First post introduction

[Fog Frog]

Hello Vaping Underground, im a newb that just quit a 20 year chain smoking habit 3 weeks ago.
I found this community researching what wattage people are running at on their sub ohm mods.

This appears to be a great and active community that I hope to soak up as much info as possible and pass on to the next newb.

I just ordered a RDA, RTA and a RDTA style atomizer as well as coil building tools- So i am on a research binge.

My first day of not smoking started with a Geek Vape FC1 pod for nic salts, I accidentally ordered a bunch of 70/30 sub ohm juices for it. So then I fell down the slope of ordering z-tanks for flavor swapping and a GV T-200 and Lost Vape Hyperion.

3 weeks in and i have not saved money by quitting smoking, LOL. But I don't smell bad which was my second reason for quitting and I can "smoke" in the house which was my 3rd reason.

An unknown phenomenon is that I don't drink 20 diet sodas a day anymore. I don't know why but when I started vaping I just don't want them anymore. Zero caffeine and I have been sleeping like a baby. I didn't plan for that but I will take it.

Here is my pile of trial and error so far.

 

[SnapDragon NY]

Hi and welcome to the forum! Glad you found us!
Congrats on quitting cigarettes by vaping- awesome!
Looks like you are off to a great start, in my opinion it is much better to spend your money on vape gear than on packs or cartons of cigarettes.
I quit my 30+ year cigarette habit with the help of vaping- still over 8 years and I have never touched or smoked another cigarette. For the last 3 years I am down to zero nic.
Yes I noticed with vaping that I cut my caffeine intake as well. I used to drink a pot of coffee when smoking, but when I switched to vaping I have one cup of coffee another plus for me. I drink tons of water now, lol!

 

[Fog Frog]

Thank you, So far it has been pretty easy to quit compared to the 3 other times I tried in my life by going cold turkey. I don't think I will ever quit nicotine, I never really wanted to. That's why I couldn't quit smoking.

I feel like I won't ever smoke again.

 

[Vape Fan]

Off and running ! Great job.

 

[Vape Fan]

30ml a day is a lot. I thought my 20ish was a lot. It's more than most I presume. I see you keep a nic salt setup for when you need a nic boost. Are you using 6mg of the freebase nic juice? Maybe just bump that up a bit.
DIY for your juice helps a lot. Taylor it to you, costs less esp now w/fewer vendors. More initial expense but as you know the sooner the better, not to mention deeming regulations. Nicotine for DIY is the most important since taxes and legal hoops are sure to be soon. The rest PG/VG, flavors will stay available.

 

[Fog Frog]

I have been only using 3mg on the freebase and 30-35mg on the salt nics. I bounce between the two. I feel as though i maintain my nic levels with the freebase and first thing in the morning or after dinner go to the nic salts as a way to kill the cig cravings.

I have 6mg freebase of my favorite juices that I haven't tried yet.

I'm definitely interested in DIY juices. My plan was to get away from the Z-coils and start making my own coils and my own juice.

A nicotine stash sounds like a great plan, I need to determine how much I will use before it spoils.

Thanks for all the welcomes and help.

 

[MyMagicMist]

You may want to try some 18 mg nicotine per ml freebase juice. Started out and continue using that. Not a vaping saint, at times I've back slid and had a cigarette, or two. Find myself back sliding less and less. Even starting to dislike rubbing snuff again.

Please, though, use what you find suits yourself. I'll not dissuade you to do otherwise. I may offer suggestions. Take those or leave them as you choose. We each find our own way in vaping. Don't ask us for a best. *chuckles* You might read an often heard rallying cry, "GFY!"

 

[Fog Frog]

Please, though, use what you find suits yourself. I'll not dissuade you to do otherwise. I may offer suggestions. Take those or leave them as you choose. We each find our own way in vaping. Don't ask us for a best. *chuckles* You might read an often heard rallying cry, "GFY!"

Hahaha I totally get it. First week of trying to find juices I like, everyone was raving about a particular juice in the vendors review section so I ordered it. I think it tasts like a urinal puck.

Then again on a youtube review of another juice, the person gave it a thumbs down and it is my favorite so far.

I feel like I have the freebase and nic salt shuffle dialed in and i enjoy both for their different attributes.
I'm going to take your advice and try the 18mg too. I much prefer freebase to nic salts personally and wouldn't mind phasing them out.

 

[dubya314]

Hello and welcome! Great story. Not stinking like an ash tray was my 2nd reason for quiting as well. 8 or 9 years later, I can still say no mo ash!!! Lol

 

[nadalama]

Welcome to VU! It's terrific to hear your obvious enthusiasm for vaping. You're gonna do great!

I'd agree with @Vape Fan that a bump in the nic level of your freebase liquids would serve you well. 3mg is really low for someone just coming from smoking. I started at 18mg (but 11 years ago when I started, it was a lot easier to find pre-made 18mg liquid to order) then went down to 12, then 9, then 6, which is where I've stayed. When I was vaping 12mg, I began to have trouble finding that strength in pre-made liquid, so I started reading a lot on here and learned to mix my own. It's definitely the way to go for best use of your money and for getting exactly the level of nic and the mix of bases that you want.

Read and ask questions. It's the best thing for really getting up and running, having a good experience that fits your lifestyle and your physiology, and making the best decisions about how to best direct your vaping budget.

Nicotine in dark-colored bottles keeps for a long time (years) in the freezer. Stock up while you can if you're heading for diy. See www.nicbase.com. 100mg freebase nic in PG is what I started with (everybody has their own preference here, for sub-ohm vaping you'll probably want your mixes to end up at either 30/70 or 20/80 pg/vg, so with nic in PG plus most flavors based in PG, you'd probably not have to add any more PG to get the end mix close to where you want it). I will say that I think the flavor is better in 30/70 mixes, because PG carries flavor better than VG. Heavier VG mixes produce bigger clouds but the flavor isn't quite as good.

That's enough of a book for now. I could go on.

Good luck!

 

[MyMagicMist]

My first reason for quitting thirty-five years of smoking was my wife's reason, she wanted me to vape instead. "I might want you around longer," she told me when I asked why it was so important to her. That was important enough for me as well.

My second reason didn't work out. Thought vaping would be widely "acceptable", us former smokers could vape inside where we couldn't smoke. Nope, we all got to "save the children!"

I cannot tell you empirically that vaping has improved my health. Can only say that I feel better for not using cigarettes. Find I get all kinds of sinus and gunk block up my breathing if I smoke.

One aspect of vaping I dislike is end of cycle life for lithium batteries. Seems one has to pay to get anyone to accept them to recycle, or beg, sacrifice virgin goats? Think vaping would be a lot better served if the industry of vaping helped in that regard.

Technologies always require trade-offs. Look at smartphones, they require you to become a robotic zombie. Wheat thrashers meant less serfdom but give rise to artisans of furniture, clothing, building. Always a trade involved, ... always. "No rain, but for the mud."

 

[5150sick]

Hello Vaping Underground, im a newb that just quit a 20 year chain smoking habit 3 weeks ago.
I found this community researching what wattage people are running at on their sub ohm mods.

This appears to be a great and active community that I hope to soak up as much info as possible and pass on to the next newb.

I just ordered a RDA, RTA and a RDTA style atomizer as well as coil building tools- So i am on a research binge.

My first day of not smoking started with a Geek Vape FC1 pod for nic salts, I accidentally ordered a bunch of 70/30 sub ohm juices for it. So then I fell down the slope of ordering z-tanks for flavor swapping and a GV T-200 and Lost Vape Hyperion.

3 weeks in and i have not saved money by quitting smoking, LOL. But I don't smell bad which was my second reason for quitting and I can "smoke" in the house which was my 3rd reason.

An unknown phenomenon is that I don't drink 20 diet sodas a day anymore. I don't know why but when I started vaping I just don't want them anymore. Zero caffeine and I have been sleeping like a baby. I didn't plan for that but I will take it.

Here is my pile of trial and error so far.
View attachment 200755

Hi Welcome to the forum.

It's great not having to go outside first thing every morning and last thing before bed.

 

[Frogger]

Hello Vaping Underground, im a newb that just quit a 20 year chain smoking habit 3 weeks ago.
I found this community researching what wattage people are running at on their sub ohm mods.

This appears to be a great and active community that I hope to soak up as much info as possible and pass on to the next newb.

I just ordered a RDA, RTA and a RDTA style atomizer as well as coil building tools- So i am on a research binge.

My first day of not smoking started with a Geek Vape FC1 pod for nic salts, I accidentally ordered a bunch of 70/30 sub ohm juices for it. So then I fell down the slope of ordering z-tanks for flavor swapping and a GV T-200 and Lost Vape Hyperion.

3 weeks in and i have not saved money by quitting smoking, LOL. But I don't smell bad which was my second reason for quitting and I can "smoke" in the house which was my 3rd reason.

An unknown phenomenon is that I don't drink 20 diet sodas a day anymore. I don't know why but when I started vaping I just don't want them anymore. Zero caffeine and I have been sleeping like a baby. I didn't plan for that but I will take it.

Here is my pile of trial and error so far.
View attachment 200755

not smelling, is worth everything just by itself now that i realize how much smokers smell

I actually wear my pleather jacket if i know im gonna be around em, lol. One of the many benefits of plastics

Welcome

 

[Jimi]

Hi Fog Frog and welcome to VU, And a huge CONGRATS on quitting the stinkies the members here are the most helpful you can find on your vaping journey. Enjoy the form

 

[gopher_byrd]

Welcome to VU @Fog Frog!

The Builder's Corner has help on making your own coils as well as a ton of vids in YouTube. Our DIY sub-forum has plenty of folks willing to help when you want to jump into the DIY ejuice rabbit hole. Get your nic sooner rather than later and I would recommend 100 mg/ml in PG. It's easier to work with IMHO.

 

[Lady Sarah]

Welcome to VU, FogFrog. Quitting the stinky coffin nails is wonderful. Congrats on that! I smoked for 34 years before switching. DIY is super easy when you learn it. That's where you save money. Heck... just yesterday, I placed my first order in more than 18 months for juice flavorings, and the total came to less than $100 for enough to last a long long time.

 

[DuffyB]

congrats and welcome!

 

[Bliss Doubt]

Welcome to VU! It's terrific to hear your obvious enthusiasm for vaping. You're gonna do great!

I'd agree with @Vape Fan that a bump in the nic level of your freebase liquids would serve you well. 3mg is really low for someone just coming from smoking. I started at 18mg (but 11 years ago when I started, it was a lot easier to find pre-made 18mg liquid to order) then went down to 12, then 9, then 6, which is where I've stayed. When I was vaping 12mg, I began to have trouble finding that strength in pre-made liquid, so I started reading a lot on here and learned to mix my own. It's definitely the way to go for best use of your money and for getting exactly the level of nic and the mix of bases that you want.

Totally agree. I, too, started at 18 mg. It helped at first, but once I quit cigarettes completely, 18 was too much and made me feel wired, caused me to wake in the middle of the night, so I reduced to 12 mg., where I've stayed from then (November 2012) until now.

 

[Bliss Doubt]

3 weeks in and i have not saved money by quitting smoking, LOL. But I don't smell bad which was my second reason for quitting and I can "smoke" in the house which was my 3rd reason.

Congratulations Fog Frog. I'm happy for you. It looks like you're having fun with the vape toys.

I don't think anybody in this forum would promise that giving up smoking in favor of vaping will save money, at least not at first. When I took up vaping I tried a million flavors, experimented with equipment, but once I figured out what worked for me reliably, and quit cigarettes altogether, the expense of the nic habit came down and has remained stable.

Now the vape toy attraction might not go away. Besides saving your life, vaping, for many, is a fun hobby, with all the developments, ideas and one-ups to share in this forum.