Vaping is not just a fad, it is real and could really help everyone quit smoking.
Here are 10 beginner tips to make you stop smoking and start vaping.
*I have only started vaping for around a year so I have not fully quit smoking cigarettes but I am at a point where I would be lighting up a cigarette very rarely, at least one to two sticks per week. Also, the tips below are my personally opinion, feel free to comment below any advise you might have for start-out vapers.
1. Ask questions
If you have a friend that is already into vaping, then ask him how it worked for him. They would usually tell you great stories about how it helped them stopped puffing those cancer sticks; how they now hate the smell and taste of cigarettes when they puff and try once in a while; but what they will not tell you is how they started and how real the struggle was. So do also ask them about the step by step process they had to endure before deciding to quit all together.
If you have a spare time conversing, don’t forget to ask them if you could try their vape mods and taste their e-juices. If they have spare mods, ask them if you could borrow it for a week or two to try it out. Most vapers would support you and would let you borrow their personal vaping kits. Borrow some e-juice as well, you can’t really vaping anything so ask them for a spare. They would usually have 3 to 4 bottles of e-juice lying around that they don’t really like to use.
2. Do your research
There are a lot of cost that entails if you want to go cigarette free. You might want to bank around 5,000Php to a whopping 15,000Php for you to jumpstart vaping. I started out with 9,000Php for a tube mod (EVO-TRES with OMERTA DRIP Atomizer) with an okay atomizer. This was because I did not do my research to start with: I could’ve started with a 5,000Php decent mod and later on progress to a more sophisticated build. So make sure you ask around, now a days tank atomizers are really what you want, it has a tank where you could store your juice to avoid a tedious process of dripping your e-juice every time on your atomizer. It would also help if you visit shops, and look at what other vaping veterans are using to have an idea on what your first mod would be like.
You may check out the following links to know more:
3. Find the nearest vape shop, and ask more questions
Check out social media for the best or nearest shop around your area, it is also better if you know some friends and ask them where did they bought their vape, then if they could accompany you there (for safety reasons) not to get dupped by overpricing vape shops. Once you have picked your shop, go there, and asked about vaping. Tell the shop owner that it is your first time, and hopefully, that guy would be honest enough to hook you up with an easy and affordable first mod. For coiling and wicking or advise on how to manage your mod you might need to go back several times to get a hang of it. I personally still can’t coil properly so I still go back to my vape shop to have them change the coil.
4. Look for new technology
The vaping industry is getting a little more competitive every single day. That is why mod builders and makers are putting in a lot of effort to make your vaping experience unique and enjoyable that you won’t be going back to a pack a day of Marlboros any time in your lifetime. Try to find the sleekest and most ergonomic tubes or boxes, you may want to ask vape shops for original mods as clones are getting more popular. Make sure you fully understand the electronics on how vaping works before you start. Just read up on stuff like Ohm, current, how heat transfer and battery works; its not gonna be that hard.
Now there are some perks if you wish to pursue the full mechanical route. There are alot of Philippine made full mech box and tube mods; you might find a good deal searching facebook, buy and sell sites are pretty good as well, as 2nd hand vapes are being sold; some really are a steal. There are also a lot of great Philippine made atomizers so make sure you check those out before looking for expensive imported mods. For variable voltage and tank atomizers, go check out the Kanger brand; I heard good things about the Kanger Subox starter kit, or the IPVs. Your local Vape shop should know more of these.
You may find RiPTrippers as a good source of information on vaping mods and e-liquids.
5. Find your e-Juice
Test, test and test. Hopefully, your local vape shop has a lot of choices. In my case, I classify e-juices into three types: Tobacco, Pastry and Fruity. Tobacco are the normal choice for quitters, not necessarily the best choice, Tobacco is the least of my favorite juice of all time. I started out on a tobacco flavored e-juice it did not work just because I did not like the taste. So it is better to know what you prefer, your local vaper should be able to assist you. I find the a fruity flavor with a hint of mint should be the best juice for starters. You may want to move into patries every now and then to mix it around. The important thing is you like the flavor of what you vape. There is no point in vaping if you don’t like the flavor of vaping.
It is also important to know your level of nicotine. Some new to vaping, switching from cigarettes will normally be looking at 12mg of nicotine; this should give you a similar experience to the actual throat hit of smoking. A few weeks after, you might want to tone it down to 9mg to 6mg if you can. You should find the sweet spot of nicotine level where there is enough throat hit to fulfill your cravings.
It is also important to know the content of your e-juice. E-juices typically contains Propylene Glycol (PG) and Vegetable Glycerine (VG), the flavoring and nicotine. Propylene Glycol carries the taste, but a rare case would be you are allergic to this stuff, so go with a max VG e-juice which will produce more vapor. My normal vape e-juice is formulated with 30%PG 70%VG, with 6mg of nicotine.
Lastly, check out local juices, but do not forget the imported stuff available in your local vape shop. Local juices are delicious, but it depends on your taste. Imported juices are very smooth; so if you have cash to burn I would suggest to find the right imported juice. You might be surprised that normal imported e-juices is priced around three times compared to a local e-liquid but The Vape Joint actually sells some for only double. The price for imported e-juiced goes for 500 to 1,500Php. Local stuff will only set you back for around 150Php to 250Php max.
6. Make sure you have your tools
The most important thing is your tools, especially when you are dealing with rebuild-able mods. Some basic tools you’ll be needing are listed below:
- An Ohm meter is one of the few tools left out when vaping. The Ohm meter is a great tool for coiling especially for you mechanical mod wherein this doubles as a building deck. The Ohm meter is also a great tool to make sure you get the best vaping experience. Check out forums on how to properly use an Ohm meter.
- A screwdriver set is something you might already have lying around the house. You might want to check the house toolbox for a 2.0, 2.4, and 3.0mm Philips and regular screwdrivers, the Philips screwdriver will be mainly use to adjust your atomizer poles, while regular one will be used for various usages, including coiling, battery contact adjustment, cotton planting and maybe realigning of copper contacts from your firing button.
- Tweezers should be readily available in your household. A great tool for wicking and coiling, tweezers will be your assistant in adjusting coil spacing, while when wicking it is a great tool in removing and inserting cotton into your coil.
- Wire or nail clippers. Another household item, clippers will be your wire cutter. Since you will be working with thin wires, a nail clipper would suffice.
- Other items you will need in keeping and maintaining your mod will be cotton as wick, scissors for cutting your cotton, and patience. Lots of patience.
7. Battery charger and extra batteries!
Your battery is the life of you vaping experience. Once you run out of e-juice, you could buy one for 200Php, but batteries cost around 850 to 900Php a pair, so you better have a back up everytime you go out. I personally have four batteries. Some mods has a micro USB charging capability just like a mobile phone, but some has 18650 batteries that needs a seperate charger set, so make sure to buy one and keep your batteries on a good charging cycle. A good charger would be priced around 450 to 950Php, depending on the features.
8. Join vaping groups
Join vaping groups in facebook. This will help you a lot, most pro-vapers will assist you step by step if you have any concerns with vaping. Resellers and distributors will also be on the groups so you will be updated with the latest trends, e-juice choices, mod and atomizer selections, and vape shops.
Check out this facebook pages to help you around:
9. Drink lots of water
I could not stress this enough, vaping dries out the throat. Getting lubricated and hydrated is the key. Make sure to always have water beside you at all times when vaping, if you don’t you might experience severe dryness of your throat that might lead to a flu. So better get those water levels up.
10. Throw your lighter, never buy a single cigarette!