Quick tip: Accessories to improve your vaping experience

Here are a bunch of cheap accessories that can improve your vaping experience.

Small dropper bottles

• It’s a good idea to carry around smaller portions of your eliquids.  Nicotine can lose its effectiveness unless it’s stored in a cool, dark area.  Some of the bottles provided by eliquid suppliers don’t provide a fine level of control.  This is especially important if you like dripping your atomizers.  In addition, you often don’t want to carry around too much liquid for various safety reasons.
• usplastic.com has cheap dropper bottles ranging in size from 3cc to 15cc and comes in several different colors.  The 3cc dropper bottle is only 19 cents and works very well because its slender, has a tight cap and drips are small and precise.  Pharmacies and hobby shops sometimes carry small dropper bottles as well.

Droppers or pipettes

• When transferring small amounts of eliquid from one container to another, it’s a great idea to use a dropper or pipette.  Remember that nicotine can be quite toxic, so safety should be a top priority.
• usplastic.com has a 12 pack of droppers for $2.87 that works very well.  They also have pipettes, but these are sold in in boxes of 100.

Syringes

• When refilling cartridges, I find the most effective and convenient method is to use a syringe.  It provides a fine level of control and makes it easy to spread the liquid throughout the entire cartridge.  If you are worried about pricking yourself, it’s also possible to buy syringes with dull needles.
• The thinnest needle you should get is the 20 gauge size (note that larger gauge means a thinner needle).  Thinner needles don’t work well at sucking in propylene glycol which is thicker than water.  If you are primarily working with VG (glycerin), you should consider an even bigger size needle (17 gauge or more).
• You can buy 100 count boxes from Amazon for less than $22 (including shipping).  That’s 22 cents per syringe.  CVS and other local pharmacies also sell syringes.  Even if you aren’t buying in bulk, it’s usually cheaper than buying syringes from e-cigarette retailers who often charge ridiculous prices (over $2.00).

Review: Kensington Battery Pack (K38021US)

I recently picked up Kensington’s Portable Battery Pack (K38021US) based on the recommendations of the good people at www.e-cigarette-forum.com and I am very satisfied with my purchase.  It’s currently available for $50 (free shipping) from Amazon.com.

I am a big fan of using USB powered batteries (passthroughs) to power my atomizers.  It provides a powerful and constant power source, which results in consistently satisfying vapor output.  When I’m on the go and I want a smaller profile, the standard small cylindrical batteries are fine, but they run out of power all too quickly for me.  There is a noticeable dropoff in vapor output as well.  When I don’t mind the extra bulk, the Kensington Battery Pack is a great choice.  It takes days before I need to recharge it, which means I can use it as my primary source of power.  As an added bonus, I can also use it for its intended purpose (powering and charging portable devices).

When I’m at my computer, the USB ports are still the most convenient choice.  (Make sure you are using a port that isn’t sharing power with too many other devices.  Some computers don’t provide enough power to their USB ports, which means that it isn’t providing the full 5V.)  I also have a separate power USB hub that works very well.  Powered USB hubs can be purchased for fairly cheap as well.  I’m using Cable To Go’s 7 Port USB hub, which is available for $30 from Amazon.com.  It’s convenient to have 7 additional USB ports that provides another location for me (and my family and friends) to charge portable devices.  There are tons of choices for USB hubs, many of them much cheaper than $30, but check customer reviews at Amazon.com and Newegg.com before purchasing.

Since it’s a Lithium Ion battery, it isn’t susceptible to the ‘memory effect’.  You can charge it whenever you like and you don’t have to worry about early degradation of the battery.

A huge convenience is the button that illuminates up to 5 LED lights that indicate the power level of the battery.  It makes it easy to remember to charge the battery when I have a little free time.  It also makes it easy to ensure the battery level never drops below 40% (Lithium Ion batteries degrade if you fully discharge the battery too often).

This battery pack looks very slick.  It’s a solid black rectangular wafer with a couple accent lines.  It looks and feels like a quality product.  It’s smaller than an iPhone (see the image) and about a half inch thick, which makes it easy to carry around in your pocket or bag.

There are similar products available from other manufacturers and Kensington’s $42 product isn’t cheap.  Unfortunately, some people have found that not all of them provide sufficient power to work with an e-cigarette.  If you choose to go with another product, make sure it provides a similar level of power output (5V and 1.50A) or check other customers’ reviews/posts to see if it works for them.

Guide: Getting the best throat hit

There is a lot of debate over how to get the best throat hit.  There is even some debate over the actual definition of a throat hit.

For me, a throat hit is the rough, but fuller, sensation in the back of my throat when I inhale the vapor.  It’s the difference between feeling like I inhaled ’smoke’ versus feeling like I’m just inhaling air. An overly strong throat hit is also what can cause people to cough…when vaping and when smoking.

Getting a good throat hit is an essential part of the vaping experience for many people.

Voltage

• The growing market of high powered e-cigarettes is proof that voltage is the primary factor in determining the strength of a throat hit.
• The more voltage, the more vapor is produced.  In addition, the vapor often feels hotter.

Lung inhalation

• The easiest and possibly the most effective way to get a good throat hit is to change your inhalation technique.
• First, experiment a bit to figure out the difference between a mouth inhalation versus a lung inhalation.  The mouth inhalation is what you would use if you want to fill your mouth with vapor.  The lung inhalation feels more like you are directly sucking the vapor into your lungs.
• The lung inhalation adds dramatically to the throat hit and satisfying sensation of vaping.

The more vapor, the better the throat hit

• This is the guiding force behind several popular modded devices and DIY mods.  The mini Pipe (Lady Pipe) is a good example as well.
• The mini Pipe uses the same atomizer as the penstyle, but has more vapor production because it has a bigger/strong battery.  The screwdriver is another good example of an atomizer from another device powered up by a stronger battery.
• More vapor also means more nicotine and a higher eliquid usage rate.

Use a USB passthrough to power your vaping device

• It’s the same idea as the prior point.  A USB passthrough supplies the atomizer with more voltage (amps?), resulting in more vapor production
• In addition, unlike batteries, USB passthroughs always provide a consistent power source.  With batteries, vapor production drops off as it loses power and needs to be recharged.

Higher nicotine content (?)

• There are conflicting reports, but many people will agree that eliquids with higher nicotine content typically result in a better throat hit.
• This is not always true.  There are eliquids with low nicotine content that have satisfying throat hits.

Add menthol crystals

• The throat hit of a menthol is different from what most people would consider a throat hit.
• Fans of the menthol kick will definitely enjoy the increased sensations that result from dissolving some menthol crystals in their eliquid.
• Menthol crystals are easy to find online and on eBay.  You only need a few crystals to add a satisfying methol kick.

Add alcohol (ethanol) to the eliquid

• Many commercial eliquids are partially composed of ethanol, according to one of the suppliers on www.e-cigarette-forum.com.
• I’ve tested this on numerous occasions, but my results are inconsistent, so I can’t say for sure whether it helps or not.
• It’s easy to add some ethanol to your mix by adding Everclear (95% ethanol).  This is widely found in the States and fairly cheap as well.  Some people have used spirits with lower alcohol content (i.e. vodka), but since they tend to include much more water and other compounds, it’s not recommended.
• The scientific basis is a bit unclear, but some people speculate that the lower boiling vaporization temperature of ethanol makes for a better throat hit.

Use the drip technique

• Rather than using a cartridge, directly drip a drop or two of eliquid onto the atomizer.  Wait a few seconds to let it soak into the atomizer coil before vaping.  For the penstyle (DSE801) and DSE901, I typically ignore the mouth pieces and suck directly on the atomizer itself.
• Dripping seems to supply the atomizer with more eliquid at a time compared to a cartridge.  I tend to get much more vapor, which means a stronger throat hit.

Spice it up and add capsaicin (?)

• I have not tested this, but I have read posts supporting the idea of adding hot pepper extracts to the eliquid.
• Capsaicin is the compound that makes peppers so spicy.  It’s also the compound in Mace.
• I think it’s rather questionable to add capsaicin to the eliquid, but maybe some adventurous DIY’ers are willing to give it a try.

Reviews: LorAnn’s Flavorings for DIY e-liquid

LorAnn offers a huge range of super strong flavorings and are widely available.  They are used as a candy flavoring, so it’s assumed that they are safe for vaping, but use at your own risk.

Some are oil based (i.e. lemon, spearmint, orange, etc.) and are not recommended for use in DIY liquids.  I have tried using a very small amount of oil based flavorings (peppermint oil) and I didn’t run into any problems.  It is possible that the oil could accumulate in the atomizer and reduce its lifespan or cause other problems.

Many also have a lot of food coloring.  I’m worried about vaping so much food coloring.  I don’t know whether the coloring is  being vaporized and subsequently coating my lungs or if it’s accumulating in the atomizer.  The likelihood that it will stain if dripped on clothing is also a problem.

I bought a sampler pack of 24 flavors (1 dram each) from Amazon.com, so I’ll provide a short review of the flavorings as I try them.  I don’t recommend buying the sampler pack, unless you don’t mind having a ton of unusable flavorings.  Of course, you can always use them for their intended purpose (I’m going to use them to flavor my health shakes).

Acceptable Flavorings (no oils, no colorings)

Amaretto Flavor
Apple Flavor
Bavarian Creme Flavor (Vanilla)
Black Walnut Flavor
Blackberry Flavor
Brandy Flavor
Bubble Gum Flavor
Butter Flavor
Butter Rum Flavor
Caramel Flavor
Champagne Flavor
Cheesecake Flavor
Chocolate Hazelnut Flavor
Cinnamon Roll Flavor
Coconut Flavor
Coffee Flavor
Cotton Candy Flavor
Cranberry Flavor
English Toffe Flavor
Guava Flavor
Honey Flavor
Horchata Flavor
Horehound Flavor
Licorice Flavor
Mango Flavor
Maple Flavor
Marshmallow Flavor
Mint Chocolate Chip Flavor
Orange Cream Flavor
Pecan Flavor
Pina Colada Flavor
Pineapple Flavor
Plum Flavor
Pomegranate Flavor
Praline Flavor
Pralines And Cream Flavor
Pumpkin Flavor
Strawberry Kiwi Flavor
Teaberry Flavor
Tropical Punch Flavor (Passion Fruit)
Vanilla Butternut Flavor
Wintergreen Oil, Artificial

My Reviews

Cherry

• Very strong flavor and smell.  ‘Chemical’ taste if too much is used.  Distinct and easily overwhelming flavor.  Could be used as an accent, not a main flavor (i.e. Cherry Coke).
• Even 10% of the total liquid is too much, for my taste.

Root Beer

• Has a LOT of food coloring, which makes the liquid a dark brown color.
• Surprisingly, I found it to be a subtle flavor and only hints at root beer.  Others have found that 15% to 20% of the total liquid is a good amount.

Orange Cream

• Initially it smells nice, but I get a burnt taste when I try to vape this flavoring.
• I have a feeling the burnt taste is coming from the melange of random stuff I’ve been testing.  I’ll retest again after cleaning my atomizers.

Bubble Gum

• A strange flavor.  I’m normally okay with bubble gum flavor gum, but this is just strange.
• Medium strength.

At this point, I’m going to stop randomly testing these flavors since the wrong ones are basically killing my atomizers…permanent burnt taste that I can’t seem to remove. Hopefully I can get some of the more effective atomizer cleaning methods to work for me.

I’ll add more information as I do some retesting of flavors recommended by other (richer) DIY’ers.