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!

This will cause yet another 4 to 6 week delay in delivery of packs and products to consumers, but I have to commend Blu for the actions they are taking and for the very detailed information they are sending out on the matter to those customers affected.  While I’m not a Blu user (living in Canada), and not using my Blu affiliate account actively either, I still wanted to share this with my readers in case they haven’t heard through normal channels.

Once again – I wish Blu good fortune in the future – I still like their concepts and marketing - and now I like their customer service even more.

Cheers!

njw

I started out with the E8 model starter kit Type C which comes with 2 batteries and 43 cartridges (cartomizers) of your choice in both strength and flavour.  While the website could use some tweaking to make selections easier, they do offer a text comment field on the forms that you can fill in with your special combinations of flavours.  In my experience with the starter kit, they really did read the comments.  Of course, when you order more cartridges, you will just order the quantity of each flavour and color you want and order multiple times to ensure that you get the right product.

The first thing you have to know is that you WILL burn a few cartomizers as you learn how to vape properly.  You’ll puff away like a fool for a while, and you’ll over-puff on a few until you get that rank taste, and you’ll end up throwing away a few of your first shipment before getting the full benefit of the contents.  This is QUITE normal.  So I’m happy to see my first kit with 43 cartridges lasting a little over 3 weeks (24 days is the current trend) and even happier to see that my refill order of cartridges is going to arrive a few days before they are needed.  I fully expect that my second order will last a full 30 days, but of course I’ll be ordering more well before that time to make sure that I have a continuous supply.  I’ve also determined that the strong cartridges (16mg) are plenty for me – with no real need to go to the x-strong ones except for the slight chance that I will vape less and get even more time out of the stronger cartridges.  I don’t actually think that this would be the case, but the 16mg ones are plenty it seems to feed my cravings as they come.

The batteries appear to be holding out quite well.  I know that I reported that the batteries are terrible, and still the short version of the battery is prone to flashing LED syndrome a fair bit quicker than the longer version, but it still delivers more than enough actual use time to recharge the second battery before it runs out.  So… as long as I have home, car and laptop chargers on hand I’m good to go.  With my second order of cartridges, I also ordered a spare long battery and a second USB charger adapter so I have one at home and one in the car at all times.  I did – just once – run down both batteries before getting to a charger.   Good thing I was able to get enough charge on the small battery in just an hour to be able to get going again – then it was bedtime so I had the longer battery charging overnight.  One warning I’ve seen more than once – DON’T leave the batteries on the charger once they are fully charged for more than a few hours.  Now this is not normally an issue, but as you acquire more batteries, you might be prone to leaving one on the charger for extended periods.  This can kill the batteries.

Another item that I’ve learned from experience is that the cartridges really DO need to be stored cool.  I’m even thinking of putting them in the fridge and only carrying a few spares with me.  I had a few get warm in the car on a sunny day and they tasted terrible.  Keep them in a cool and dark place as best as you can until you need to use them.

Smoke production and effectiveness of the cartomizers seems to vary a bit from day to day, but this could be more in my usage patterns than in the device.  I find that some days I will vape far more frequently but in smaller doses, while other days I’ll actually take a ‘smoke’ break and have the equivalent of a full smoke.  The E8 seems to prefer shorter sessions to longer ones, and I’m still wondering if I should get an E9 or even a larger model for those heavier days.

The other item that I’m learning is that public use of the E-Cig is more likely to generate interest than tension.  I had a situation just today in a shop where I forgot that I was holding my E8 and walking around with it.  I actually popped it into my mouth, took a long double draw from it, and exhaled.  Moments later, I was stopped by a store clerk and when I explained what it was and why it was ok for me to be using this in his store, he promptly asked for information on where to get them for the other staff (several smokers) that need something like this to make their lives easier, more productive and of course healthier.

So after 19.5 days since my last analog – where am I on e-cigs?  I’m in full support of these amazing little devices that have already made me happier and healthier.  I enjoy tasting the full flavour of my food again, and I really like not getting in and out of a car that stinks of ashtray every day.  I enjoy carrying my camera gear down a trail to a beach and not having to stop for a breath every two minutes.  And I really enjoy the fact that I can take a puff or two while watching a movie in my own living room without getting the family all upset that I’m smoking in the house!  There are a lot of other things that I enjoy, but I don’t need to bore you with the fine details.

If you’re still sitting on the fence here…  the time is NOW to make the move and order your kit.  Each and every puff of an analog is giving you the same levels of certain toxins as – you ready for this? – a full WEEK of vaping (at normal rates for the pack a day smoker).  So a single regular strength tobacco cigarette is the effective equivalent of using the e-cig at full 16mg strength for TEN WEEKS!  A full pack of Marlboro’s will have the same negative impact as up to 4 YEARS of e-cig use!  Granted these numbers are still to be confirmed true, but there’s certainly already evidence that shows they are pretty close.  So just think about that…  for each DAY you delay, you’re doing more harm to your body than you’ll do in the next  3 to 4 years…  can you really afford to delay any longer?

Here’s to your future!

The first thing I need to remind everyone of is that I WILL NOT recommend a product, or link to a product, and most certainly NOT offer an affiliate link to a product that is not up to the task.  I’m not here to make a buck…  I’m here to share my experiences, and yes, if I can cover some of my costs while recommending a product that I WILL OR DO USE, then there’s no harm done.  But if I won’t or can’t use a product, for any reason, then I certainly won’t suggest that you do just so I can make a few dollars on your orders.  The key example here is that I AM A BLU AFILLIATE – but I’m not promoting that link.  I could be making some money off Blu, but I feel that it would be wrong of me to chase that 20% in light of the fact that they appear to be having shipping issues to the US (4 to 6 weeks to SHIP an order), they appear to have an inferior product from the comments I’ve read from real Blu users, and of course the fact that they CAN’T ship to Canada.  So no… I won’t be recommending Blu to anyone. 

I DO recommend e-cig.com and I do so in good faith and in good experience.  I’m using their service for my own personal use.  I’ve received product – and while I had problems at first – I’m enjoying them now.  They have a GREAT Guarantee – just go there and read about it!  Shipping is Guaranteed.  Delivery is Guaranteed.  Product is covered by a great warranty and their pricing is Guaranteed!  How can you possibly go wrong?!

Another thing that I want to clear up is that I am just a small timer here.  I’m a one man show that happens to have a website and blog for my business (njw.ca and blog.njw.ca) and when I learned about e-cigs I decided to put it all down as a journal of my experiences so that I could share this with family, friends, co-workers and more, and do so in a simple manner.  I am not getting free product from anyone (not that I would turn down the chance to try another product or two to compare to my E8) and while there are some great affiliate programs offering 20% and more, I’m making about 5% on orders that go through my affiliate links.  So it’s pretty small stuff really.  Further, e-cig.com is a real leader in the Electronic Cigarette industry, holding a list of patents and being the leading source for many of the other e-cig stores that are popping up all over the world.  When you look at the products they offer, and know that they will do branding and custom packaging, you start to see that there are quite a few stores that are offering the same thing.

What it really comes down to is honesty, integrity and trust.   I don’t want people thinking that I am just here for a fast buck.  I’m here to share my experience in the hopes that you can make a more informed decision.  I know what salespeople are like – I’ve been one – and I know how hard it can be to filter out the noise.  So let me help you to filter it out.  Now that I have that out there in the open, let’s move forward until the next time I have to remind everyone of these little facts and likely more.

Get out there and start Vaping – and I DO recommend you try the E8.  It’s easy, affordable, and really emulates an analog quite well.  And it’s working for me!

Cheers to all!

njw

Further – by the time things are all smoothed out at Blu, and perhaps a few other sellers of e-cigs online in the US, the rest of the world will already be using the 3rd or 4th generation of e-cigs.  I’m finding that I really like the disposable cartridges.  But I do need to find something better than the E8.  I’m watching my short battery die already (yes I’ll be testing their Customer Service!) and I’m also finding that there is a slight taste of burning plastic when I hit the end of a cartridge.   So I’ll be trying something else for the next round.  More reading to do this week!  Stay tuned for what I buy and from where as we go further down the road to find the perfect solution for my needs.

Cheers!

First I’ll let you in on Glenn’s note.  It’s been 10 days and Blu Cigs are Terrible!  His words…  After waiting the better part of 7 weeks to get his product in hand, in less than 10 days he’s already got two (YES – Both!) batteries overheating.  So he’s hoping for a refund of his money from Blu and call that the end of the game for them.   I still don’t have a personal experience with Blu, and at this point in the game I’m not likely to.  I mean…  they failed to deliver…  They had to shutdown orders for most of July to catch up…  They just got around to sending an email telling me that my order to Canada can’t be shipped (a fact I’ve known for SEVERAL days now)…  and Glenn’s experience with them is not a good one.  There are a few more reasons which are actually part of my discussion coming up.  But I am quite sure that I won’t be restoring my affiliate links with Blu in the near future.  What Glenn DID like is his new KR808D (Vapor King).  And the reviews I’m reading on this little gem have me wondering if this is a solid choice for me as well… but more on that later.

I am actually Very happy with my E8 except for the battery life.  Frankly – the batteries (long or short) really suck!  In fact, I’m quite glad that I have the ability to charge my batteries in my car as I can have one charging in car while I’m touring around during the day, and the other is in the case in my pocket.  So I’m never that far away from a fully charged battery.  With that in mind, I am considering another spare batter – or perhaps moving to the slightly larger KR808D-1 (Vapor King) or perhaps the E9 from e-cig.com.

But here are a few tips that I’ve come to fine useful.  Of course these are based on MY likes, styles, use and experience – Your experience may differ in practice.

1. Learn the fine art of Primer Puffing.  It’s quite necessary in my experience.  I find that the vapor cloud from a fresh battery and fresh cartridge are pretty good, but with a little primer puff the second mouthful is stunning.  My little E8 does an amazing job of replicating a smoke – except for the black coloring and lack of all the killer chemicals in the ‘smoke’.

2. I LIKE Disposable Atomizers – When I first heard about these I had actually considered them wasteful.  But there are a couple of large advantages to these!  First – the ability to change flavour mid-cartridge!  Want some menthol – pull the cart – bolt it onto your battery and enjoy menthol.  No atomizer to clean or smoke off the remainder only to have to do it all over again when ou switch back.  Of course – you could have multiple batteries – but the Cartomizer concept is certainly easier.  Then – and this is a key part to me – I don’t have to worry about my atomizer quitting mid cartridge with no spare on hand.  Or having a spare that turns out to be a dud.  Replacements could be WEEKS away, and I’d be forced back to Analogs for the duration.

3. e-Cigs ARE effective.  Here I am – nearly a week into my personal experiment, and I am handed a LIT Cigarette to hold while my friend has to go inside for a couple minutes.  I took two puffs of my E8 and handed back the cigarette to my friend with not so much as a sniff of the smoke.  It was impressive how easy that was!

4. There are – and will be – 100 businesses or more popping up offering an e-cig solution online.  Be wary!  Many of these come from the same company.  Look at the specs.  Look at the price and look at the offerings.  Big money will have a wider range of product and selection, while those with shallower pockets at startup with have fewer models and flavours to choose from.  Be mindful of the smaller sites – they run the greatest risks of being out of product and delaying shipment.  Look for a website that SHOWS their on-hand quantity.  Then act fast!

5. STOCK UP!  With the FDA, Health Canada, and other organizations setting the sights on e-cig controls and shipments, you may find yourself with product with no notice.  So I’m planning to stock up for a while so I can continue to enjoy the product of my choosing for at least a month or so at a time.

6. Try the flavours!  I like the e-cig.com cherry cartridges in my E8.  As well as the Flu Cured, and Menthol.  With the different strengths of nicotine, I’m finding that the strong or full-bodied variety are my preference.

Well… if I write anymore tonight I won’t have anything to add for another week!  So for now I’ll just pull a couple more puffs off of my E8 and head to bed.  Tomorrow is a full day!

G’night!

I had made my choice of product and had decided to go with the EVOlution from innovapor.com and their ECOPURE solution, which is based on a different formula that contains no PG.  However, after having a wonderful conversation with Mark over at innovapor, I learned that he is unable to ship the liquid components to Canada except through FedEx, which would cost almost as much in shipping alone as the entire starter kit from Blu would have cost.  I COULD order the solution direct from source over in the UK via the intellicig.com website, and the hardware from Mark, but then I have multiple shipping charges, and unknown wait times.  Or, I could order the entire kit minus the very clever Pelican case that Mark offers from the UK site, but the shipping times and the complexity of the process to get the same kit was mounting, and so was my frustration.  So…  I had been to e-cig.com already, and had placed them in the top five list of starter kits that I liked.  But when I saw the YouTube reviews of the E8, I was sold and placed my order.

Now you know a little more about what happened, and how I ended up where I did.  Now that I see my order processed already, I’m sure that I’ve made a good choice, and I hope that they are able to deliver on their shipping times so that I can be vaping next weekend.  And once again – e-cig.com appear to be the source that supplies a large number of the stores we see popping up almost daily here in North America, and in other places around the globe.  They offer branding and other custom packaging options, as well as deep discounts for volume.  Who knows…  maybe if this all works out, and Canada permit the import of these things some day, I just might take all that money I save vaping and open a store of my own!?  In the meantime, I DO have an affiliate link to the right (click on the E8 starter kit - there are more options on the site) so please support my efforts here by using that link to order your product.

Best wishes and Happy Vaping to you all!

njw

Now I know you’re all wondering WHAT I’ve ordered and from WHERE!?

After looking at DOZENS of online suppliers, and an equal number of products of various types – heck… I even called Mark down at Innovapor.com – and I’ve come to the decision that there are a large and growing number of young start-ups that are going to either do or die in this game quickly.  So I’m going to watch, and perhaps over the months ahead try a few out (YES!!!  I AM open to sample products!), and through the combination of my day-to-day travels and blogging I’ll be selling a lot of these things all over the place as I go.  But to get me started, I needed to find something that was in the form factor I wanted, came in a nice presentation, and offered the specific flavours I’m looking for.  But MOST importantly, somebody that could actually sell me something and SHIP it to me ASAP!

Who won?  I ended up clicking the Buy button this time over at e-cig.com.  I ordered the E8 Type C pack to start me off with a selection of flavours at both Extra high and High strengths.  I went with the Black battery, and just to be different the gold Cartridges.  The starter kit comes with an old-style flip open cigarette case that holds a couple batts, a couple of extra carts and of course one ready to use e8.  I’m mainly a menthol smoker so I’ve selected most of the included 43 carts in that flavour, but will be getting 5 of the cherry and 5 flu-cured for comparison.  The e8, if you don’t know, is of the newer type that includes the disposable atomizer in the carts, so should be a good starter for a rookie like me.

The whole kit, including shipping, came in at $140US, a little more than the $90 order I had placed with Blu but I’m hoping will get me through the first 3 to 4 weeks of transition.  And… if they are true to their shipping promise, I should have product before the end of next week!  Let’s cross everything and see what happens.  If it does arrive before the 24th I’ll also buy some lottery tickets that day!

Anyhow…  that’s the latest from me for now.  Hopefully, in about a week’s time, I’ll be able to actually start documenting my first vaping experiences and share with you all how that transition goes.

Best wishes to all, and of course, the links on my site DO contain affiliate codes, so use them when you can so I can help to lower the costs of exploration.  I’m doing this blog in the hopes of moving a whole lot of people off of tobacco and into something that is at least somewhat more healthy.

And to Jason, Mark, and the others that I’ve spoken to so far…  get your companies going and make sure you can ship product quickly, and of course that you can ship my supplies to Canada, and I PROMISE you that I’ll be back with an order some time in the future.  But stay alive in the process… it’s going to be a NASTY market in a big hurry!  Ain’t Capitalism Great!?

Cheers

njw

And who knows… I may get a basic kit from this other vendor either way to see if they are reliable, and meet the expectations.  After all…  I have a feeling I’ll need to test at least a few of the many varieties of e-cig that are out there.

More coming soon – so stay tuned!

More to come I’m sure… and Bravo Jason!

njw

PS:  I just hit the website to check my order status and I’m SHOCKED!  They’ve stopped taking orders COMPLETELY until the 21st so that they will be able to catch up!  You can read the message from Jason on the Blu Site.