# What To Expect On You Vaping Journey



## Andre

*Part 1*
New e-cigarette users who are attempting to convert to an e-cig from smoking have dozens of questions. One of the most common is, "What nicotine strength do I need?". A variant on this is, "I smoked one and a half packs a day of lights, what nicotine liquid strength should I use?"

Unfortunately, it doesn't work like this. It is not advisable to try to compare cigarette nicotine levels with e-cigarette liquid nicotine levels because there are too many variables, both in the relative absorption levels for smoke and vapor, and those introduced by the user. Even if a situation could be arranged where exactly the same amount of nicotine is available in both the cigarette smoke and the e-cig vapor (which would not work anyway, as it needs to be higher in the vapor since it is absorbed less well), the end result will be different, for each user.

For example, a person who smoked less than half a pack a day may need 36mg liquid to avoid cravings (and show absolutely no signs of nicotine OD while using it); a person who was on 2 PAD may be happy with 18mg. There is no comparison possible because the end result required is satisfaction / lack of cravings in an individual - and individuals vary so much in their tolerance to / requirement for a given substance that there is no 'scale' that can be devised.

There are some useful things to keep in mind here, though:


Using an e-cig is different to smoking a tobacco cig. Newbies have such bad technique they may only get a fraction of the nicotine that an experienced vaper would get from basically the same set-up.
It is difficult to make your e-liquid stronger, but very easy to make it weaker.

Because of this it is a good idea to get some high-strength liquid with your first order. If, while using the strength commonly supplied with Starter Kits, after several days you still experience strong cravings, you can try the higher mg liquid. On the other hand, if your main liquid is too strong, you can add VG (available at any pharmacy) to it, to reduce the strength to whatever is required. Another way to do this is to use 'zero-nic doubler liquid' from your vendor - this is flavored base liquid with no nicotine that is specifically made for reducing the strength with.

If you have some 24mg strength liquid, and add an equal amount of VG or doubler liquid to it, you then have 12mg strength liquid, double the original quantity. Adding VG will reduce the strength of the flavor, however. Adding 'doubler liquid' decreases the nicotine strength but maintains the flavor level.


*Transition policy*
During your first week with an e-cigarette you will most likely experience some cravings for a cigarette. One reason for this is because tobacco contains more than nicotine, there are several substances we call WTAs or whole tobacco alkaloids, in lower quantity than nicotine, that some people (but not all) will miss. These include nornicotine, anabasine, anatabine and myosmine. Nicotine is not the only active alkaloid in tobacco, although it is present in much higher quantities than the others.

Many people actually get over this stage fairly quickly, though some don't. The best advice is very simple indeed: don't worry. If you still need to smoke, then do so. Ideally you will cut down - and cut down drastically. If you can't, then here are some ways to improve your e-cigarette's effect.


Use higher-strength e-liquid. Uness you have tried 36mg strength then you have not explored the most likely cause of continued cravings. Some have a very high tolerance to nicotine and this is notrelated to how much they smoked.
Vape more. Do not restrict yourself to use of the e-cigarette only when you would have smoked, it's OK to use it more often, and for longer. Some vape twice as much as they smoked, in the initial stages especially.
If progress seems slow, then you may need more power. Basic e-cigarette models deliver about 4 watts of power or less, and you may need 6, 8 or even as much as 10 watts or more in order to 'get over the hump'. The quickest/cheapest way to increase power is to change to LR (low resistance) atomizers or cartomizers - these will get you up to 6 or 7 watts, although they cannot be used on a mini ecig (they should be used on a mid-size model or APV, an advanced personal vaporizer aka a 'mod').
You can get a mid-size ecig in order to use one of these LR heads (end fittings), or get a cheap APVsuch as a 5 volt boxmod for use with your regular fittings (not the LR ones). Finally, the most costly - but possibly the best long-term solution - is to get a VV (variable voltage) APV that can be set to exactly the right voltage you need at the time. All these models are larger than a mini, but work better.
If your smoking is gradually reducing, you are winning. If you still have strong cravings after 3 weeks, and have tried 36mg liquid from at least two different vendors (there is always a possibility that one supplier's products may not be the full strength as marked), and have also tried higher power with no improvements - and if you want to get through this bit as quickly as possible - then your best course of action is to add Snus to your regime.

Swedish Snus is a specially processed oral tobacco that comes in micro pouches. Most of the carcinogens have been removed by the special processing, and the remaining amounts are low enough to have no significant risk. A Snus user has the same risk of mouth cancer as a non-smoker, so there is not too much need to worry about this. You can use Snus whenever you feel the craving for a cigarette - it has the full range of WTAs that an e-cigarette cannot provide*. It is spitless and not related to the old chewing tobacco - the micro pouch is placed between the upper lip and the gum, and use is invisible.

For those who need these extra WTAs, an e-cigarette plus Snus approach has been found highly effective.

* Recently, a small number of vendors have introduced e-liquids containing WTAs. These are not easy to find at present, but in theory will do the same job as Snus.


*Timescale*
There is no timescale for switching exclusively to an e-cigarette. Some manage it on Day 1, some take a year to finally quit the coffin nails. Does it matter? Probably not.

To accelerate the process, you'll need to follow the tips above carefully - but it should not be a cause for worry, as there is no need. As long as your smoking is gradually reducing, things are moving along in the right direction.

Reactions: Like 6 | Winner 11


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## Andre

_*Part 2*
*Assorted tips*


Until you are well off cigarettes and absolutely free of them, keep a pack in the house. It is the equivalent of a parachute - because you know it's there, you don't have a subconscious worry. You may never smoke one but that is not the point.
If you do light one up, try to smoke less than half of it before you stub it out. Then rinse your mouth out and remind yourself how disgusting inhaling a bonfire is. Pick up your e-cig with the strongest, favorite flavor of the month [see Flavors below] and take some full drags on that - much better isn't it?
If you have any Snus, keep it in the fridge, it is a perishable product. If you have children then you must consider some form of securing the product, to protect a child who may investigate the fridge contents.
Get some liquid of half your usual strength (or less) for use late at night. Using full-strength liquid late in the evening can make it difficult to sleep, for some. The use of some low-strength liquid for mindlessly puffing on while watching a film on TV last thing before bed is a good move.
*Flavors*
No two people in the same room are likely to prefer the same flavor, and any one person's taste changes both in terms of where they are at in the transition process, and from time to time in any case. 

When you start with an e-cig, you want a tobacco flavor and nothing else will do. Then you want a tobacco-plus flavor (like RY4, or with menthol or mint). Then you like desserts or coffee or fruits or whatever. This is a function of your sense of taste and smell returning as well as various other factors. 

Later, you will find that what you really liked three months ago doesn't cut it now, and you prefer something else. Finally, you will happily use unflavored or minimum-flavored liquid some of the time as it doesn't matter and it's easier on the lungs when you think of the long term (the flavors are the only real unknown in the equation).

Many find that rotating flavors will help each flavor to retain its original attraction. There are all sorts of events that can be expected, such as all flavors losing their ability to be sensed for a period of time. We don't know why this is but perhaps it is related to the senses of smell and taste rebuilding after years of abuse. This period passes soon enough. Rotation in use of heads (the end fittings such as cartos and clearos) and flavors is seen as a good idea: have several spares, and use more than one type during the day or evening.

*Reducing the amount of nicotine consumed*
It is probably a good idea to reduce the amount of nicotine consumed to the minimum acceptable level. That is, the lowest amount that satisfies, and removes symptoms such as inability to concentrate, irritability, memory issues, cognitive function issues. There is no point in consuming more than necessary, and there may be health implications for some individuals but perhaps not all. It has been suggested that a genetic predisposition to vascular disease might be a sign that moderation is in order (a family history of early occurrence of stroke, aneurysm etc.). It may be a useful topic to discuss with your doctor.

Most people have some sort of symptoms of nicotine over-consumption, such as: headache, dizziness, racing heartbeat, insomnia, tingling in the extremities. Some however are immune to these symptoms and can consume very large amounts with no sign of discomfort at all. For this group especially, it is worth considering if there might be health implications for long-term high-volume consumption.

There are some indications that abuse of NRTs may lead to cardiac issues. That is, long-term over-consumption of quit-smoking medications with nicotine such as skin patches and gum may cause cardiac dysrhythmia in some cases. This means a heart rhythm that is irregular and may be irreversible or lead to further complications. Atrial fibrillation is one of the conditions in this group, and it is a serious condition.

So we know that unlimited consumption may be harmful at least for some individuals; and that some people show no signs of over-consumption even with what appears to be a fairly high dose (some can vape 60mg liquid, or spill 36mg liquid on their skin, with no symptoms of overdose whatsoever). Therefore we should see if it might be possible to (a) determine the lowest current acceptable nicotine level; and (b) gradually reduce the level over time, especially after the first 'difficult' month or two, to a final minimum acceptable level.

*So, to sum up:*

The starting nicotine level is different for all individuals and does not relate to the amount smoked.
Beginners commonly do not get the full nicotine supply expected, due to technique or equipment issues.
The minimum level required by any individual will vary at times. It will probably reduce over time, though for some it may remain relatively high.
Most people show signs of nicotine OD, when overdoing it - but some do not.
It is possible that long term over-consumption will be harmful for at least some individuals.
It is probably good for long-term health to see if the nicotine level can be reduced to an acceptable minimum.
It is possible that a stronger nicotine level may be needed at a certain time of the day. For some this might be first thing in the morning; for others it might be after a certain meal such as lunch or dinner.
It is probable that a weaker nicotine level can be used late in the evening.
There is no one set of 'rules' that will apply to everyone. The key is experimentation, and advice from a mentor if it can be obtained.
_

Reactions: Like 9 | Agree 2 | Winner 9 | Informative 1


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## Smokyg

Fantastic post @Matthee !  Thankfully i kicked the stinkies butt after i took my first vape, then and there! Ill reserve this post for someone else that is struggling and refer them!

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Tom

vote for sticky!

Reactions: Agree 4


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## devdev

Definite vote for Sticky!



> _symptoms such as inability to concentrate, irritability, memory issues, cognitive function issues_



Sounds like my average Monday morning pretty much.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## Silver

Excellent posts @Matthee. Superb introductory material for those new to vaping and even great refresher material for more experienced vapers.

I would like to add something to the advice list that I have found from my own experiences.

*Make sure you have enough juice that you like and enough spare battery power ready to go.*
- Its a good idea to keep 1 or 2 spare bottles of juice that you like vaping in reserve. There are times when one can run low on juice and it may take some time to get more. You dont want that to happen.
- Second, it helps to always have a spare battery charged up and ready to go. This means that if you have 1 vaping device, try get 2 batteries. Or for 2 devices, try for 3 batteries. 

Once you've made the switch to vaping, you don't want to go back to smoking because of these fairly easily avoidable issues.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 6 | Winner 1


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## Stroodlepuff

awesome post @Matthee


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## annemarievdh

What is 'doubler liquid' ?


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## Andre

annemarievdh said:


> What is 'doubler liquid' ?


It is like 0 mg juice in the same flavour as e.g. your 24 mg juice. Add, for example, 30 ml of that 0 mg to 30 ml of that 24 mg and you get 60 ml of 12 mg of that juice without a loss of flavour.

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


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## annemarievdh

@Matthee 

Thank you!!! That's what I've been doing all a long and didn't even know it

Reactions: Like 1


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## vaalboy

Excellent post. Shared the link on FB too. Hope it will create a whole whack of converts!


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## Reonat

Thank you @Matthee this is very useful

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## Reonat

Using an e-cig is different to smoking a tobacco cig. Newbies have such bad technique they may only get a fraction of the nicotine that an experienced vaper would get from basically the same set-up.
@Matthee - any advice on technique??


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## ShaneW

Mornat said:


> Using an e-cig is different to smoking a tobacco cig. Newbies have such bad technique they may only get a fraction of the nicotine that an experienced vaper would get from basically the same set-up.
> @Matthee - any advice on technique??



For me I found with smoking I would suck with my mouth and then only inhale a small amount of smoke. 

Since one of the ideas of vaping is to save money(who we kidding. Lol), the more nicotine you can get per inhale the better so... I now try take a very deep lung inhale after every mouth intake and hold for a second before exhaling.

I can actually feel the increased nic intake. This reduces the amount of inhales I need to be satisfied. It also helps with stealth vaping as you get less evidence on the exhale. 

Not sure if that's what @Matthee meant but it works for me. 

Obviously it's different when you vaping for pleasure as then it's all about the flavour enjoyment


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## Andre

Mornat said:


> Using an e-cig is different to smoking a tobacco cig. Newbies have such bad technique they may only get a fraction of the nicotine that an experienced vaper would get from basically the same set-up.
> @Matthee - any advice on technique??


Basically vaping requires a loong, soft draw on most devices. Don't force it.

Reactions: Agree 3 | Thanks 1


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## Reonat

OK... am experimenting and so far think I may be adding a few more terms to the vaping dictionery - apologies if starting to sound a bit X-rated.... 
@ShaneW - have tried your "mouth intake and breath hold" method and also tried to just suck the vapour straight into my lungs. Your method definitely helps with intake of nicotine whilst my "deep lung" method gives better immediate hit and satisfaction. Combining the 2 works even better although my poor, abused lungs are struggling to cooperate.

Reactions: Useful 1


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## Andre

ShaneW said:


> For me I found with smoking I would suck with my mouth and then only inhale a small amount of smoke.
> 
> Since one of the ideas of vaping is to save money(who we kidding. Lol), the more nicotine you can get per inhale the better so... I now try take a very deep lung inhale after every mouth intake and hold for a second before exhaling.
> 
> I can actually feel the increased nic intake. This reduces the amount of inhales I need to be satisfied. It also helps with stealth vaping as you get less evidence on the exhale.
> 
> Not sure if that's what @Matthee meant but it works for me.
> 
> Obviously it's different when you vaping for pleasure as then it's all about the flavour enjoyment


I don't do lung inhales, but go for mouth to lung. However, many vapers like direct to the lungs inhales. Nothing wrong with it if it works for you.


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## Andre

Mornat said:


> OK... am experimenting and so far think I may be adding a few more terms to the vaping dictionery - apologies if starting to sound a bit X-rated....
> @ShaneW - have tried your "mouth intake and breath hold" method and also tried to just suck the vapour straight into my lungs. Your method definitely helps with intake of nicotine whilst my "deep lung" method gives better immediate hit and satisfaction. Combining the 2 works even better although my poor, abused lungs are struggling to cooperate.


If you still get no satisfaction, consider upping the nic content of you juice.


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## ShaneW

A combination of upping the nic to 24mg and getting a decent mod is what got me to kill the stinkies for good. 

Once I got over the initial hump, I reduced the nic to 18mg and been there since

Good luck, ask away, we're here to help! ... in the words of Rip... smoking is Dead, vaping is the future and the future is now

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## Reonat

Matthee said:


> If you still get no satisfaction, consider upping the nic content of you juice.


Actually am finding your looong, slow method (but straight into the lungs) works for me although this is with my 18mg juice diluted with 50% nicotene free. Upping the nicotene could hurt!!
Seems to improve the flavour for me as may be going through the taste-bud strike phase you mention.

I feel a bit silly for asking but am on day 5 without cigarettes and today my ecig was just bleh!


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## ShaneW

Mornat said:


> Actually am finding your looong, slow method (but straight into the lungs) works for me although this is with my 18mg juice diluted with 50% nicotene free. Upping the nicotene could hurt!!
> Seems to improve the flavour for me as may be going through the taste-bud strike phase you mention.
> 
> I feel a bit silly for asking but am on day 5 without cigarettes and today my ecig was just bleh!



By bleh do you mean taste is not so good? 

What vape device and juice you using? I found when I had a cheapy that my coil got clogged after day 3 coz I was vaping a strong dark VG juice and it tasted burnt.

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## Reonat

ShaneW said:


> A combination of upping the nic to 24mg and getting a decent mod is what got me to kill the stinkies for good.
> 
> Once I got over the initial hump, I reduced the nic to 18mg and been there since
> 
> Good luck, ask away, we're here to help! ... in the words of Rip... smoking is Dead, vaping is the future and the future is now


100% - I am sooo determined this time around and have totally surprised myself by getting to day 5. Initially my husband was the problem child and struggling with Twisp but now I am sorely tempted to step up my gear too. Decisions, decisions...


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## Reonat

ShaneW said:


> By bleh do you mean taste is not so good?
> 
> What vape device and juice you using? I found when I had a cheapy that my coil got clogged after day 3 coz I was vaping a strong dark VG juice and it tasted burnt.


Am using a Twisp Clearo with Twisp Rebel juice and there is no flavour and I get a peppery taste in my mouth. How would I know if my coil is clogged?


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## Andre

Mornat said:


> Actually am finding your looong, slow method (but straight into the lungs) works for me although this is with my 18mg juice diluted with 50% nicotene free. Upping the nicotene could hurt!!
> Seems to improve the flavour for me as may be going through the taste-bud strike phase you mention.
> 
> I feel a bit silly for asking but am on day 5 without cigarettes and today my ecig was just bleh!


So that is 9 mg effectively. Maybe not strong enough to start on, especially during the day. In the evenings for many people much lower nic works. Maybe try the 18 mg undiluted in the mornings and early afternoon with slow hits, but start with mouth to lung - If I remember correctly, for vaping, most nicotine actually get absorbed in the mouth throat area and not in the lungs. My gut feel is your your 9 mg is just too low, irrespective of the device. Remember you can always lower your nic later again. With vaping you only get a fraction of nicotine compared to cigarettes. And yes, I think all of us have bleh vaping days, but they get easier the longer you vape. Also listen to what @ShaneW suggests.

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## ShaneW

Mornat said:


> 100% - I am sooo determined this time around and have totally surprised myself by getting to day 5. Initially my husband was the problem child and struggling with Twisp but now I am sorely tempted to step up my gear too. Decisions, decisions...



Most important is you need to find what is gonna work for you. 

If you find you still craving, up the nic, get a better device and vape your face off to get over the hump. 

If it's the flavour then try some new flavours. 

Once you over the cravings you can start really enjoying the vape experience and experiment. 

You should then have an extra R1000 a month to experiment

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## ShaneW

I don't have any experience with the twisp so not sure about the coils. Do you by any chance have another clearo you could try?

Peppery sounds to me like the wick inside the coil might of burnt. Happens to me all the time with my protank. I just remove it, soak in vodka and dry burn it. Obviously this isn't an easy option if you only have 1 clearo. Luckily with the kanger tanks, a spare coil is only R30 so I have plenty. 

I know it is a different story with Twisp though


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## ShaneW

Another thing is try and rinse your clearo before topping up (just use warm water). 

What I noticed is that the juice gets darker and darker if you don't rinse...Seems as though the flavour doesn't burn as easily as the other Stuff (Vg, PG and nic) and the concentrated flavour is what would cause the wick to clog.

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## BhavZ

ShaneW said:


> Another thing is try and rinse your clearo before topping up (just use warm water).
> 
> What I noticed is that the juice gets darker and darker if you don't rinse...Seems as though the flavour doesn't burn as easily as the other Stuff (Vg, PG and nic) and the concentrated flavour is what would cause the wick to clog.



I have noticed the same thing, sometimes when I vape a certain juice as my ADV over a few days I tend not to rinse the tank out and I that certainly has a negative effect. At first I thought it was my tastebuds getting used to the flavour, so tried vaping 3 different flavours throughout the day, sniffing on coffee beans (to clean the pallet) and chugging down water to wash out the tastebuds and nothing improved on that particular flavour. Cleaned out the tank, topped it up and boom back to the sweet spot.

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## Silver

Mornat said:


> Am using a Twisp Clearo with Twisp Rebel juice and there is no flavour and I get a peppery taste in my mouth. How would I know if my coil is clogged?



Hi @Mornat, firstly, well done for stopping stinkies for 5 days if i understand correctly! That is a great achievement. 

I started on Twisp too and still have them. They got me off smoking, so i have a soft spot for my Twisp devices 

My suggestions to you are as follows:
- try get a replacement Twisp coil and put it in
- as @Matthee suggested, stick to the full strength juices for now. Until you are safely off smoking i would not suggest lowering the nicotine content or trying to dilute their liquids with their nicotine free homeopathic range. 
- rebel is a great flavour, one of my favourite Twisp flavours. I also like their Polar Mint. 

Twisp got me off stinkies in about a week and i used my Twisp devices for at least a month and a half thereafter. 

Wishing you all the best

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## Reonat

ShaneW said:


> I don't have any experience with the twisp so not sure about the coils. Do you by any chance have another clearo you could try?
> 
> Peppery sounds to me like the wick inside the coil might of burnt. Happens to me all the time with my protank. I just remove it, soak in vodka and dry burn it. Obviously this isn't an easy option if you only have 1 clearo. Luckily with the kanger tanks, a spare coil is only R30 so I have plenty.
> 
> I know it is a different story with Twisp though


Ok... will give that a go. I have spare coils but will try cleaning it out first. By dry burn do you mean press the button without any liquid in the tank? If so, how long do I do that for?


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## Reonat

Silver1 said:


> Hi @Mornat, firstly, well done for stopping stinkies for 5 days if i understand correctly! That is a great achievement.
> 
> I started on Twisp too and still have them. They got me off smoking, so i have a soft spot for my Twisp devices
> 
> My suggestions to you are as follows:
> - try get a replacement Twisp coil and put it in
> - as @Matthee suggested, stick to the full strength juices for now. Until you are safely off smoking i would not suggest lowering the nicotine content or trying to dilute their liquids with their nicotine free homeopathic range.
> - rebel is a great flavour, one of my favourite Twisp flavours. I also like their Polar Mint.
> 
> Twisp got me off stinkies in about a week and i used my Twisp devices for at least a month and a half thereafter.
> 
> Wishing you all the best


Thanks for your word of encouragement @Silver1

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## ShaneW

Mornat said:


> Ok... will give that a go. I have spare coils but will try cleaning it out first. By dry burn do you mean press the button without any liquid in the tank? If so, how long do I do that for?


That's it, just for about a second or 2. It should hopefully off all the gunk on the coil. Not too long or you might burn the wick

Give it bash and let us know how it goes. The vodka also helps alot to loosen the gunk

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## Silver

If the coil is older than 2 weeks it can easily lose flavour and intensity
Depends how much you vape on it and if its your sole device
If it's your sole device and you do 2 or more tankfuls a day, then it can even start getting noticeably worse after a week or even sooner.

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## Darth_V@PER

Hi All, I'm from the south of Johannesburg and have started my " Off the $TINKIE" journey. I currently use and despise the Twisp.
I have been on it for about a month now, I find it super irritating to have to clean it more then I use it. Flavor Rebel/toasted tobacco. I'm eagerly awaiting my first MOD " Itaste VTR . Would really like to get involved in the Vape community. Everyone on this forum is very kind and, always helpful. 
I'm a tech nerd and vaping is my new life.
HELLO EVERYONE

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## johan

Very warm welcome @Darth_V@POR - we seriously are in short supply with techies on this forum.

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## Darth_V@PER

Thank you so much for the welcome... Can't wait to get involved with all the nerdy stuff


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## johan

Quite a few threads from vape related software programming for Android to coil building if you go through the forum - enjoy and hope you will tune in from time to time.

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## Andre

Darth_V@POR said:


> Hi All, I'm from the south of Johannesburg and have started my " Off the $TINKIE" journey. I currently use and despise the Twisp.
> I have been on it for about a month now, I find it super irritating to have to clean it more then I use it. Flavor Rebel/toasted tobacco. I'm eagerly awaiting my first MOD " Itaste VTR . Would really like to get involved in the Vape community. Everyone on this forum is very kind and, always helpful.
> I'm a tech nerd and vaping is my new life.
> HELLO EVERYONE


Most welcome. Hope you got a good tank and some juices with the VTR? Feel free to browse around and shoot if you have questions. Happy vaping.

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## Darth_V@PER

Hi Matthee, It's coming with the I Clear 30 tank. I saw a review from rip tippers on youtube and it got a good rating and seems to not leak. I'm going all out with the juices.
I'm beside myself with all the options available other than Twisp flavors.

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## Andre

Darth_V@POR said:


> Hi Matthee, It's coming with the I Clear 30 tank. I saw a review from rip tippers on youtube and it got a good rating and seems to not leak. I'm going all out with the juices.
> I'm beside myself with all the options available other than Twisp flavors.


The iClears are not highly rated in this forum, but give us your impressions once used for some time. @Rob Fisher will certainly tell you to get an Aspire Nautilus, but unfortunately it does not fit into the VTR. Personally I am a fan of the Kangertech Aerotank, which should fit. Yes, the juices. Many recommend Vapour Mountain juices - check them out at www.vapourmountain.co.za and reviews here and here. Happy vaping.

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## Darth_V@PER

Will make sure to give my views on the tank. I will also give the aerotank and try out some drip tips
Thank you for all of the information really appreciate it

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## Silver

Welcome @Darth_V@POR 
Congrats on your conversion to Vaping.

I also started on Twisp. It got me off the stinkies  You can read my review of the Twisp here. 

I love your tag line below your avatar : "in search of the perfect MOD setup". Sums it up for most of us!

Fasten your seatbelt and enjoy the ride

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## Alex

Welcome @Darth_V@POR, cool username. Personally I wouldn't get any of the iClears, you can get a much better vape from a bunch of other things the guys on here will recommend. I will of course mention the Kayfun rebuildable atty as the one to get for your VTR. I have 2 KFL's and they really do it for me.

There are a ton of youtube vids on how to build the coils to your own preference, but most of all.. it's just so rewarding to vape on something that you created.

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## Alex

Thank you for this amazing post @Matthee. two thumbs up here


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## Darth_V@PER

Alex said:


> Welcome @Darth_V@POR, cool username. Personally I wouldn't get any of the iClears, you can get a much better vape from a bunch of other things the guys on here will recommend. I will of course mention the Kayfun rebuildable atty as the one to get for your VTR. I have 2 KFL's and they really do it for me.
> 
> There are a ton of youtube vids on how to build the coils to your own preference, but most of all.. it's just so rewarding to vape on something that you created.



Thats fantastic feedback thank you @Alex. I have been looking at the RBA's and saw the "3D Atomizer Clone by HCigar" which seems to be a good in-between-er? Please tell me what KFL stands for and if they are only drippers..??? Sorry my head is spinning


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## BhavZ

Darth_V@POR said:


> Thats fantastic feedback thank you @Alex. I have been looking at the RBA's and saw the "3D Atomizer Clone by HCigar" which seems to be a good in-between-er? Please tell me what KFL stands for and if they are only drippers..??? Sorry my head is spinning


If I am not mistaken KFL stands for *K*ay*F*un *L*ite. The KFL is an RTA (Rebuildable Tank Atomiser).

An RTA is a tank style atomiser (holds a certain amount of juice) and is designed to have custom coils built in it, one cannot but factory made coils like your commercial tanks such as the protank range etc.

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## Alex

Darth_V@POR said:


> Thats fantastic feedback thank you @Alex. I have been looking at the RBA's and saw the "3D Atomizer Clone by HCigar" which seems to be a good in-between-er? Please tell me what KFL stands for and if they are only drippers..??? Sorry my head is spinning



Only a pleasure bro.

Here's a pretty good vid for you

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## Vicki

Andre said:


> *Part 1*
> New e-cigarette users who are attempting to convert to an e-cig from smoking have dozens of questions. One of the most common is, "What nicotine strength do I need?". A variant on this is, "I smoked one and a half packs a day of lights, what nicotine liquid strength should I use?"
> 
> Unfortunately, it doesn't work like this. It is not advisable to try to compare cigarette nicotine levels with e-cigarette liquid nicotine levels because there are too many variables, both in the relative absorption levels for smoke and vapor, and those introduced by the user. Even if a situation could be arranged where exactly the same amount of nicotine is available in both the cigarette smoke and the e-cig vapor (which would not work anyway, as it needs to be higher in the vapor since it is absorbed less well), the end result will be different, for each user.
> 
> For example, a person who smoked less than half a pack a day may need 36mg liquid to avoid cravings (and show absolutely no signs of nicotine OD while using it); a person who was on 2 PAD may be happy with 18mg. There is no comparison possible because the end result required is satisfaction / lack of cravings in an individual - and individuals vary so much in their tolerance to / requirement for a given substance that there is no 'scale' that can be devised.
> 
> There are some useful things to keep in mind here, though:
> 
> 
> Using an e-cig is different to smoking a tobacco cig. Newbies have such bad technique they may only get a fraction of the nicotine that an experienced vaper would get from basically the same set-up.
> It is difficult to make your e-liquid stronger, but very easy to make it weaker.
> 
> Because of this it is a good idea to get some high-strength liquid with your first order. If, while using the strength commonly supplied with Starter Kits, after several days you still experience strong cravings, you can try the higher mg liquid. On the other hand, if your main liquid is too strong, you can add VG (available at any pharmacy) to it, to reduce the strength to whatever is required. Another way to do this is to use 'zero-nic doubler liquid' from your vendor - this is flavored base liquid with no nicotine that is specifically made for reducing the strength with.
> 
> If you have some 24mg strength liquid, and add an equal amount of VG or doubler liquid to it, you then have 12mg strength liquid, double the original quantity. Adding VG will reduce the strength of the flavor, however. Adding 'doubler liquid' decreases the nicotine strength but maintains the flavor level.
> 
> 
> *Transition policy*
> During your first week with an e-cigarette you will most likely experience some cravings for a cigarette. One reason for this is because tobacco contains more than nicotine, there are several substances we call WTAs or whole tobacco alkaloids, in lower quantity than nicotine, that some people (but not all) will miss. These include nornicotine, anabasine, anatabine and myosmine. Nicotine is not the only active alkaloid in tobacco, although it is present in much higher quantities than the others.
> 
> Many people actually get over this stage fairly quickly, though some don't. The best advice is very simple indeed: don't worry. If you still need to smoke, then do so. Ideally you will cut down - and cut down drastically. If you can't, then here are some ways to improve your e-cigarette's effect.
> 
> 
> Use higher-strength e-liquid. Uness you have tried 36mg strength then you have not explored the most likely cause of continued cravings. Some have a very high tolerance to nicotine and this is notrelated to how much they smoked.
> Vape more. Do not restrict yourself to use of the e-cigarette only when you would have smoked, it's OK to use it more often, and for longer. Some vape twice as much as they smoked, in the initial stages especially.
> If progress seems slow, then you may need more power. Basic e-cigarette models deliver about 4 watts of power or less, and you may need 6, 8 or even as much as 10 watts or more in order to 'get over the hump'. The quickest/cheapest way to increase power is to change to LR (low resistance) atomizers or cartomizers - these will get you up to 6 or 7 watts, although they cannot be used on a mini ecig (they should be used on a mid-size model or APV, an advanced personal vaporizer aka a 'mod').
> You can get a mid-size ecig in order to use one of these LR heads (end fittings), or get a cheap APVsuch as a 5 volt boxmod for use with your regular fittings (not the LR ones). Finally, the most costly - but possibly the best long-term solution - is to get a VV (variable voltage) APV that can be set to exactly the right voltage you need at the time. All these models are larger than a mini, but work better.
> If your smoking is gradually reducing, you are winning. If you still have strong cravings after 3 weeks, and have tried 36mg liquid from at least two different vendors (there is always a possibility that one supplier's products may not be the full strength as marked), and have also tried higher power with no improvements - and if you want to get through this bit as quickly as possible - then your best course of action is to add Snus to your regime.
> 
> Swedish Snus is a specially processed oral tobacco that comes in micro pouches. Most of the carcinogens have been removed by the special processing, and the remaining amounts are low enough to have no significant risk. A Snus user has the same risk of mouth cancer as a non-smoker, so there is not too much need to worry about this. You can use Snus whenever you feel the craving for a cigarette - it has the full range of WTAs that an e-cigarette cannot provide*. It is spitless and not related to the old chewing tobacco - the micro pouch is placed between the upper lip and the gum, and use is invisible.
> 
> For those who need these extra WTAs, an e-cigarette plus Snus approach has been found highly effective.
> 
> * Recently, a small number of vendors have introduced e-liquids containing WTAs. These are not easy to find at present, but in theory will do the same job as Snus.
> 
> 
> *Timescale*
> There is no timescale for switching exclusively to an e-cigarette. Some manage it on Day 1, some take a year to finally quit the coffin nails. Does it matter? Probably not.
> 
> To accelerate the process, you'll need to follow the tips above carefully - but it should not be a cause for worry, as there is no need. As long as your smoking is gradually reducing, things are moving along in the right direction.


 
What a wonderful, well explained post.
Thank you!

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## Braam Karsten

Hi I have been vaping for 2 year now and only joind the form today, vaping is the best thing that ever happened to me

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## Chanelr

Braam Karsten said:


> Hi I have been vaping for 2 year now and only joind the form today, vaping is the best thing that ever happened to me


Welcome to the forum!

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