My e-Cigarette Experiences…

I got my dreaded letter from Canada Customs on Friday letting me know that my latest order from my supplier has been rejected for import.  You read about it from time to time, and you place each order in the hopes that your small quantity will pass through un-noticed, but still there looms the ever present big-brother watching out for ‘your best interests’ with regards to health and happiness.  But the reality of the fact is that I would be MUCH happier if they let me make my own choices with regard to my health.  I know that there are needs for some items to be controlled and regulated, and as another blogger had noted a while ago my shipment has guaranteed the need for the agent that processed the shipment – at least for a while – so there is another positive in all of this, but it’s frustrating still that my shipment is not going to arrive.  Of course I saw it coming when my latest shipment was handed over to Customs on the 7th and just stayed there.

So now I get to test the suppliers delivery guarantee and see just how well that works.  And hopefully, I will find another option and be able to stock up again before I run out of supplies.  If you’re in Canada, you too will one day feel the same as I do today, but don’t lose hope.  Maybe one day – not too far in the future – we’ll see the e-cig being available right at the corner store.  Could happen!?

Vape-On!

I have to say that my E9 has been a whole lot better experience for me than the E8 was – not that the E8 was a BAD experience, but the E9 is just that much better.  I’ve been using it for a few months now and find that the short batteries really are the way to go over the long ones.  Granted, I have to have 3 batteries in rotation to get a full day of use our of my E9, instead of just 2 of the long batteries, but overall the draw is much easier and you can pretty much get a great hit and great effect from taking a double pull on the short E9 batteries – an almost effortless process once you’re used to it – and get a nice cloud of vapour.  The common complaint about the auto shut-off after 2 to 3 seconds is pretty much null, as you can draw continuously through the short battery with little effort and the E9 will just turn on again for a longer hit.  So one 4 to 5 second drag will get you the equivalent of the ‘double hit’ that is so often recommended.  I find that the long battery just takes too much effort to get the same effect.

My latest order, due sometime this week, contains a mixture of tobacco, apple, cherry, vanilla and peach flavoured cartomizers for my E9.  I will be checking these out and reporting my personal favourites to you next week.  Currently, I have a stack of both Menthol and Grape.  I’m not really that impressed with the grape…  not really enough flavour.  The Menthol are still my current favourites.  But I expect to find some of the other flavours to my liking.  Stay tuned for more on that. 

And finally…  It seems that e-cig.com have upgraded their order processing system somewhat.  I was quite impressed with the process, and with the emails that I’ve received – especially the order summary.  It’s in a nice format like a real shipping invoice, and carries a far more professional look than before.  They are growing up as a retailer as much as they are as a manufacturer.  I know I’ll be sticking with them for now.  At least until something as good can make the shipments to me here in Canada.  Someday perhaps.

Happy Vaping!

I’ve been using the E8, and now the E9 e-cig from e-cig.com for several months now, and while I’ve been a very happy user over the entire time, I’m even happier now to report that the manufacturer will soon be using their new liquid based on Vegetable Glycerin (VG) rather than the more controversial Propylene Glycol (PG) based liquids.  Tests by the FDA had reported that there were concerns related to the health risks associated with PG, and the new formulations will offer an even safer way to enjoy e-cigs, as well as improved smoke according to the recent articles on their site.  At this time, you have to request VG based liquids, and some flavours are not available in VG yet, but they are moving in that direction and it shouldn’t take too long to clear out the old stock and start shipping the new ones.  I will certainly be checking back to see what the status is on this and you will be the first to know if you subscribe here!

I should also mention now that there are now more than 40 flavours to choose from, and a selection of e-health products that warrant some mention as well.  So please do click on my link on the right sidebar of this blog and check out the new offerings.  Many others have done so, and I’ve had nothing but good feedback from the people that have made the choice to try them out.  I’m sure that you will too!

So… it seems that there IS some sense in the world.  I won’t go into the details, but the story HERE tells the juicy details.  I know that the fight is FAR from over, and am watching closely to see what comes next.  And rest assured that as soon as I see something really news-worthy, I’ll be sharing it here for your review.  Meanwhile, it looks like those of you in the US will at least have it easier getting your e-cigs for the immediate future.  Now…  who’s working on Health Canada?!  Still, I am having no problems getting my personal supplies direct from e-cig.com, in fact my latest shipment is due today or Monday, and was just ordered last Friday.  Pretty good turn around still – and getting better.

Vape On!

Just a quick note to you, my readers, to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in 2010.  I hope that you will find some e-cigs in your stocking or tree, and that 2010 will be your year of a healthier, happier you as a result of making the move away from burning tobacco. 

Cheers and Thanks for reading and shopping.  I’ve actually JUST made it to my goal of one coupon for e-cig.com as a result of the orders placed through the links here, and will be using that coupon to replace some batteries, and stock up on some other flavours of cartomizer for my E9 system.

Happy Holidays!  See you in 2010!

It looks like the folks over at Blu have things running more smoothly, and for our American readers only are able to deliver a solid product at a great price.  So I’ve returned the Blu links to the right hand column for easy access and of course to make my tiny piece of the action when you place orders.  The money raised by this blog is used to test products that I write about, and to help with the cost sharing for the webspace.  If there is anything left after that, I am sure I’ll find a good use for it.  But so far…  I haven’t had to think about that part. 

But this evening I did have a funny thing happen.  The email announcement from Blu that reminded I was an affiliate still and also told me of their new system was delivered 87 times in a matter of seconds.  I don’t know if that was a glitch at their end, or just some karmic advisory that I needed to pay attention.   So I am answering the call and have re-activated my link.

So…  if you’re looking for option, I still recommend the E9 I use, especially if you live in Canada, and for those of you in the US, check out Blu!

Happy vaping all!

And Season’s Greeting!

Head over to e-cig.com for all things e-cig and check out their holiday specials!  Just a few things to make you think about making the shift over to e-cigs if you haven’t already:

• E9 start kit – just $49.95!
• E8 starter kit – just $53.95!
• Cartridges (Cartomizer style) – Just $5.45! per pack (4/PK for E9 or 5/PK for E8)
• Many other killer deals!

Head on over NOW to check it out and see what’s available.

and I’ll actually get a coupon from my supplier for some free products!  Yes, I admit (and have in the past) that I have an affiliate account with e-cig.com (see the E9 Package link to the right) and that I do make a small (and I mean SMALL!) commission off of your orders that go through that link.  I’ve been using and recommending their product for quite some time now and am finally at the point where I am about to reach the minimum payout level, at which point I will have the option of taking a coupon for their store to purchase more product for my own use.  If you’re curious as to the commission levels, it will take nearly $2,700 worth of sales for me to earn that $100 coupon.  But still, the opportunity to provide information related to the e-cigs that I use, and to my specific experiences with them, is a good thing that I am glad to be in a position to offer. 

I am still happy with my E9 for the most part, except for the battery situation which they have taken care of.  As I mentioned before, I won’t buy the blue tipped batteries again, as I have had a 100% failure rate with them while only one of the red tipped ones from my E8 kit failed.  From what I’ve read, batteries are about the highest point of failure in these devices, especially in the 2 part units like the E8 and E9.  In the 3 part units where the atomizer is separate from the cartridges, atomizers are the weaker link it seems.  While there are advantages to that system (dripping), I prefer the nice clean operation of the cartomizer type systems and will continue to use my E9 for a long time to come. 

My coupon will be used to get a case of some kind likely, and some more flavours to experiment with.  Of course, my flavour testing will also be posted here once I’ve tried a few more. So far, I’ve only tried the menthol and Flu-cured flavours, liking both of them at different times.  And a tip – you can order your cartomizers with different colours…  and it’s a good idea to do so.  I have gold wraps on my flu-cured, and black wraps on my menthol.  If I ordered a fruit flavour of some kind, I’ll likely go red for those.  This way, when I open the case to take one out I’ll know by the color rather than having to try to read the VERY small print on the package.

Happy Vaping!

It seems that anything related to e-cigs that have the Blue Led tip rather than red seem to carry some kind of curse for me.  I ordered my E9 with 2 red and 2 blue batteries.  Well the reds, while short lived for each charge, are working fine and are settling into the rotation that my use demands, while the blue – BOTH of them – died in less than a week.  And I do mean dead!  They appear to charge fine – with the charger showing red, then green as it should, and it even takes time to charge them, but then you pop on a fresh cartomizer, take a puff and NOTHING but blinking lights.  Oddly enough though, they seem to work normally until they are asked to carry the load of the cartomizer.  If you draw air through them or tap them they actually appear normal.  Odd.

But the good news is that my vendor is going to replace both of them.  The only costs I should bear are the shipping back to source.  I will, of course, be asking for the RED tips after this experience, but that’s ok… the body is still black and distinct from an analog, so that’s not a big deal.

So…  play it safe and don’t order blue tips – they cost extra anyway for some reason.  Or…  if you have blue tips and they’ve worked, please let me know.  Maybe I just had a bad batch.

Happy Vaping.

And yes, I’m still loving it.  I’m only on my third cartridge so far, but I’m also not a heavy vaper.  I tend to take a few puffs at about the same interval that I would light an analog, but I also threw away a LOT of analogs by letting them burn down in ashtrays, or butting out a half smoked cigarette.  I’ve already commented before on the wasteful manner in which I smoke, but that is perhaps the largest point of savings for me when using an e-cig.  Add to that the cost of the cartridges – about $2 CDN per cartomizer landed – compared to the cost of analogs at around $9.50 per 20 pack, and you have a rather incredible savings even if I do use two cartridges daily.

Battery life is certainly not a great factor in this model, and I do find vapour production reducing sharply after about the equivalent of 6 to 8 cigarettes, but I have three batteries in rotation so I have on in use, one ready to use and one on the charger at any given moment.  This way I know I’ll always have the ability to use my e-cig when I want to.  In short, if you’re looking for a good model of e-cig that uses the 2 piece cartomizer technology, the E9 is a terrific model at the right price, and most importantly it does ship into Canada with only short delays.  I recommend EMS shipping, as they seem to, so far at least, be quick and easy and have had no issues at Customs in Vancouver.

More updates coming soon…  stay tuned!