An ecig "starter kit" should include 2 batteries, a charger and some (5-10) cartomizers. Most of the "cigalike" ecigs (skinny ones that resemble a real cig) are far cheaper than that, usually under $40. I started with those and graduated to a "mod", the Halo Triton, a more advanced ecig which cost about $64 for a complete starter kit.

The cost of juice varies but I will only use those made in the USA from certified, approved ingredients.

Here's a link to a discussion board devoted solely to ecigs:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/forum.php

PS: I started on ecigs in early December and haven't had or wanted a real cig since

I have been a smoker on and off since WWII when we were issued cigs by Uncle Sam.

I enjoy e-cigs, although my buddies mock me terribly for them.

My doctor tells me nicotine is fine (albeit addictive) because I don't have high blood pressure. He recommends nicorrette tablets over the e-cigs. Sharpens the mind when I wander.

Of course, I am old as dirt. So perhaps he just figures whatever I do doesn't matter at this point.

When one of your buddies coughs, wait a beat, and then take a deep inhale and exhale with no coughing. Seriously, though, I say that now I have nothing to do for the first five minutes after I get up in the morning! I'm two months in and I feel so much better. And I'm no kid...recently hit 63, and I've smoked since my teens.

I wasted a lot of money before finding a good setup

I started with cheap gas station e-cigs (still craved and used analogs)
Then moved to a Blu starter Kit (stopped smoking, but Blu devices do not stay charged for long and do not taste that good)
Then a Halo started kit (Got this kit because I could my old Blu's cartridges with it)
Then a Ego-Spinner (moved to this for more battery life and better tanks)

Then finally to an iTaste SVD setup

If you do not mind the wait (2 weeks) you can get a very nice set up cheap from fasttech

Here is my set up
INNOKIN iTaste SVD $37.21
Panasonic NCR18650B 3400mAh18650 Lithium Battery $15.68 (2 batteries)
Slim 1*18650 Lithium Li-Ion Battery Charger $2.22
X9 Protank Clearomizer (2.5mL) $4.74

Total: $59.85

That same setup at my local store runs $171

You will also need extra coils I use to buy these (10 pack) before I started rebuilding the ones I had. Each coil lasted me about 2 weeks but YMMV

DO NOT BUY JUICE FROM FASTTECH, buy from some place local or a well know online store, you want USA made juice

I've been analog free for 10 months now after 20 years of 2 packs a day

I quit 5 weeks ago, and I was a 40-year-plus, pack-and-a-half a day smoker. Get a good product, and I see you got good advice here, and you'll be able to do just fine. I use a product, also by Innokin, but mine is called the itaste VV. It's smaller and maybe the size of a long, slim cigar. I suggest you look at juice at http://www.mtbakervapor.com/; they're very popular, and will send you a free sample of your choosing with every order! Have fun and try all sorts fo flavors. I wish you success!

I was cigarette and gum free for over 12 years until the stress got to me. Thanks for the reply!

And do not worry about cold-turkey switching. Every time you vape instead of lighting a cigarette, you're doing good. It takes many people quite a while to make the switch. And vape as much, and as frequently, as you wish!
The only thing I miss now is the "ceremony" of lighting up.
You'll find, that as you get just the right "hit," and the right flavor, that smoking will become gross by comparison.

Last edited Thu Mar 6, 2014, 01:11 PM - Edit history (1)

Most of the e-juices have sucralose (Splenda), NOT sugar alcohols, so you'll be fine! I actually buy a product called Sweetzfree, also a form of liquid Splenda, to use for all my cooking and baking sweetening needs.

I use only Stevia, as it's the only sweetener that doesn't give me a spike. Wish me luck, I haven't tried Splenda. And I've never been able to determine what kind of sweetener is used in the gum, but it doesn't spike me either. Thanks so much.

The powdered does have a bit of sugar added to it, for bulking purposes. Let me check...it says "Ingredients Dextrose,maltodextrin, sucralose"...but the stuff they add to the juices is just sucralose. Si at least THAT should be okay for you.

Their prices are good, they have a good variety and you have the option of ordering extra flavor shots.
If you don't like tobacco flavors, ask that they not send them to you for your freebie.

It sounds like you are buying something sight unseen without knowing what kind of reviews it has. Being a newbie can be scary when spending a good amount of money.
By all means visit the store, but you may want to check out what is online as well. I am somewhat soured by a recent visit to a local vaper shop, but I have had good experiences at other stores in the past. I just figured out quickly that this particular location was not being upfront with me and will not be going back.

When I began vaping, there were very few choices. I started with an NJoy I ordered from Costco. It was awful. The tobacco flavor did nothing for me. Personally, I like the dessert/sweet flavors. (French Vanilla, Eggnog, Caramel, etc)

Nowadays there are many, many varieties of ecigs. You may also notice a lot of noise about re-buildables…these are mostly for advanced vapers. Keep it simple at first.

I introduced my son-in-law to vaping, and he introduced it to his extensive family. Most of them are using the Ego Twist from Joyetech. In general, it is a tried and true model. I am still using the Ego Twist myself when on the go.

I would recommend getting the name brand and not a knock off. What I have noticed is that most of the brick and mortar stores carry the knock-offs, at least in my neck of the woods. In my experience, some knock-offs can have reliability issues. For the juice delivery system, I would suggest the Kanger or Vision ViVi Nova tank. There are many ViVi Novas out there and you want to make sure it is the VISION. When you buy a pkg of Vision ViVi Novas you will find there are two extra coils included. When buying replacement heads, make sure you are buying a Vision product. There have been issues with the knock-offs leaking and if you are like me, you won’t want juice down in your battery.

If you smoke menthols, you may prefer different flavors than other people. You can learn more about this on the ECF Forum.
There are also Vapefests. They can be quite interesting….lol!!! I had a ball at the one I went to!

GrimmGreen’s videos are good. I also recommend PBusardo’s videos.

This is a video of GrimmGreen speaking of the Ego Twist:

Here is a link to PBusardo’s website and he has a good beginners tutorial. http://www.tasteyourjuice.com/wordpress/

I buy most of my goodies online since I have some mobility issues. ECF has a section rating vendors and you may find mention of some b&m vendors in your area.

I purchased my Joye Ego Twist and Vision ViVi Nova tanks from http://www.vaporkings.com/Default.asp
I have no affiliation with them nor do I know of anyone who does. I used them for one reason because they had the genuine articles I wanted.

Oh, and whomever you purchase from, ck ECF to see if they are offering a coupon code.

Good Luck!

I had no idea it was so complicated. I'm going to the store next month and in the meantime, I've got plenty of info here to do the research.

As a longtime low-carber, I eat very little processed food. Most of the e-juices I've tried so far have such artificial (to me) tastes, that I decided to move up. Ordered from Virgin Vapors and Namberjuice...we'll see this week! I'm eagerly looking forward to Virgin Vapors' Organic Kona Coffee Milkshake!
I also found out that I do have a sensitivity to high PG - developed a sore throat and started coughing up yuck.So for now, no juices higher than 50/50, and I seem to be better.

Welcome to the world of vaping! Let me second the recomendation to check out the forum ECF previosuly posted. It is a large forum and can be overwhelming at first. Don't be intimidated, once you start vaping it'll make sense quickly. Trust me. I never thought I'd ever "get it".

I started with a convience store cigalike. What a waste of money. Then a vape store's starter kit, double the money I wasted. Vape stores vary dramatically in quality and variety, so your store may be much better. But an Ego, Spinner, or Twist is where most people start. That is the minimum needed to be effective. The one above, MVP2 is really good too and will cost less than $70 with eliquid.

Taste is very important and subjective. It's the flavors that make vaping easy because I have found I prefer the various flavors over the taste of tobacco much more. Cigarettes taste nasty anymore. That's what makes all this goofy hoopla about "flavors for kids" so ridiculous. Just walk down the alcohol aisle and you'll see the same flavors. Adults like flavors too. I would reccommend preparing to spend money on a variety of samplers from a variety of eliquid manufacturers. You'll find a lot of reviews on the ECF website.

I'm not sure where you are located, but check to see if there's a local vape meet you can attend. It's worth the effort because you'll meet a number of vapers, can check out their equipment, test a wide variety of flavors and find your sweet spot as far as what's comfortable for you. It's helpful to have the support when you have questions too. Many groups will have suggestions / discounts with reputable local suppliers also. Most vape meets will have a Facebook page to stay in contact between meets.

You will start feeling healthier within the first week. That's what fuels vaping. Nicorette did nothing for me, patches didn't either and I almost went crazy on Chantix (that should be taken off the market).

There's a lot of diabetics vaping. I haven't heard of any increased blood sugar problems and I know several people with diabetes. Ask about it on ECF.

I got an Inno starter kit. So far, it's working for cravings. I started on the lowest nicotine level and I'm going to start mixing it with the zero level to get off it for good. My local vaper store's juice is made here in the US in a lab by chemists.

About the juice:

Here at VAPORS we are Proud of Our E-Liquid Lab.

All of our E-Liquids are produced using USP grade minimum 99.8% pure nicotine. We use USP grade Propylene Glycol, and Only the Best, Food Grade Organic and Kosher Vegetable Glycerin. Our flavors are made with naturally and artificial flavorings that are FG GRAS and FEMA. While these things may not mean much to some, these are the things that make a Top Quality Product.

The lab is ISO 9001:2008 and cGMP certified, and has the highest production standards in the industry.

If you are looking for a Premium E-Liquid here are some reasons to choose VAPORS:

PhD Chemist and Chemical Engineers on staff in the lab.
The lab is ISO 9001:2008 and cGMP certified.
Flavorings that are FG GRAS and FEMA.
USP grade minimum 99.8% pure nicotine.
Only the Best, Food Grade Organic and Kosher Vegetable Glycerin.

Great! I'm glad it's going so well for you. Everyone's a little different and sometimes there's an immediate hit and sometimes there's more of a challenge involved. There's no secret science to this. It sounds like you found a great local store too. That's a BIG blessing. The world needs more of those.

If you get a chance to head over to www.e-cigarette-forum.com , look me up. I'm trying to get a blue corner going over there (he-he).

I have only one complaint - vaping makes my nose run, and I mean, it runs.