New member saying hello

[anythintreet]

Hey guys, I found this place from the MSE thread last week.  Thought I should stop lurking, register and say hi.  

My story  probably isn't the most original but I'll share anyway:

I'm 27, and I've been smoking for about 11 years.  Only 10-15 a day but that's 10-15 too many. I started as a moronic teenager with a new girlfriend - who smoked.  One day she said she fancied quitting, and I had an idea. For every cigarette she smoked I'd smoke one too - because if she loved me she'd surely stop, right? Ridiculous logic, but it must have made sense at the time, and like I said I was a moron.  She never stopped and I started smoking that day.

I switched to rolling my own a few months ago, and the logic was to save cash.  In university I'd make "prison rollies" with more rizla than tobacco.  I went back to cigs when I found out the newsagents around the corner were selling under-the-counter L&M's (we called them Lambert & Munter) for £4 a 20 deck.  But back then I could make a pouch last a fortnight. these days If I was honest I was probably going through one every three days.

I'm the person out of everyone who shouldn't smoke!  I'm overweight, my dad quit 20 odd years ago but he's got heart disease and on his second bypass. We all know the reasons to quit - and even smokers will tell you how much they hate the cost, the stink, the social exclusion...But what nobody ever says is actually smoking is enjoyable.  It's a ritual, and there's nothing better than a sweet, strong, black coffee and a cigarette in hand.
I've tried quitting a few times but without any joy.  I quit over one summer when I was at uni, but the day I came back my flatmates told me about THAT shop and I was back on them 20 minutes later.  Another time I tried the gum  but that stuffs lethal.  the only benefit is it makes you realise how poisonous smoking can be, as your throat closes up and your mouth burns...so I lit up again.  The last time I quit was for 3 months with a champix prescription....which I never bothered to renew  and then decided to start watching Mad Men - all they do is drink and chainsmoke, and by episode 3  I'd bought my trusty menthol Richmond Superkings (stop laughing) and a bottle of bourbon.

...But then a month ago by partner told me we're going to have a baby. Of course, my first instinct was "I need a cigarette!"

Standing in the back garden with a rollup in hand I had 2 thoughts.  The first was half serious and it was sizing up the garden wall and if I could get over it!  The second was that now I've got the motivation I need to quit.  I don't want to be the dad who can't play with his kid without keeling over.  Even worse I don't want to be the dad who's not there to watch them grow up.  So I finished that pouch of tobacco.  and then I bought another one and that was my last.  Well, the one after that was.  But that one actually was my last.  

I quit on a Tuesday afternoon  and I was motivated to actually do it this time.  Then I went into work on the Wednesday and got my contract terminated! Gutted, angry, panic about having to sign on with a baby on the way all I wanted to do was go buy a 10 pack of richmonds to calm me down.  But I didn't, because I need to quit. Instead I went into Home Bargains and picked up one of those  disposable ecigs they've started selling, and it did the trick. 

That last time I quit on champix I also borrowed a friends E-lites kit and it helped a bit.  The battery lasted about 3 hours and you'd only get a decent vape every 5 tries, but it was the actual hand-to-mouth routine I was getting out of it most - Might of well have chewed on a pen!  The home Bargains ones aren't much better. They're meant to be the equivalent of 40 cigs but after a day or 2 of light use they run out or the battery goes. At £3 each I went through 12 of them before I realised the cost wasn't justified.  So I looked about online until I found myself here.

I was completely overwhelmed by talk of atomizers, cartomisers, clearomisers, wicks, battery MhAs......All I wanted was someone to say what to buy, how much to spend and where to get it.  The only things I did take on board though was to make sure I got a spare battery, and that buying an e-cig because it looks like a real one is a bad idea - my experience with the E-lites backed that up.  

SoI found an e-cig shop in liverpool, bit the bullet and went into town with the intent on asking what starter kit to buy and accept I would probably get ripped off for the sake of an easy life.  The shop showed me two kits - one was £20, only had one battery, came in a blister pack and I forget the name of it.  The other was the Smokers Angel Halo Ultra Tank kit.  After about 20 minutes of asking every stupid question imaginable I went for the latter, handed over £40 and picked my two free e-liquids.  the guy in the shop filled up a clearomizer for me and showed me how (which I didn't pay attention to and wasted half a bottle pouring it directly into the centre hole and all over my hands).

I've had it four days now and I must say I'm absolutely in love with it!  Its exactly what I wanted.  To be fair, it's a new toy and I'm caning it a bit (he says, with mouthpiece firmly between teeth) and so the idea of weaning myself off nicotine with an e-cig isn't really happening - infact I'm getting headaches from it. I don't really know what I'm vaping but I asked for medium strength and I've got a bottle of ecigwizard wizmix 1.8% 3&5 tobacco and the same in menthol.  

So that's how I started vaping!  Sorry for the essay, I like writing - especially about stuff I'm excited about, but I hope its interesting.

What I'd really like to know is what people think of what I bought - pros and cons.  Also if you've got any advice on where to buy liquids, replacement parts, what's compatible, and what I can upgrade down the road.  This is my new obsession!

Thanks for reading, here's hoping I stick with the vaping and don't regret throwing out all my lighters!

[ua72riddle]

Welcome, from another newb!

[kirrielad]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Great intro btw. The kit looks like a standard ego type kit that many of us start out with, and are compatible with most things out there.
Watch out for shinyitus, most get affected by it round here! Lol. Cancell those credit cards and reset the PayPal password blindfolded! Lol.
Don't be afraid to ask any questions, everyone is always more than happy to help. Happy vaping!

[Perpetua]

Welcome to you Anythintreet.


We've a Vendors Board which is always worth having a read of for any deals:

allaboute-cigarettes.proboards.com/board/30/vendors-board-cig-eliquid-retailers

Plus a Shopping Board where our eagle eyed Members post details of any good buys:

allaboute-cigarettes.proboards.com/board/28/shopping

Your new, new obsession might be reading this forum and picking up hints, tips and recommendations.

Congratulations on your forthcoming fatherhood.

[sleepyduck]

Hi anythintreet

I enjoyed reading that Congratulations and good luck!

[Roscopecotrain]

Great post. Welcome aboard.

Sent from my Galaxy Note 2

[Super-Shiny]

Hello and Anythintreet

[Karma]

Hello from me too

[dragon]

Nice post Welcome to the forum.

The one thing it is difficult to advice people on is liquids Everyone is different, in what works for them. I can equate with the headaches from 18mg, I dropped to 11 or 14 fairly quickly.

I loved menthol in the beginning, but after about 3 weeks away from the stinkies I started to go off it, and now I avoid the stuff religiously.

My mainstay vape is Decadent vapours real banana, I love the stuff, but family and friends can't understand why I like it so much lol.

I have perfected my home brew menthol free mint, and I wouldn't want to live without it.

I have unusual tastes and like many of the floral flavours, but again family and friends take a puff and cough politely lol.

Hubby swears by dekang coffee flavour ...... I cough ... not so politely rofl

We tried a lot of tobacco flavours in the beginning. Eventually we gave up, because neither of us liked any of them, and while I have heard reports of flavours that taste like stinkies, we never found one. Stinkies taste foul anyway lol, so I started experimenting. I was disappointed by a lot of fruit flavours til I found the aforementioned banana. I like stong flavours too, and mess around with aniseed and cardamom. Along those lines, I am not the only fan of Decadent vapours absinthe.

Basically you need to try things out. We used to buy lots of different liquids to try at once. I wish we hadn't, after trying a few you start to get clues as in what is going to work for you. Get 1 or 2 at a time, it will save money

We learnt to try things that were available in larger bottles too. 10ml doesn't last long, if it is a flavour you use a lot.

Eventually I dived into self mixing, which is a doddle once you take the plunge, but perhaps something to mess with after a couple of months once you have the basics under control I now have a zillion flavours to swap between, while hubby puffs away on dekang coffee pretty much exclusively. Everyone is very different in this area

[fizzygirl]

Hello

[esmecullen]

[DiscoDes]

Hello & @anythinstreet

The Halo kit is what's known generically as a Ego style battery, it has 2 threads on the top (have a look) one inner called a 510 thread and one on the outside of the connector known as a Ego connector. The great thing about these is that they are compatible with hundreds of atomisers/tanks and clearomisers you have what we call a "vision" clearomiser. They generally last about 2 weeks before needing maintenance or replacing (about £4 each) there are variations on these as well some with replaceable coil heads that only cost £2 to replace, or if you're ok with a bit of DIY you can re-coil them quite easily.

Stick around, we have some great banter here and as you read more here you'll pick up loads of tips that will save you money and enable you too get the best out of Vaping.

[RAW]

Hi and welcome anythintreet


Congratulations on the news of your child and congratulations on finding vaping just in time:)
I have made a few posts in the past one also about the effects of nicotine, as a smoker when i was in stressfull situations i turned to ciggys thinking it was releiving my stress which in fact now i have played with nicotine levels i now realise actually makes you worse.
By mistake the other month i bought a tobacco flavour which i really liked from triphammer called t+h but i dident realise it was 24mg nic now after plowing through 15 ml in a few days i found i was having temper swings palpatations and headachs, which made me realise that by actually pumping your body full of nic really does the opposite to what you think and infact causes you more stress/highblood pressure.
i now get all my juices around 16mg which alows me to puff quite a lot as i found anything higher would not allow me to vape as much as i wanted too.
I can recommend to start juices from
www.vapeescape.co.uk/search.asp?search=&types=Grizwald%27s+Gourmet+Range&brand=&special=&new=
why not try the 5mm samples and see which ones you prefer before you get the 30mm bottles but be aware the nic content is 20mg so you will just have to get your head around the amount you will be able to vape them ie less nic more puffing more nic less puffing.
or if you buy 10mm or 30mm bottles of either grizwalds or triphammers you should be able to put in the extra information box when purchasing that you would like a different nic strength and dont forget the discount code of (allabout)
for 10% off.
In grizwalds selection when you chose nic content it allows you to chose other so use that option and then put the nic you want in the box later on in the checkout process.
i love the arctic honey which is honey flavour on the inhale and menthol on the exhale some find it the other way round
i wish you luck with everything and i think you will find lots of others who recomend this vendor too.

[Chrissie]

Hello & welcome Anythintreet

As well as the links you have already been given, there are also often bargains to be had in our classifieds board -

allaboute-cigarettes.proboards.com/board/4/classified-swaps

And please don't be afraid to ask any questions at all or to ask us to explain further if you don't understand what we are talking about

[anythintreet]

Thanks for the welcomes and advice everyone.  You truly are a friendly bunch!

I've gone 23 days without a 'stinkie' now (picking up the lingo already), and I won't be smoking another one.  Since I got my Halo and I don't even miss it...except when I catch the smell.  I know it kind of defeats the point but someone needs to make a juice that smells like a real one.  

RAW thanks for the advice about picking up 5ml juices.  I'll look into it.  I smoked menthols but I think I prefer my 3&5 tobacco juice to my menthol.  Next on my list is to find a really good tobacco flavoured one and have a go of some sweet flavours - I like the sound of vanilla and cinnamon rolls

Shinyitis is going to be a real danger I can tell.  I'm already eyeing up a Twist type.  If they made a sonic screwdriver one I'd pay a small fortune!

Again, thanks for the welcomes.  I'll try and be as active as I can.  Back to the jobhunt, this is way too tempting a distraction!