeping times on my HHV order. I just steep everything a minimum of a week (tobaccos and coffee more). I have enough juice that I can do that. Of course sometimes I'm left with a meh flavor while waiting for something yummy to steep, but it's a good lesson in patience.

I've done the hot water trick on some of my ECBlends stuff (the coffee & teas) cause it seems they've had to steep way too long. You could try that on the Dragon's Blood and Tropical Punch if you start getting impatient.

Loren,

If a juice has not steeped long enough, how will you know? I understand the flavor will become more rich or complex with steeping, but is there a way or ways to tell if it has not steeped enough? For example, when reading some of the liquid reviews, some said they tasted like soap when they first tried them.

Meri :clover:

Vapor4life website review
 

I wanted to give a short review of this website and products so far.

The website does not explain equipment well if you want to know the model type e-cig you are purchasing. This will become important if you want to upgrade and/or purchase parts like cartomizers/atomizers from a different vendor. What will happen is the threading on the battery will be constructed to fit certain parts and if the threading is different, you can't attach new pieces.

This website seems geared toward those who want a low-maintenance vaping experience, who do not wish to tinker with their equipment or delve too deeply into the vaping world (i.e. people who just want to use this as an adjunct to quit smoking or the recreational vaporer). They have the site set up fairly well and in a way not requiring you to know what you are doing before you start ordering. They do provide information that explains details somewhat, so you are not totally lost, but you will have to visit other websites if you want to really jump in. I think this site is focused on those who want to quit smoking.

So far, I have received 2 separate email coupons for a 40% discount on anything on their website not on clearance/sale. While it's an effective/smart business practice on their part to maintain loyal customers, it's also helpful for me and it's appreciated. They also sent 2 free flavored cartomizers with my start-up kit (which is standard practice in the industry from what I am reading to say 'thank you' for your business). This is appreciated because that gives me 2 extra cartomizers and the opportunity to try flavors I may not purchase on my own accord.

This is a guess on my part, having only sampled their juices so far, but I think their juices are not the best out there. They have a decent selection, but the flavors are simple, not complex, and you only have 1 size available - 30ml bottles. I personally like this because with 6 bottles, I will be set for a while. Even if the flavor is not great, I will tolerate it until I reorder more. Their website does have customer reviews of the liquids and a range from 0-36mg of nicotine for most flavors.

The battery comes with a 90-day warranty. This is okay compared to some other vendors. I have seen warranties up to 1 year. I don't anticipate a problem, but if one arises, then a 3 month window is not great, but likely adequate. I did read product reviews before purchasing from them and feel confident I made a decent choice. They also have a 30-day money back guarantee.

I have not utilized customer service/support yet, so I don't know how this rates.

I would say this website is pricier than other vendors also. If you take the time to research other vendors, you can get equipment for less. But, they have some nifty battery models like an all-day battery and a battery that allows you to adjust the vapor level, if that is a desired. They also have new batteries that do not have the light-up LED tip that mimics a lit cigarette. It has a closed tip, and it comes in different patterns.


:moonstars:

Random thoughts on vaping
 

I have a question for vaporers who have been doing this a while:

When you smoke a cigarette, you puff/inhale until the cigarette has burned to the butt, or at least I do most of the time. Vaping is different, or has been for me so far. Where I would smoke a full cigarette and feel satisfied for a while, I have experienced an urge to vape one time, but frequently. So, a different pattern is set with the e-cig. I don't know what factors contribute to this. It could be the nicotine level is not high enough. It could be the loss of satisfaction of continually smoking a full cigarette. It could be the lack of other chemicals from cigarettes that contribute to my addiction to nicotine because I do think those other ingredients in cigarettes strengthen your addiction. It may be a combination of all 3.

Does this sound familiar?

:tea:

I have been vaping for 8 days now, with an eGo-C starer kit that I was able to purchase at a local Vape Shop. There is actually a Vape Shop in my town! It doesn't have much selection and the prices are high, but they did have the eGo which I knew I wanted. Now that I have my set-up, I will be ordering online. Sadly, I blew my budget for the month and can't try any new flavors until next month - I can't wait!

The best part of all of this is that I am not smoking cigarettes! I have been struggling for years, quitting all the time, starting again, feeling anxious, cranky, guilty. Nothing has worked for me. But THIS is it! This is doing the trick. I don't need to smoke. I am beside myself with glee!

A bit of background...I've been vaping for 4 weeks. Nicotine free juice...

Yes it sounds familiar. When I first started vaping I did so frequently. It took me a long time to work through what felt like enough. Quiet frankly it seemed continuously. It wasn't really but I was like sucking away looking for a feeling that didn't come.

That phase didn't last long. Maybe a few days. I found I vaped nearly my entire drive to and from work (which was prime smoking time for me). The long car vaping sessions lasted 2 weeks.

Now I vape for about the length of 2 or 3 cigarettes in the car (mind you I was a fast smoker). And that is the only time I am vaping now.

I am grateful for the vaping option. Quitting smoking hasn't worked until now. And my health really needed me to quit (years ago but I digress). I do have an emergency, very low nicotine level juice in tobacco flavor for if I think I am going to buy cigs and give in to the nicotine. Fortunately I haven't needed it more than once and I took 5 puffs (I didn't like the flavor at all).