Vaping in 2020 – A Guide for New Vapers (PART 2)

Big thanks to our friends over at TGValueVape for sponsoring this article. You can use coupon code “vapedeals5” to get an extra 5% off your next order.

Note: I am not making any medical claims.  The following information is based solely on my personal experience.  I smoked cigarettes, often two packs a day, for most of my adult life.  Thanks to vaping, I was finally able to end my deadly relationship with cigarettes.  Jeremy did an outstanding job in PART 1, providing some insight for smokers who are curious about how vaping can help them kick the habit.  Hopefully, here in PART 2, I can continue his important work.

Vaping in 2020 – A Guide for New Vapers

The world of vaping is evolving at an alarming rate.  When I was first introduced to vaping, Blu e-cigarettes had just hit the market.  I bought one out of curiosity, because after all, how could someone as relevant as Stephen Dorff not have the inside track on the end of cigarettes?  Now to be clear, my goal wasn’t to quit smoking at the time, only to quit smoking indoors.  I had finally grown tired of everything I owned smelling of smoke and ash.  I also felt guilty about smoking around my dog.  It was bad enough that I moved my beloved husky Phoebe from the arctic winters of Nebraska to the perpetual Augusts of Florida.  She quickly became a fan of Oprah and air-conditioning and I didn’t want her breathing the toxicity I was pumping into her living space.

If you have yet to try a Blu e-cigarette, please don’t.  It’s a wonder I am vaping today.  The taste reminded me of something brewed in a basement laboratory or inhaled from an overheated car.  I won’t be falling for your shenanigans again, Mr. Dorff.  So, after many failed attempts by myself and vaping companies, I have succeeded in becoming a nonsmoker and an avid vaper.  Along the way, I learned a lot.  Thank you Jeremy for allowing me to add to your article.  And those of you curious about vaping, maybe you can learn from some of my mistakes.

PG vs VG

E-liquid is made from 4 main components: flavoring, nicotine, PG, and VG.  What are PG and VG?  It’s something I wish I knew a lot earlier in my vaping journey.  PG stands for Propylene Glycol.  It provides the throat-hit many smokers (and vapers) are looking for.  It feels like smoking a cigarette, but it won’t leave you rasping like your Aunt Helen telling you to “top her off.”  PG is also the primary mixing agent for the flavors.  It’s thinner than VG and mixes easily with the liquid flavors used to make your ejuice.

VG stands for Vegetable Glycerin.  It’s a lot thicker than PG and has a sweeter taste.  The addition of VG in your ejuice provides the added vapor (clouds, if you will).  Both Vegetable Glycerin and Propylene Glycol are common ingredients in many other foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals that we use today.

[How PG and VG Affect the Experience]

Now, why do I wish I knew about VG/PG sooner?  It wasn’t long after I started vaping that I saw people blowing these massive clouds of vapor.  I thought to myself, “Why am I not blowing massive clouds?  I wanna blow massive clouds, bro.”  So, I went online and ordered everything these guys said I needed: a mod, batteries, and an atomizer.  I put them together, wicked it up, and squeezed my favorite juice on the coils.  I took one pull off the mod and not only did I think I was going to cough my lungs out of my nostrils, but I also didn’t have the clouds, BRO!!

The problem was my juice’s VG/PG ratio.  The ejuice I was vaping was not meant for clouds.  It was a 50/50 ratio meant for mouth-to-lung vaping (flavor, throat-hit, and just a little bit of vapor).  So, from then on, I made sure to use at least a 70/30 VG to PG ratio for direct lung vaping.

So, just to be clear, if you’re interested in a mouth-to-lung vaping experience and the sensation of a cigarette, you’ll want to use eliquids with a bit higher PG (I enjoy a 50/50 ratio).  This isn’t to say you cannot mouth-to-lung using a juice with a higher VG content, but I don’t find it as satisfying.  When I am direct lung vaping, I look for a juice with a heavier VG content.

Types of Vape Devices

It’s ridiculous and overwhelming the variety for vapers these days.  Much like your grandpa telling you he had to do arithmetic on an abacus, an old vaper will tell you all he had was a mechanical mod and burn scars.  We both know it was never that bad for either.  The amount of progress between the abacus and the calculator is nothing compared to early vape devices and what we have today.  I’m going to attempt to make this quick and painless (for both of us).

[Disposables]

Let’s start with disposables.  It’s an all-contained device with an internal battery, ejuice, and a coil.  When you’ve vaped it till it’s dust, you throw it away.  Most disposables are geared toward mouth-to-lung vaping.  I know a lot of people that use these for their convenience.  The vaping experience may not be top of the line, but everything is a compromise.  If convenience tops the list of importance for you, these might be a good option.

[Pod Systems]

Ok, how are pods different?  I’m kind of glad you asked.  Pods are very similar to disposables.  The major difference is you keep the battery body and only have to replace the pre-filled pod.  The battery is rechargeable and you can buy packs of replacement pods to keep on vaping.  Since the battery is internal, it can only be recharged so many times until it gives up the ghost (like any rechargeable battery).  Still, they are convenient, but the flavor options are limited and they still create waste.  Pod users, please make sure your empty pods find a trash can.

[AIO Kits]

AIO’s are up next.  AIO stands for All-In-One.  These have a battery body with either an internal or external battery.  They too have pods, but the coil inside the pod is replaceable (or even rebuild-able).  AIO’s have become so advanced that you can do as much with them as you can a regulated mod.  You can adjust the wattage and temperature, and they even have some safety features like time limits and overheat protection.  They often have full displays with resistance readings, puff counters, and voltage.

The big advantage is, if you get one with an external battery, everything is replaceable.  Though, if you get one with an internal battery, like a pod, it has a limited amount of charges in it.  AIO’s are simple enough for the new vaper, but they have enough features to keep a grouchy old vaper busy.  AIO’s are also offered in mouth-to-lung and direct lung setups.  They have become extremely popular for obvious reasons.

[Regulated Mods]

Real quick here I want to touch on regulated mods and mechanical mods.  Regulated mods allow you to adjust the power (in wattage and/or volts).  Like I covered in AIO’s, they have safety features to keep you from hurting yourself or starting a fire.  You can easily match the needed power to the resistance of the coil.  Regulated mods accommodate cloud chasers and mouth-to-lung users alike.  They maintain consistent power throughout the life of the batteries.  I’m a daily regulated mod vaper.  I believe even the novice vaper, maybe with a little help from YouTube, can safely vape a regulated mod.

[Mechanical Mods]

“Yeah, but I’m new to vaping and I wanna start with a mechanical mod,” you say.  Well, don’t.  Do you remember the headlines about exploding vapes?  We can thank uneducated vapers and mechanical mods for that.  Mechanical mods offer no safety and no power adjustments.  It’s a big battery crammed inside a metal tube with an atomizer screwed on top.  The word “mod” came from the days when guys would modify things like flashlights into vape devices.

Listen, a whole group of pioneers paved the way so you’ll never have to vape a mechanical mod.  Every once in awhile, I get a wild hair to pull a mechanical mod off the shelf.  After spending an hour making sure I’ve done everything safely, I think to myself, “Well this sucks. It ain’t even that good or worth it.”  Since mech mods have no power regulation, they get weaker with every hit until they’re dead.  A regulated mod satisfies throughout the battery life.  If you’re interested in vaping with a mechanical mod, make yourself super familiar with Ohm’s Law and battery safety (more info below).  If you hurt yourself, take it like a champ and be responsible for it.  Don’t blame vaping.  Vaping has its own battles.

Battery Safety Warning

While we are talking about mods, I should mention battery safety.  Please, when using an external battery, make sure there are no dents or dings.  If the wrapping is torn, you must rewrap the battery.  Always keep your batteries safely in a case when they’re not in use.  Finally, “marry” batteries that you will be using in a device that calls for two or more batteries.  This means drain them together and recharge them together.

Rebuildables (RDA, RTA, RDTA)

Since we are on the topic of regulated and mech mods, I should probably touch on rebuildable dripping atomizers, or RDA’s.  These are meant for advanced users and those of us who have turned vaping into somewhat of a hobby.  The user makes their own coils by wrapping either kanthal, nichrome, or stainless steel wire around a jig.  Those coils are then installed into the posts of an atomizer and wicked with cotton.  The ejuice is dripped on the cotton and vaped.  RTA’s and RDTA’s are in this same family; it’s basically the same idea, but in a tank setup (as opposed to dripping).

Rebuildables can be a lot of fun but they require a bit of work and patience.  Expect some trial and error.  I enjoy using RDA’s because they allow me to personalize my vaping experience, save a few bucks not buying replacement coils, and they generally produce large amounts of vapor.

Listen, I know this was a quick run-through for RDA’s, but if you’re brand new to vaping you probably aren’t too concerned about rebuildables, nor should you be quite yet.  Like mechanical mods, rebuildables can have their own risks.  Again, know Ohms Law!  When the time comes and you are interested, you should watch some videos on YouTube to properly build and wick your devices.  If you’re not new to vaping, you’re probably sitting there saying, “Yeah, but what about this, and what about that?!  This writer is an idiot!”  The writer cannot argue that point!

Find Your ADV!!!

ADV means All Day Vape.  It can refer to the perfect flavor that you never tire of, the best device set up to last you all day, or a combination of both.  I can’t express the importance of finding your ADV.  Flavors have come so far from the early days.  If you have a bit of a sweet tooth, there are plenty of amazing desserts, fruit, and candy flavors out there.  If you’re a tobacco lover like me, you might have to dig a little deeper, but they’re out there too.  Most tobacco flavors are mixed with caramel, vanilla, or something sweet to make them palatable.

A true cigarette flavor is harder to find.  Some top of the line companies make ejuices that will shock you with how much they taste like real tobacco.  They cold press real tobacco leaves to make their mixes.  They cost a little more, but still, they’re cheaper than cigarettes or chemotherapy.  Oh, and please don’t believe the guy behind the counter of your local vape shop that says you’ll never quit smoking if you vape tobacco flavors.  That guy probably hasn’t found a tobacco flavor he likes, or he doesn’t have any tobacco juices on his shelves.  I know a couple of local shops where the owner only sells the juices he likes to vape.  It reminds me of a stubborn barber where everyone leaves the barbershop with the same haircut.  Oddly enough, the haircuts look just like the one the barber is sporting.

Most importantly, in regard to ejuice flavors, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.  I have found flavors that resemble foods I would never have eaten…and they are delicious!!  Experiment, trade juices with your friends, whatever you can do to stay interested and curious about vaping.

Final Thoughts

I was a dual user of tobacco and vaping for a few years before I finally made the switch.  I have converted many smokers to vapers in the past few years and there are a few things I tell them.

One, everybody is different.  What I enjoy, you may not.  Find what works for you and don’t stop trying until you’ve found it.  Your ADV setup is out there.  When you find it, you better keep your eye on the industry because your next ADV is coming out soon.

Two, do your own research on the health benefits and safety of these products.  Remember, our country has a ton of money tied up in tobacco, pharmaceuticals, and court settlements.  This can make it seem like the government’s interests have less to do with our health and personal freedoms and more about money and who stands to lose it.  I would like to see more support for a safer and healthier alternative to smoking.  Our neighbors across the pond, Public Health England, have a much different take on vaping.

And finally, if you’re still a smoker, don’t pressure yourself.  Dip your toe in that vape pool.  If you’re sitting there watching TV, puff on a vape.  Maybe your cigarette breaks will become further and further apart.  Maybe one day you’ll look at your vape and decide it tastes a lot better than a cigarette; because it does.

Shane

Shane is a former smoker turned vaper, and now a hobbyist in financial turmoil. His get rich slow scheme involves sharing his opinions, educated or not, on anything vape related.  But first and foremost, his belief is vaping will save your life.  Shane is an outdoor government employee and fully expects the crackdown to begin with him, since he vapes freely and openly, albeit politely, and often uses city property for the backdrop of his vape photos. In his free time, he enjoys stressing about being more productive and regretting every terrible decision he has ever made. He feels switching to vaping is one of the best decisions he’s ever made.