Newbie here from central PA

[Bean8379]

I live in Lebanon PA. I quit smoking cold turkey almost 3 years ago. I would bum the occasional cigarette from a friend or coworker when feeling stressed, but always felt a little guilty after having quit and my wife got awful mad at me. Recently I started attending school and I'm highly introverted so I don't always do well in social situations and would get stressed by people at school, so decided I needed something to mellow me out. I picked up a basic model, 650mah battery, no adjustable voltage or anything like that, and some ejuice that's 1.6%. I started off low because I didnt know how strong it would be and didnt want to overdose on nicotine, I've done that in the past with chewing and its not a good feeling at all. But the 1.6% is too weak, I have to vape it pretty hardcore to feel the effects and the stuff I bought is 70/30 which is pretty harsh especially when I take a big hit as I'm prone to do because I like to feel the nicotine and also get as much vapor as possible. But I'm going to a flea market this weekend because my brother in law said they sell bottles of ejuice for 1.99 and I can probably afford to get two flavors and maybe even an extra tank for easy switching between whichever flavor I feel like vaping. I'm hoping they have some 20/80 because really I just wanna blow some big ass clouds. So I'm gonna look for some 2.4 20/80. The flavor I started with is vanilla tobacco, its decent flavor but the pg content is too strong, my chest and throat hurt bad and its not very much vapor. I bought the starter kit for $25 and the bottle of ejuice for $5 at my local mall on wednesday. I would have gotten something that was at least 50/50, but they only sell one brand and it only comes 70/30. So this is my journey thus far into the world of vaping but I'm not quitting any time soon.

 

[Donald Bickers]

Welcome and good luck with your endeavor,,,lots of good people with some good advice here,,,,stay with it ,im convinced it saved my life.

 

[vaperature]

Welcome. From now on just forget the mall shopping. Keep checking in here and you will find leads on all sorts of sales an promotions to get some good, high quality but cheap juice and hardware. Congrats on making the switch. Vaping is a learning process to find out what is right for you as an individual so be patient and vape on.

 

[Cruel-Phate]

Welcome to VU Bean

 

[Bean8379]

I definitely know from what I've vaped so far that I don't need or even really want the throat hit because I cant even really get a good pull the throat hit is too strong and I can't inhale all the vapor so it not only wastes vapor but I get less nicotine as well and I definitely know I'll be leaning way more towards the vg side of things because like I said I want to blow clouds lol. Thanks for the welcome guys!

 

[vaperature]

I definitely know from what I've vaped so far that I don't need or even really want the throat hit because I cant even really get a good pull the throat hit is too strong and I can't inhale all the vapor so it not only wastes vapor but I get less nicotine as well and I definitely know I'll be leaning way more towards the vg side of things because like I said I want to blow clouds lol. Thanks for the welcome guys!

Could be that it isn't the pg but the nic itself that's giving you the problem. I've actually found that if I lower the nic I actually get MORE nic because I'm able to vape larger clouds. I'm pretty sure if you're going to be blowing huge clouds, especially if you get into sub ohming, you won't want to use 24 mg nic (which is what I assume you mean when you say 2.4). Experiment. Try some 24 but also try some 12. You might be surprised that you actually can get a better nic fix off a lower dosage because you're able to vape it more easily.

 

[Bean8379]

I started at 16 and I'm vaping hardcore but hardly feeling anything. So no, I dont think its the nicotine I think its the pg because I used to smoke rollies and they didn't kill me like the pg does. After reading about pg sensitivity, I definitely think that's the issue. I smoked an analog maybe a week or two ago and it was my first one since the summer and I was hitting it like I never quit. Its definitely not the nicotine. I know I'm new to vaping but nicotine is nicotine lol and besides from what I've read you only absorb 40 to 65% of nicotine from vaping so at 16 I'm probably only absorbing 8 and at 24 would probably absorb 12 to 14. I'm experiencing dry mouth and clearing my throat a lot, thirstiness and nicotine in normal doses does not cause that, usually all the other chemicals in cigarettes do but not nicotine and 16 is certainly not a very high dosage of nicotine. Plus I figure right now it takes about 10 pulls for me to feel anything, with the 24 should take half or less and I'll get the nicotine I crave without all the harshness. Sometimes when I exhale I cough because the pg is so strong and I dont even hold it in, I inhale and exhale almost immediately. On a side note, when I first started I was holding it in and I'm not seeing a difference in nicotine absorption.

 

[Bean8379]

Well I think you're right about the nicotine. I bought some 21 today and it was way harsher than the 16. Another part of my problem was that I was pre-burning (holding the button in for a few seconds before taking a pull) because a friend of mine told me I'd get a better burn. After realizing I couldn't vape the 21 (with or without pre-burning), I switched back to the 16 and took a pull without pre-burning and it was a night and day difference. No throat irritation no matter how big of a pull I took, a little more vapor and I felt more nicotine. Soon I'm going to order some, think I will try some 18 for just a little more nicotine and I still want to try less pg for bigger clouds but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it.

 

[UncleRJ]

Welcome to the Underground!

Just a little FYI for you.

Nicotine enters your system a bit differently with vaping than it does with smoking.

A lot of the nic actually gets into your system via the soft tissues in your mouth so you don't have to rely on taking it into your lungs as much.

When you vape, try gently pulling the vapor into your mouth and then inhaling.

 

[Bean8379]

Uh, that's what I do now lol. I pull off my vape pen the same way I pull off an analog, pull first then inhale.

 

[Donald Bickers]

Uh, that's what I do now lol. I pull off my vape pen the same way I pull off an analog, pull first then inhale.

it wont be long and you will be saying"the way I used to pull off analogs"

 

[Bean8379]

I'm finally really starting to get the hang of this. I was pulling much too slow and getting very harsh hits and the harshness was preventing me from getting the nicotine I wanted. Pulling just a little quicker lets me get a smoother hit and more nicotine. But I still want to try more vg. Does anyone know where I can get a free sample or two? I'd really like to try before I buy anymore because I've already bought ejuice that I'm not going to use.

 

[MKPM]

Greetings and welcome!

 

[Ebaszzuw]

Try checking some of the local vape shops in your area for samples. I'm from near Carlisle and the shop I frequent does them. I'd imagine most do but I haven't really checked out any in your area.

 

[Bean8379]

I finally figured out the trick for me. I dont know if its the particular pen I bought or if all of them are this way, but the trick I've discovered for getting a good vape is to keep the coil warm. I turn my pen on, push the power button in for a few seconds and listen for it to sizzle a bit. Then I suck out whatever vapor has been released by the warming up, but then I dont inhale it because that first puff is a bit harsh due to the coil not being warm yet. After that I vape like I'm smoking a cigarette (short time between puffs, this keeps the coil warm which in my theory allows the liquid to vaporize better), and I'm getting pretty smooth hits and a lot of nicotine which is great. I discovered this while vaping earlier today. I first noticed that quicker pulls give a smoother hit than slower pulls, and then I noticed that the less time between pulls the coil would stay pretty warm so I just kept taking shorter breaks between pulls and I noticed that I was absorbing a lot more nicotine which was awesome so that's what's working for me. I still want to try a higher percentage of vg and possibly even max vg, but thats just because I want to blow really big clouds lol.

 

[jackssurvival]

I would love get a mech mod and a rda if you want clouds try a .8ohm build with 3mg nicotine using a high .vg juice

 

[Bean8379]

Right now I'm just playing around and having fun with what I've got. Vaping is a hobby that can be as cheap or expensive as one desires.

 

[Bean8379]

My current technique is this. When I first turn the pen on, I know the coil is going to be cold, so I hold the power button in for a good 4-5 seconds to warm up the coil before taking a puff. Then I release the power button and take a puff, but dont inhale as its likely to be harsh from the coil being cold. Then I hold the power button for maybe a second before taking a puff. I take three short puffs in this manner, then I rest and take a few deep breaths. This is to help the nicotine I've absorbed circulate through my bloodstream. After about 12 puffs, I feel I've absorbed about the same amount as I would if I had smoked an analog. This is making for a very pleasant vaping experience. I remember what a cigarette felt like after sex or a good meal, and I'm trying to re-create that mellow experience with my vaping. I also have a theory, I could be wrong but its just my theory. I think that pg and vg, even when mixed together, burn differently. What I mean is, a quicker burn is going to burn more vg (vg is thick and kinda oily, like vegetable oil and what happens to vegetable oil when you put it in a frying pan on high heat? it boils very quickly). a slower burn seems to burn more pg and I also think that a slower burn might actually cook some of the nicotine out of the ejuice. Again, just my theory but my technique seems to be getting more nicotine as well as more vapor, which is what caused me to formulate this theory in the first place.

 

[Bean8379]

In other news, looks like I'll be getting an evod twist soon. My best friend has one and he just got the kanger emow, so he is giving me his twist. He said the coil is still good but I should get a new battery. He lives in York, PA and there is a vape store there called one step above, and he said if I buy my battery there I will get a free ejuice with it so probably gonna do that. When we link up next weekend, he'll drive me over there and I'm gonna probably get a 1300mah or better, depends what they have. He is also going to give me a bottle of ejuice, pina colada 18mg 60vg. So come next weekend I will have an evod twist, two bottles of ejuice, a good battery and I may also look at tanks and coils while I'm there. See what happens. But I'm pretty psyched!

 

[galsvapetoo]

I would be careful buying at a flea market. Make sure they are reputable. And someone absolved mentioning someone is always posting good deals all the time. Just be careful and if you need advice of e liquids give a shout out and we will all do the best we can to help.

Welcome to the underground

 

[Bean8379]

Could be that it isn't the pg but the nic itself that's giving you the problem. I've actually found that if I lower the nic I actually get MORE nic because I'm able to vape larger clouds. I'm pretty sure if you're going to be blowing huge clouds, especially if you get into sub ohming, you won't want to use 24 mg nic (which is what I assume you mean when you say 2.4). Experiment. Try some 24 but also try some 12. You might be surprised that you actually can get a better nic fix off a lower dosage because you're able to vape it more easily.

I've recently discovered that you are totally right! I was vaping 18mg of an unknown pg/vg mix and recently switched to 100% vg, 3mg and the difference in nic hit is night and day. All the time I've been vaping 18 I've never really gotten a good nic hit aside from here and there. Been vaping this 3mg for about 3 days, and consistently get a satisfying nic hit every time I vape it!

 

[nabibrian]

welcome to the VU, nice to have you here
I know, I am a little late... But hey welcome nonetheless

 

[Manimal3497]

 

[Bean8379]

welcome to the VU, nice to have you here
I know, I am a little late... But hey welcome nonetheless

Lol its OK, this is my old intro thread. I posted a new intro since I've been gone a long time. I just replied to this one because I was reading through it and saw that some advice I had been given turned out to be accurate so I decided to update