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Let's hear what your first gear was... :)

"11"

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Inspired by the other thread where old gear was mentioned - took me down memory lane.

First gear everyone?

Me: Bloog cigalikes, to Vamo w/ Kanger subtank mini, Lemo Drop and various cartos; to Yihi IPV4S mod and modern tanks (settling on the Aromamizer Supreme for last 4yrs)

You?
 

f1r3b1rd

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First was a joyetech eroll, then a ego/pro tank then a kayfun/provari 2.5
after that it was on to dna and mech mods
 

Pastorfuzz

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An IPV400, Smok BBB tank and "Uncle Junks Jon Wayne juice 12mg"
Thanks to a co worker, after 1 week, I was off the smokes.
Never looked back
 

nadalama

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My first vape was a menthol Blu from a convenience store back in 2011. Right away I started looking for something more affordable and started ordering these little kits from Madvapes. They came with two 510 batteries (about 180mAh), five cartridges with atomizers, and one of those really primitive chargers. I very soon discovered Joye cartomizers and used those for a while with the 510 batteries from those kits. Then moved on to eGo batteries with Smok and Kanger clearomizers, and that lasted for years. Then I went through a period of using mech tubes with ProTanks. Bought my first box mod (a Sigelei Spark 90W) and used it with ProTanks and Smok Champion Vivi Nova type clearomizers. Then I went through a period of using Nautilus Mini tanks, and somehow heard about the Kabuki. I couldn't afford a real one, so I ordered about eight of the clones from FastTech. Those were the be all and end all of vaping for me until I found VU in 2018.

Now there's been an explosion of vape gear in my house. I dunno what happened. I was asleep that day.
 
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"11"

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My first vape was a menthol Blu from a convenience store back in 2011.
Same here but mine was an NJOY. That's what made me spend WAY too much money on Bloogs - had the Bloog charger and a million rechargeable cigalikes. Grew out of them $300 too late! LOL!
 

Pastorfuzz

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Boy, you started off right at the top!
I started Sept 2016. A very helpful co worker set me up.
Started building the RBA deck for the BBB tank about 2 months later.
Then lurking behind @wildgypsy70 , @Smoky Blue and @debinnv got me in to making my own juice.
Been non stop ever since.
All i can say is Thank You VU. I learned a ton of shit here from members to keep me off the smokes and am eternally grateful!
 

~Don~

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I can’t even remember the name of the pen shit I bought first go... it lasted a whopping 5 minutes with me before I started an online order for a SMPL mech and derringer...

Still have both of those btw.

But yeah... crappy vape pen from cigars, back to ‘gars til the mech arrived and a few weeks after til I was comfy building coils... bought a bunch of coils also.

Ton of reading here and the dungeon (ECF) before I even registered.

Mech head ever since... with pit stops with RTAs/Squonks/BBs, keeping the items that worked best for me and selling the rest.

Sort of the same now... .09-.11 on a mech/rda is my happy place... dabble with other junk to scratch an itch.
 

5150sick

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Totally Wicked Titan-T kit with 24mg/ml Titan Range Menthol 20/80 PG/VG
 

Vape Fan

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Cigalike for a few nasty puffs. Probably a year later, an 18350/650 DNA20 and the og Nautilus, and whittled 2+pk a day to 0 in within 2 weeks and used this same setup for 9 months.

1st setup.png
 

Ryedan

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My first setup back in early 2012 was an eGo-C kit. Damn, cleaning and re-wicking those eGo-C heads was 'interesting' :)

Moved on pretty quickly to CE4's and then to carto tanks. At the time they were a real improvement for me.
 

Freyja

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SmokeTip cigalikes with cartos were first.
Went to a shop looking for something with which to vape CBD and walked out with a Nord.
Mig21 cigalikes with clearos were next.
Still use all three of those.
First actual mod was a Wismec R80 pod mod plus a Fireluke 2 tank for the 510 adapter, about 6 months ago. Seriously overpaid for that mod -- didn't know any better -- but like it and still use it a lot.
 

SnapDragon NY

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In mid November 2014 I bought the Mistic Kits some extra cartos, plus the bridge(tiny tank) and Haus eliquids instead of a pack of cigarettes- worked for me, got me off cigarettes. Been completely cigarette free since December 1, 2014.
I 1st heard of vaping thru radio ads when driving in my car- no one in my life was vaping, thought I'd give it a try- what did I have to lose, except a 30+ year cigarette habit, lol! Vaping worked for me and still works for me.
 
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MyMagicMist

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View attachment 171510

Spent most of my time chewing on it.

I used similar by Njoy. Switched out to an ARO tank and an eGo twist type battery soon after. Did that about three months or so. A buddy then brought me to the Dark Side(tm). They convinced me to try squonking & even mechanical mods. Not looked back, hopefully won't need to either.
 

"11"

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Would be interesting if along with your gear, let us know how/where you even first heard of vaping.

For me I was passing through the living room in 2014 and someone had on the SuperBowl... was a commercial. A handsome man with a black trimmed beard (close up) was exhaling what I thought was a giant cloud of smoke. I stopped cold as commercials were no longer allowed for smoking. Voice over said. "It's not smoke. It's NJOY" and he smiled, and that was the entire commercial.

Next day went to 7-11 and picked up a "pack" of NJOYs which included 3 cigalikes, IIRC.
 

JuicyLucy

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Would be interesting if along with your gear, let us know how/where you even first heard of vaping.

For me I was passing through the living room in 2014 and someone had on the SuperBowl... was a commercial. A handsome man with a black trimmed beard (close up) was exhaling what I thought was a giant cloud of smoke. I stopped cold as commercials were no longer allowed for smoking. Voice over said. "It's not smoke. It's NJOY" and he smiled, and that was the entire commercial.

Next day went to 7-11 and picked up a "pack" of NJOYs which included 3 cigalikes, IIRC.

I was at a grocery store in Anchorage and near the cigarette counter they had these "cartons" stacked up with a sign saying something like "Smoke free electric cigarettes"

Don't recall price, but it was more than a carton of cigarettes at the time; this was probably about 2010

To me, it looked like candy cigarettes with an app or something and was not interested at all
 

"11"

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I was at a grocery store in Anchorage and near the cigarette counter they had these "cartons" stacked up with a sign saying something like "Smoke free electric cigarettes"

Don't recall price, but it was more than a carton of cigarettes at the time; this was probably about 2010

To me, it looked like candy cigarettes with an app or something and was not interested at all

When did you take a second look and buy your first vaping device, and what changed your mind?
 

JuicyLucy

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When did you take a second look and buy your first vaping device, and what changed your mind?
Well, of course I became a little more aware of what I thought of as "e-cigs" but lived in a tiny town in Alaska, so there weren't vape shops on every corner

One day, I was walking down the street in said little town, smoking a cigarette and this dude I know rode by on his bike and stopped to talk, and he whipped out a vape pen, had a clearomizer and he said he was out looking for smokers to show them about vapes and how it had helped him quit smoking, and he handed me a business card for Smokeless Image

I went yeah yeah yeah - but about six months later, I could really feel that 35+ years of smoking catching up with me

I contacted the dude, got another card and ordered my first cigalikes - and some nasty ass all PG menthol juice LMAO

First drag, I knew it was something - however, it took me three years and a month of dual use and many false starts before I completely quit

Have not had a cigarette since Jan. 12, 2016
 

Wb80

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Menthol cigalike things. No clue wat brand. Walgreens had them on super clearance. I purchased all they had...like 30 of them. It claimed 1 was the equivalent of 1 pack. But i was going through 5 cigalikes a day.
 

PaulS

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The first online reviewer in Canada was Brendan Sera-Shriar - he got me vaping
 

Bigrick

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Totally Wicked Tornado. You filled the mouth piece with 1mil of juice and it dripped down to the top of am Ego styled battery. Juice was Totally Wicked English Tobacco 36mg nic per mil.
 

"11"

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Well, of course I became a little more aware of what I thought of as "e-cigs" but lived in a tiny town in Alaska, so there weren't vape shops on every corner

One day, I was walking down the street in said little town, smoking a cigarette and this dude I know rode by on his bike and stopped to talk, and he whipped out a vape pen, had a clearomizer and he said he was out looking for smokers to show them about vapes and how it had helped him quit smoking, and he handed me a business card for Smokeless Image

I went yeah yeah yeah - but about six months later, I could really feel that 35+ years of smoking catching up with me

I contacted the dude, got another card and ordered my first cigalikes - and some nasty ass all PG menthol juice LMAO

First drag, I knew it was something - however, it took me three years and a month of dual use and many false starts before I completely quit

Have not had a cigarette since Jan. 12, 2016
That is a very cool story. Good on that dude for riding around with his vape pen looking for smokers to hand out biz cards... that was creative thinking on his part. :) And congrats on the upcoming 5yr mark.
 

JuicyLucy

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That is a very cool story. Good on that dude for riding around with his vape pen looking for smokers to hand out biz cards... that was creative thinking on his part. :) And congrats on the upcoming 5yr mark.

Those were the real heady days of vaping - before the popcorn lung studies and BS

Vapers really were convinced we could change the world and stamp out smoking
 

RMarcusY

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I started vaping because the lady I was dating didn't want to smoke in her new car... When we went on our first road trip in early 2002 she bought us those cig-a-likes things.... that lasted for about 300 miles then we lit up real cigs.

Later my new GF worked for hertz and we took road trips every other month. They let employees have new cars for about $10 a day, but if you smoked in them they charged $60 cleaning fee. That's when I moved up to better gear that worked.
 

kross8

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2015 I picked up an Aspire stick looking mod at a vape shop (too prove it doesn't work-lol)

That night it became a pacifier,, the next morning I went to another vape shop and bought a kangertech sub-box cuz the stick thing was very weak. I bought more kangertech for awhile,, then branched out to rebuildables. Haven't had a cig since the first drag on the stick.

35 years 2 packs a day.

My biggest hurdle was vapers tongue,, rayon cured that.

Now I'm some sort of vaping advocate in my area.

Frustrating part, I always bought my gear in 2s,, 1 for me & 1 for my husband even though he didn't vape,, then after 3 years he suddenly starts vaping 1 day,, damn pods! (I like pods, but I had a stash of nice gear for him!)

My sister has my 1 day old aspire stick thing,, but I don't think she uses it.
 

Carambrda

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Wismec Reuleaux RX2/3 and Wotofo 25mm Troll RDA V2 with handbuilt Nichrome 80 fused clapton coils starting at 80 watts for the first week, then 90 watts after that. It got me instantly off smoking so I never was a dual user, and, I picked up complex coil building within my first vaping month by building a pair of staple staggered fused clapton coils and vaping on them at 140 watts before switching to the Reuleaux RX300 after another week.
 

gopher_byrd

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I started with Blu in 2013 since I saw the adds on TV and magazines. I moved on to the Halo Triton which was like an eGo and that is what got me off the smokes. After a few months with those I moved on to VV tubes with carto tanks (Lava and Provari) and tube mechs with RDAs. Then I discovered squonking with the REO. Squonking is my main method of vaping and I also have some tube mechs I use as well. There was a period where I used regulated boxes (Home Wrecker, Reuleaux 200, and DNAs) and RTAs, but squonking and mech tubes are all I use now.
 

"11"

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2015 I picked up an Aspire stick looking mod at a vape shop (too prove it doesn't work-lol)

That night it became a pacifier,, the next morning I went to another vape shop and bought a kangertech sub-box cuz the stick thing was very weak. I bought more kangertech for awhile,, then branched out to rebuildables. Haven't had a cig since the first drag on the stick.

35 years 2 packs a day.

My biggest hurdle was vapers tongue,, rayon cured that.

Now I'm some sort of vaping advocate in my area.

Frustrating part, I always bought my gear in 2s,, 1 for me & 1 for my husband even though he didn't vape,, then after 3 years he suddenly starts vaping 1 day,, damn pods! (I like pods, but I had a stash of nice gear for him!)

My sister has my 1 day old aspire stick thing,, but I don't think she uses it.
Kanger was huge in my early days too. That's great it was such a smooth transition after 35yrs.

What is vaper's tongue? (I feel like I should know this, if for no other reason being part of vaper forums, but somehow this one slipped by me.)
 

kross8

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Kanger was huge in my early days too. That's great it was such a smooth transition after 35yrs.

What is vaper's tongue? (I feel like I should know this, if for no other reason being part of vaper forums, but somehow this one slipped by me.)
It's when you can't taste anything vape,, or get a really bad taste when vaping.

I vape a lot,, so my atomizer wicking couldn't keep up until I switched to rayon.

To me cotton wicks are like an old kitchen rug.. They soak up eliquid but don't move it well. Rayon is more like a kids slip and slide toy,, it moves eliquid quickly.

I was literally willing to go back to smoking when I ran across Jeremy notes about rayon,, after going to the dentist I stopped at a Sally's to get the rayon. Imho, Jeremy saved my life.
 

kross8

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I started with Blu in 2013 since I saw the adds on TV and magazines. I moved on to the Halo Triton which was like an eGo and that is what got me off the smokes. After a few months with those I moved on to VV tubes with carto tanks (Lava and Provari) and tube mechs with RDAs. Then I discovered squonking with the REO. Squonking is my main method of vaping and I also have some tube mechs I use as well. There was a period where I used regulated boxes (Home Wrecker, Reuleaux 200, and DNAs) and RTAs, but squonking and mech tubes are all I use now.
I wish I had started with squonking,, 99% squonker now.
 

"11"

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It's when you can't taste anything vape,, or get a really bad taste when vaping.

I vape a lot,, so my atomizer wicking couldn't keep up until I switched to rayon.

To me cotton wicks are like an old kitchen rug.. They soak up eliquid but don't move it well. Rayon is more like a kids slip and slide toy,, it moves eliquid quickly.

I was literally willing to go back to smoking when I ran across Jeremy notes about rayon,, after going to the dentist I stopped at a Sally's to get the rayon. Imho, Jeremy saved my life.
Is there any special kind of rayon you bought? (I vape 100% VG and am always having wicking issues.)
 

kross8

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Member For 4 Years
Is there any special kind of rayon you bought? (I vape 100% VG and am always having wicking issues.)
Graham at Sally,, I hear Amazon carries a small box. My 1 Sally box $18-/- is more than a lifetime so I gave away more than half over the years, I vacuum bagged sections each should last me 5 years.

Make sure it's the rayon not cotton

$6
 

Carambrda

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Here's what I'm vaping on as I'm typing this. I'm only showing this because it totally debunks the old myth of "rayon transfers the juice into the coils faster". These are tri-core aliens, 29/36 Nichrome 80 at 7 wraps 3mm ID. This is a .25 ohms build in a 25mm RDA. I vape on it with a pair of Samsung 20S batteries in a truly hard hitting series mech (Purge Side Piece Slim─upgraded with the solid silver firing cup). With the batteries fully charged, this is pushing 229 watts after calculation by taking the voltage sag of the Samsung 20S properly into account. Using Cotton Bacon V2 with the wicks lasting through 200ml of high VG high sucralose type stuff. I am not alone with that kind of conclusion based on first-hand experience similar to this. Sure, it might seem that I am. But that's just because all the others stopped bothering to explain to people who never listen, and stopped bothering to do so a really very, very long time ago. :)

29g aliens.jpg
 

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