ORDER YOUR e-Cig TODAY And start 2011 breathing easier and heading down the path to Successfully putting an end to the control that big tobacco companies have on your life!

Meanwhile, I hope that you are still vaping and not smoking!  And that you are ready for the nicer weather that is finally starting to show up…  at least in my part of the world.  Cheers to my global audience and thanks for the continued support.

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!

The good news is that my new kit arrives today or tomorrow at last, and I will be able to immediately return to the joys of vaping and get back on track to recovering from this most annoying habit.  I’ve got 2 chargers, 4 batteries and lots of cartridges coming this time so I’ll have the option of keeping a spare set in at least one alternate location and won’t be carrying my entire kit all in one case.  The message of course is to ensure that you keep at least one spare battery and supplies in a separate place so that if you DO lose your e-cig, you can continue to enjoy the pleasures of vaping while your replacements are shipping.  It does take a couple weeks to get supplies!

Can’t wait to return to vaping – and will have a review of the slightly larger E9 in a few days.

Vape On!

njw

The action plan that I have at the moment is a short (5 day) juice fast to cleanse and purge the system and hopefully shift the scales back in my favour once again (pun intended).  For those of you that have made the switch, I’d be interested to know if you’ve also gained, and to what extent compared to your past experiences with other methods of tobacco reduction.

As always – there’s more coming soon so be sure to stay tuned.

Happy Vaping!

njw

On another note, I have decided that my next order will be an E9.  I think that the slightly larger batteries, and the larger cartomizers might make the entire experience that little bit better, and of course I will be reporting my comparison between the two different models once I have some time with them both.  The one point that I think will be of greatest interest to me is that the E9 cartridges are larger, and hold more juice, so only come 4 to a box rather than 5, but still equal about the same amount of vaping pleasure.  Fewer changes mean even more likely that I will get a full day or more out of each cartridge as I’m finding that I am using about one and a half cartridges per day on the E8.  The other thing I think I’ll like is that the E9 comes with a blue tip option that the E8 doesn’t offer.  I think that the blue tip will make my public use of the E-cig even more interesting to those around me rather than raising the odd concern with the orange tip.

As always… stay tuned for the latest reviews, thoughts and experiences, and of course GET YOUR E-CIG KIT ordered asap and get off those analogs that ARE killing you.

Happy Vaping!

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!

On the upside of this though, I did find an article that speaks in favour of the e-cig, and speaks of results of a small study into the effectiveness of e-cigs to quit smoking. At least there are some studies starting to show results out there, so there’s certainly hope that we’ll continue to see e-cigs grow in popularity.  Meanwhile – I KNOW they work and are healthier than analogs.  I’m vaping and I’m finding that I don’t get winded as quickly, and I still get my nicotine when I need it.  I feel great and I’m happy… what could be better!?

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!