For the last few months, I’ve been using a pair of tanks from Cirrus Vapes — one polycarbonate tank and one pyrex tank. Both are made in the USA, feature caps and tips made from aircraft aluminum, come with a 90-day warranty, and are among the best-looking tanks I’ve seen. The construction and finish of these babies are top notch. While both tanks are undeniably high-quality products, I found one to be on the expensive side and the other to be inline with the competition.
The polycarbonate tank I used was designed for XL cartomizers. The blue tank and tip looked fantastic on my Vapor4Life Handle and would look equally sweet on eGo-sized products. While it’s easily one of the best-looking polycarbonate tanks I’ve seen, its price is high — $36 for the tank and $10 for the matching drip tip. That’s a fair price for an aluminum tip that’s made in the USA, but paying that much for a polycarbonate tank is tougher to swallow.
The pyrex tank, on the other hand, is priced similarly to other high-end glass products — $46 for the tank and $14 for the large drip tip. This particular model was made for standard-sized cartomizers. Like its polycarbonate sister, this is one of the most beautiful tanks I’ve seen. The craftsmanship of the tank, caps, and drip tip are impressive. It looked great on my iTaste MVP and made all of my mods look better. Although there are many pyrex tanks priced similarly or cheaper than this Cirrus Vapes model, I don’t know of any that can match its combination of quality and looks.
In addition to its “standard” line, Cirrus Vapes makes lots of custom models too. Check out the company Facebook page and you’ll see a wide variety of designs — leopard print, camouflage, stars, flames, crosses, skulls, and more. The custom models are totally sweet. The green camouflage with black caps is especially awesome. Me want.
While Cirrus Vapes makes some of the finest tanks you can buy, they’re not easy to find. Right now, they’re only available at certain California retail stores and a handful of shops in other states. The good news is that the company is expanding, so expect to see them in more and more stores. The better news is that Cirrus will have an online web store in the near future.
If you’re able to pick one up, I highly recommend Cirrus Vapes’ pyrex model. It’s well-made, sturdy, and beautiful. As a homer for made-in-the-USA products, I’m thrilled to see an American company offering top-notch products at a fair price.
Brandon from Vapor 4 Life’s tweeted this photo of a dude that made a vaping device from a NES controller. As a lifelong gamer and an avid vaper, that’s one of the coolest mods I’ve ever seen. It got me thinking of different “gaming mods” I’d make (if I had the skills and knowhow). The obvious choices for recent devices are mods made from a Wii Remote Plus or a PlayStation Move controller. A box mod made from a Game Boy Advance SP would be pretty sweet. I’d replace the screen with a mirror, which would add some functionality (for vain people). The possibilities are endless!
What kind of videogame vaping device would you make? Would you go with an old-school console or peripheral? Or would you use a newer device?
As e-cigarettes become more and more advanced, mods that feature enhanced software and services will be more common. The Ovale eVic showed how devices can be used with PC software to enhance the vaping experience. The Janty MiD Series takes things to a whole new level. In addition to being able to work with Android and Windows software, the MiD has software add-ons you can purchase that extend its functionality. It also features user profiles and a community aspect. In many ways, the MiD has features that are new to vaping, but are things commonly found in gaming and consumer electronics. It’s like my worlds are colliding!
The MiD’s add-ons remind me of what has become a gaming staple: DLC. New customers will be able try out all of the device’s features out of the box, but for only 175 puffs. While the device should have enough performance and flexibility for most vapers, advanced options like realtime variable-voltage and realtime variable-wattage have to be purchased.
Profiles allow the MiD to quickly change settings to suit a different user or a different type of e-liquid. In some ways, this reminds me of a PlayStation 3 or an Xbox 360 with multiple accounts on it. Say I’m vaping with Raina and she wants to use the MiD, but enjoys more watts than I do. Instead of having to go through the menus and change the settings, she can quickly change profiles so that it fires to her liking.
Then there’s the community aspect of the MiD, which reminds of communities based around certain consoles or smartphones. Janty gives its customers the option to share profiles and interact with other MiD users. Vapers can exchange tips on different gear, share videos, and more. Janty gets access to user information and habits, allowing it to improve this software-upgradeable vaping device based on user input.
Lastly, there’s the software aspect, which is something Joyetech/Ovale did first with the eVic. The MiD seems to give users more options and flexibility. More importantly (to tech nerds like me, anyway), the company has plans for an Android version. This is something I’ve been hoping to see. Vaping devices are portable. Smartphones and tablets are portable. I love the idea of having connectivity between my vaping devices and my smartphone. As a fan of Bill James (MLB) and John Hollinger (NBA), I welcome more vaping stats (though I’m not sure how useful they’ll actually be to me).
Here’s a lengthy rundown of the MiD’s features for those of you that are interested. As a gadget geek and a verbal entertainer, I’m really excited for the MiD. On paper, it’s a progressive and unique product that will push the boundaries of what a vaping device can be. That said, I have no idea how it will perform, how well its advanced features will work, and if it’ll be any good. I’m rooting for it to succeed, but expect some hiccups along the way. (Disclosure: Janty is based in the Philippines, so I’m a homer for the product for cultural reasons as well as tech-nerd reasons.) I should be reviewing the MiD next month, so stay tuned (please!).
While I was in Hawaii for holiday break, I stopped by Volcano Vapor Cafe in the Kapahulu section of Honolulu. My brother mentioned the place to me, as it’s just down the road from his condo. Naturally, I had to stop by. What I found was a fun place where you can check out e-cigs and e-liquids, as well as hop on the Internet, grab some coffee, enjoy a sandwich, watch TV, and play some console games. Check out the video above for a tour of the cafe.
The cafe’s staff are a nice bunch of people that are friendly and knowledgable about vaping. Similar to my experience with The Vapor Spot in Los Angeles, they’re a cut above the employees you find at most retail shops. As many of you know, I generally hate the retail experience; I rather slam my fingers in a door repeatedly than deal with some of the people I’ve encountered at Best Buy and GameStop. After watching the staff at Volcano Vapor Cafe for a few hours, I was reminded that the retail experience can be a pleasant one.
The customers were a diverse group of people. Most of them were locals that were stopping in to get new cartomizers or juice. They seemed proud to be supporting a local company (Volcano HQ is in Oahu, near my beloved Lanikai Beach). It was cool seeing people quickly to stop in to get cartos, similar to how they’d drop by a convenience store to get tobacco cigarettes. Naturally, there were a lot of people that were inquiring about the LavaTube Version 2, one of the hottest products on the market today. Lastly, there were some tourists (Kapahulu is minutes from Waikiki) that were picking up e-cig kits to bring back to their countries. Whatever their needs were, the staff took care of them in a polite and friendly manner.
While I was filming, some of the patrons noticed my Ovale USA eVic. It was cool that other vapers were immediately able to identify new gear. Of course they had lots of questions about the mod and the software it works with. And of course, I had to let them try it. Soon enough, a bunch of people got out their drip tips and tried my eVic. After that, we talked about the different tanks I had on me (Cirrus Vapes and Valley View Vapes). This led to other conversations about different gear and e-liquids, showing the community aspect of Volcano Vapor Cafe. It’s awesome that vapers have a place to hang out, meet fellow vapers, and share experiences.
By the time you watch this video and read this article, Volcano will have a second cafe. I was told that the new cafe will be bigger and feature a stage for live music. Coincidentally, it will be in Ewa Beach, which is where my parents recently moved to. I’m pretty sure that there are cosmic forces at work, placing vaping cafes near where my brother and parents live, respectively.
If you’re a vaper that’s vacationing in Oahu then I highly recommend stopping by Volcano Vapor Cafe. It’s just a fun place to hang out, vape, grab a snack, and meet fellow vapers. While there are many Internet vendors that I love dealing with, it’s awesome that there are more physical locations where vapers can shop and socialize too. Hopefully more and more vaping cafes will open in the future. With some luck, perhaps a Volcano Vapor Cafe will open up in your town!
One of the biggest differences I’ve experienced during my switch from tobacco cigarettes to vaping e-cigs is that I now I enjoy a wide variety of flavors. When I was smoking tobacco, I’d generally stick to one brand for months or years at a time. Over the years, I’ve alternated between Dunhill International Lights, Nat Sherman MCD, and Camel Turkish Silver. Vaping has been a drastically different experience. Although I started out having one flavor every few days, I now enjoy several different flavors throughout the day. As I’m typing this article, my desk has vaping devices with Blue Grass Burley (tobacco), Boba Tea (Taiwanese dessert beverage), and Poppin’ Peach (fruit, duh) loaded. Vaping has allowed me to trade stinky and harmful tobacco cigarettes for a rainbow of fine flavors.
Part of it is that there’s so much more available. In addition to tobacco-flavored e-liquids, there are plenty of excellent beverage, dessert, and fruit juices out there. There are even strange and unusual ones, like absinthe, bacon, and crab juice. I’ve enjoyed things from Virginia tobacco to peach to rice pudding to cherry cola and more. It’s lots of fun hunting for new juices and trying out new ones. It’s cool being surprised by e-liquids that you didn’t think would translate well to vaping.
Another facet is that there are so many great e-liquid makers out there. Each one has its own style and it’s fun seeing different takes on the same juice. As a big fan of all things peach, I’ve enjoyed trying different takes on the flavor from Ahlusion, Backwoods Brew, and Orb Vapor. It’s interesting seeing what each company does with the peach flavor. Some go for a natural peach, while others go for something similar to a Peach Jolly Rancher.
As someone that grew up in New York, I’m frustrated that it’s so difficult to find a black-and-white cookie in California. I have high hopes that Alice in Vapeland’s B/W Cookie will satisfy that craving (and spare me the calories). Now I just need a vendor to make NY Pizza, NY Knish, and NY Bagel juices. Ha!
For all you lovers vapers out there, kindly share your experience with different flavors of vaping e-liquids. What have you liked? What has surprised you? Was there anything you thought you’d like but didn’t? Shout it out in the comments section (please!).
Raina and I checked out three more e-liquids from Ahlusion. This time around we went for a beverage theme, choosing Boba Tea, Mimosa Cocktail, and W&A Sasparilla. Boba Tea is based on the popular (for Asians, anyway) dessert beverage from Taiwan, Mimosa Cocktail is a lovely champagne and fruit mix, and W&A Sasparilla is a really unique juice that almost tastes like an adult root beer. As in our first Ahlusion review, we were impressed by the quality of the e-liquids and how carefully they’re packaged (best in the business, in my experience). Check out the video above, as well as more details and steeping details on the juices below.
Boba Tea: Raina and I were really excited to try this one, since boba is an important part of our relationship. She introduced me to the drink about 12 years ago and I’ve been digging it ever since. There’s something magical about the blend of milk tea and tapioca balls. We wanted to love this e-liquid, but ended up really, really liking it. Raina wanted more of the rice-like taste that comes from the drink’s tapioca balls. I wanted a little bit less sweetness and a bit more creaminess. Despite not quite tasting like the beverage, the combination of tea, milk, and Asian sweetness (my nickname, btw) made this my favorite juice of the three. One of the cool things about this juice is that Ahlusion allows you to add different fruit options. In the future, we’ll be reviewing Boba Tea with Lychee, which is how I usually order boba. We’re really psyched to try that one.
Mimosa Cocktail: As with the juice above, this one is available with a variety of options. You can add extra champagne and fruit flavoring, as well as choose different fruit flavors (orange, peach, pear, pomegranate, etc.). We went with the standard champagne with orange. Both of us felt like the champagne flavor was really slight. Although the orange flavor was delicious and tasted natural, we both wanted more of a champagne kick (which, perhaps, says something about our drinking habits). This is something we’d definitely get again, but with the “extra champagne” option.
W&A Sasparilla: This was Raina’s favorite of the bunch. Some people are going to mistake it for a straight root beer flavor because they’ll be thinking about A&W. It’s definitely not a standard root beer flavor. This is a unique, spicy, and complex juice that’s almost like root beer for grown ups. In some ways, it’s like comparing a wine cooler to a fine Bordeaux. The sasparilla comes at you right away. It immediately reminded Raina of the sasparilla beverages that are popular with kids in Asia. She was enamored with the striking flavor and the effervescent spiciness. While I definitely enjoyed and appreciated the juice, I liked it less than she did. Backwoods Brew’s Root Beer was more to my liking as an all-day vape. For me, this was a wonderful juice in small doses.
Steeping Notes
Boba Tea
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: November 27, 2012 3:13PM
Recapped: November 29, 2012 4:13PM
Mimosa Cocktail
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: November 27, 2012 3:13PM
Recapped: November 29, 2012 4:13PM
W&A Sasparilla
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: November 27, 2012 3:13PM
Recapped: November 29, 2012 4:13PM
When I first heard about the Ovale USA eVic, I was immediately intrigued. As a longtime tech writer, I was fascinated by the idea of a vaping device with upgradeable firmware. Like computers, consoles, and mobile phones I’ve reviewed, the eVic has the potential to get better and better with each firmware update. After using the device for the last month, the eVic has shown its potential. Initially, I found it to be middling, but after a firmware update the experience was much, much better. This is one of the most unique vaping devices available today, but it’s not right for everyone. Here’s the breakdown.
What’s in the Kit: Like the other Ovale USA products I’ve reviewed, the eVic comes nicely packaged. Included in the box are the device, a 2,600 mAh 18650 battery, a USB cable, a wall adapter, and a thorough instruction manual. Considering the relatively complex nature of the eVic, a concise and easy-to-understand instruction manual was a must. Ovale USA did a good job at explaining how everything works (though the “How to Vape” section kind of cracked me up). The manual made me think of the Innokin iTaste MVP, which is a fine vaping device, but its spartan instruction manual left some users wondering how basic functions work. Even the most technologically-challenged vapers should be able to master the eVic after reading the instruction manual.
The eVic has a list price of $139 and currently costs $104.20 on Ovale USA’s site.
Construction and Build Quality: The eVic’s construction is mostly good. The tube is primarily metal, with some bits of plastic (twist ring, LCD cover, firing button, and battery cap). While the construction wasn’t as impressive as something like the rock-solid Silver Bullet, I was pleased with the eVic’s build. One area of concern for some users is the cover for the Micro USB port; it’s a small and somewhat fragile flap, similar to the ones used on some mobile phones. I didn’t have a problem with it personally, but I have several friends that have ripped out similar flaps on their phones and I imagine some users will rip the flap off of the eVic. Honestly, I don’t get how people tear these things out, but I understand that it happens.
Ergonomics and Design: For an 18650-battery mod, the eVic is fairly svelte. This is due to the metal tube being relatively thin. Compared to many mods that use an 18650 battery, the eVic feels thin and light, which some users will appreciate. It felt very comfortable in my hand, using my thumb to hit the firing button.
As for its looks, this is a slick device. There’s not a lot you can do to make a tube mod look different, but this one stands out — certainly more than I thought it would. I was recently at Volcano Vapor Cafe in Honolulu and several patrons immediately recognized the device, gushing over it. I also like the subtle branding on the eVic; it has the Ovale and eVic brands painted on in a silver that’s slightly darker than the tube. A lot of the mods I’ve seen and used have ham-fisted branding, so it was nice to see something subtle.
Operation: The eVic uses a 510 connection that accepts a wide variety of equipment. With the top cap on, you can use standard 510 atomizers and cartomizers. If you take the top cap off, it’s a cinch to use eGo-threaded parts. After spilling a bunch of e-liquid on my pants unscrewing a Kanger T3 with the top cap on, I highly recommend taking it off when using eGo-threaded parts. (Yes, I should get an idiot award for that maneuver.)
Sorting through the device’s functions was a snap for me, though I can see some people getting tired of the twisting and clicking. It’s five clicks to wake up the device or to get to the menu system when it’s on. The scroll wheel sorts through the various functions, while the firing button confirms the selection. The thing to keep in mind is that there really isn’t a device with this much functionality. It would be easy to complain that the user interface is similar to the cumbersome ones found on many television sets or mobile phones from a decade ago, but this is new ground for a vaping device. Being able to select voltage, wattage, temperature alarm, puff count, and more is novel. For a first-of-its-kind device, the UI on the eVic is acceptable.
Software: The eVic works in conjunction with the My Vapor Record software. The software can be used to track vaping patterns and update firmware. It’s fairly simple software, but again it doesn’t really have any competitors. For me, it wasn’t useful outside of updating firmware, but some users like to be able to track their vaping habits and it can be a great tool for vapers looking to limit their usage. One of the guys I met at Volcano Vapor Cafe described the tracking function as, “So gangsta!”
There were a few things I didn’t like about My Vapor Record. First, it’s only available for Windows. With the rapid growth of the Mac OS X market, I was surprised by the oversight. OS X and Linux users will have to dual-boot or borrow a friend’s machine to update firmware. Secondly, I didn’t like that My Vapor Record runs in the background; that seems like a waste of system resources and could slow things down for people using older Windows machines.
Performance and Battery Life: As far as straight vaping goes, the eVic has been a solid performer. It produces satisfying hits, though the voltage accuracy is a bit off. Trying a variety of voltage settings, I found the accuracy to be as much as 0.2 volts higher or lower than what was set. If you’re a by-the-numbers vaper then this can be off-putting. My recommendation is to dial to taste. Vapers that enjoy extreme high-voltage settings won’t be pleased with the device’s limits, but it should satisfy the majority of vapers out there.
Updating from firmware version 1.0 to 1.1 made a huge difference in performance. Originally, the eVic wasn’t a true variable-wattage device, meaning that the wattage wouldn’t automatically adjust when atomizers, cartomizers, or clearomizers were changed. The new firmware fixed that issue and also streamlined the UI, making the eVic easier to use.
In terms of battery life, I got a day and half of use out of a full charge. This was inline with my expectations of an 18650-battery mod. One nice thing about the eVic is that it doesn’t require a separate charger. You can leave the battery in the device and charge via USB, with or without a wall adapter. Like many device on the market, it offers pseudo-passthrough functionality; you can vape and charge if there’s some battery power left, but you can’t run the device plugged in if the battery is fully depleted.
Verdict: When I first started using the eVic, I thought it was an “okay” vaping device. The accuracy was off, the UI was cluttered, and I really didn’t like that it didn’t offer true variable-wattage performance. Firmware update 1.1 addressed two of those concerns and now I feel that it’s a very good device with the potential to be a great one. The upgradeable firmware was what made the eVic so interesting to me in the first place. I love that the eVic experience I’m enjoying today is better than the one I had out of the box and could be very different from the one I’ll have six months from now. I knew that there would be some initial kinks with the eVic and was pleased to see Joyetech (the OEM) address them so quickly. It’s unique that the same vaping hardware has gone from okay to very good in less than a month. I can’t wait to see where it goes from here!
The eVic is best for people that enjoy a certain amount of tinkering and like to play around with gadgets. There are better choices for those looking for a straight-up vaping experience, but this is one of the most unique products on the market today. It’s versatile, comfortable, and produces satisfying vapor. As of this writing, it’s a very good mod and I have a feeling that a future firmware update will make it a great one within the next few months.
Here are a trio of fun vaping photos I snapped during the last month. The first two are from a hipster vegetarian lunch Raina and I went on last month. The one above is called “No Smoking. Yes Vaping!” The one below is called “Hipster Vegetarian Dessert, Attack!” Continue reading “Vaping Diaries #25: Goofy Vaping Photos!”
Raina and I checked out three e-liquids from Fuzion Vapor: Magnum PI, Hadouken, and Milli Vanilli. Fuzion is a creative e-juice company that makes some really unique blends and uses creative names (as you can tell). Magnum PI is a tropical fruit medley with hints of cream and menthol. The Street Fighter-inspired Hadouken is a lemon-lime juice with a strong menthol kick (fireball?). Lastly, Milli Vanilli is a watermelon-based juice that tries to make sure that you won’t “blame it on the rain.”
These juices are relatively inexpensive at $13.75 for a 30ml bottle. The e-liquids come in fairly standard packing. The bottles are plastic (I greatly prefer glass) and have really fine tips that allow you to drip with precision. Fuzion uses a house blend of 35/65 PG/VG. Raina and I usually vape 50/50 or 60/40 juices. The vendor does offer custom PG/VG percentages, so I’d probably go that route if I ordered from Fuzion again.
While I really wanted to love this vendor, my first Fuzion experience was only a “like.” The fruit flavors are very “candy” and artificial. Both Raina and I prefer natural fruit flavors. That said, the juices are definitely quality and if you like candy flavors then you’ll love Fuzion Vapor.
Here are the flavor breakdowns:
Magnum PI: This was easily the best of the bunch. Raina and I really enjoyed the complexity of this e-liquid. There’s so much going on — a tropical fruit medley mixed with cream and a subtle menthol finish. It all blended together for a really enjoyable and fascinating vape.
Hadouken: Since Raina and I are both gamers, we really wanted to love this one, but only liked it. The mix of lemon-lime and menthol is definitely interesting, but it reminded us of vaping a cough drop. Raina said that this one was “medicinal,” while it reminded me of a Hall’s Mentho-Lyptus. We enjoyed it as an occasional vape, but definitely not an all-day one.
Milli Vanilli: As fans of “Blame it on the Rain,” and “Girl You Know it’s True,” Raina and I wanted to love this juice too. It really didn’t do much for us. It’s not bad, but it’s kind of forgettable. The watermelon flavor reminded me of a lighter version of watermelon bubblegum. This e-liquid was just kind of…there.
Steeping Notes
Magnum PI
35/65 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: November 3, 2012 5:31PM
Recapped: November 6, 2012 9:45AM
Tested: December 18, 2012
Hadouken
35/65 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: November 3, 2012 5:31PM
Recapped: November 6, 2012 9:45AM
Tested: December 18, 2012
Milli Vanilli
35/65 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: November 3, 2012 5:31PM
Recapped: November 6, 2012 9:45AM
Tested: December 18, 2012
Raina and I checked out three e-liquids from E-Juice Plus: Menthol, Coffee, and Butterscotch. These juices are available for the relatively low price of $20 for 60ml. For an additional $5, you can add the unique option of ganoderma extract. Ganoderma is a mushroom used in Eastern and alternative medicine. It is believed to have many health benefits.
Now, I’m not a doctor (nor do I play one on TV), so I can’t say whether or not vaping ganoderma will improve your health. What I can say is that the extract absolutely does not make e-liquids taste like mushrooms (a common misconception). It adds a background taste, for sure, but Raina and I enjoyed these juices on their own. I liked all three, but Raina really liked them. Now onto the flavors!
Menthol: This is a mild menthol, so if you’re looking for something to clear out your sinuses then this juice isn’t for you. Out of the three juices, this one had the most noticeable background taste, but it didn’t make the juice taste bad by any means. Both of use liked this flavor, but it didn’t blow us away. In general, we both prefer menthols and mints with a little more strength, so we wished this one had more of a kick. If you like your menthols mild then this is a serviceable all-day vape.
Coffee: Both of us liked this one better than Menthol. The coffee taste in this juice is similar to canned ice coffee or coffee mix. It’s a light milk-and-coffee taste that does a good job of masking any background taste that ganoderma infuses. As some of you know, I’m pretty insane with my coffee (burr grinder, Chemex, and freshly roasted beans), but I also enjoy canned coffee and view it as a its own unique flavor — kind of like enjoying Taco Bell, but not considering it real Mexican food. With that in mind, I enjoyed this juice as an approximation of canned coffee as opposed to fresh coffee.
Butterscotch: This was our favorite juice of the three. Trying it blindly, Raina thought it had a nice “vanilla cake” taste. The butterscotch flavor is mild, so if you like e-liquids that are strong and sweet then this isn’t for you. If you want a distinct sweetness that’s good for an all-day vape then this is a good choice. The ganoderma actually complements the butterscotch flavor, giving it a unique twist. While we thought Menthol was okay and Coffee was good, Butterscotch was the flavor we fought over.
Juice Contents
10% Basic juice
15% PG
45% VG
10% Ganoderma
20% Flavor (50/50 VG/PG)
Steeping Notes
Menthol
10mg nicotine
Uncapped: November 19, 2012 6:35PM
Recapped: November 21, 2012 7:00PM
Tested: December 18, 2012
Coffee
10mg nicotine
Uncapped: November 19, 2012 6:35PM
Recapped: November 21, 2012 7:00PM
Tested: December 18, 2012
Butterscotch
50/50 PG/VG ratio 10mg nicotine
Uncapped: November 19, 2012 6:35PM
Recapped: November 21, 2012 7:00PM
Tested: December 18, 2012
