Vaping Diaries #271: The Vape Kit Interview (Vapecon USA)

The Vape Kit is one of the smartest companies in the vaping business. The company originally started with a question-and-answer site, similar to a Quora or a Yahoo! Answers for vapers. Considering that there’s a lot to learn in the (relatively) new and (relatively) wacky world of vaping, a crowd-sourced and community-driven solution that answers questions many vapers have was a fantastic idea.

For its second act, The Vape Kit has released a compact and complete toolkit made just for vapers. Again, this was a really smart idea that solves a problem that many vapers encounter. Since there isn’t a vaping section at Ace Hardware or Home Depot, many beginning vapers start out with the wrong tools that end up being a waste of money and space. The Vape Kit toolset packs all the essentials in an easy-to-carry package. You get an ohm reader, tweezers, needle-nose pliers, a wire cutter, precision screwdrivers, and more.

Learn all about The Vape Kit — both the company and the toolset — from founders Aleks Blagojevich and Aaron Silva in the Vapecon USA interview above.

Vape Kit interview

Vaping Diaries #270: Lilly Evans Talks Vaping, Gaming, and Model Water

The highlight of my Vapecon USA 2014 show was hanging out with Lilly Evans at the Ruthless Vapor booth. One of the hottest models in the SoCal scene, Lilly does a lot of work in the Hot Import Nights and vaping communities. She’s also an avid gamer, currently diggingĀ Destiny and a longtimeĀ Halo fan. In addition to promoting Ruthless Vapor at the show, Lilly Evans was showing off her new Model Water. Yes, you can enjoy a refreshing and healthy bottle of water with a sexy photo of Lilly Evans on the bottle — that’s just genius.

So yeah, Lilly is pretty awesome. She’s sexy as hell, delightfully charming, a vaper, and a gamer. Honestly, I don’t know how I made it through the interview. She’s too much to handle. Ha! Anyway, check out my chat with Lilly Evans to learn about her gaming and vaping habits. Hit her up on Xbox One if you want to enjoy a space-shooting adventure with scintillating model.

Lilly Evans Xbox Gamertag

 

Vaping Diaries #269: Vapor Spot Jazz, Funk, & Soul E-Juice Interview (Vapecon USA)

The Vapor Spot owner “JJ” John Jenkins was one of the first people I interviewed for RPadTV’s vaping section. The Vapor Spot was America’s first vape shop, according to JJ, and the company has come a long way. When I first chatted with him a few years ago, The Vapor Spot had three house juices named after rock ‘n roll artists (Elvis, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin). The line has expanded and evolved to become the “Jazz, Funk, & Soul” series of vaping e-liquids.

JJ matched flavors that represent each artist. For example, Ray (Charles) is a sweet Georgia peach, while Herbie (Hancock) is a watermelon flavor. (On a side note, some kid was at The Vapor Spot booth and was insisting that naming a watermelon juice after Herbie Hancock was racist. It took a ton of restraint to not slap him for his ignorance of the outstanding “Watermelon Man.”) From Nina Simone to John Lennon to Tito Puente, the Jazz, Funk, & Soul juices cover a wide variety of artists and flavors.

Check out my Vapecon USA interview with JJ to learn more about The Vapor Spot’s Jazz, Funk, & Soul e-liquids and to see which artist fits into your vaping wheelhouse.

Vapor Spot Jazz Funk Soul

Vaping Diaries #268: Infinite Mod & CLT v2 Plus Atomizer Interview (Vapecon USA)

Infinite is known for making high-quality clones of well-known mods and atomizer. Vapers looking for a bargain, often go with the company’s replicas. Vapers that have issues with clones mostly avoid the company. At Vapecon USA 2014, Infinite showed off two products that appeal to both types of vapers. The Inifnite Mod and CLT v2 Plus are original products that will be available at a low price. Checking them out quickly at the show, I was impressed with their combination of features and quality.

Cloud chasers at Vapecon USA made a B-line for the CLT v2 Plus, so much so that it sold out the first day of the show. This Infinite atomizer offers a versatile deck that can accommodate a wide variety of builds, a deep juice well, massive airflow, and a top cap that integrates a wide-bore tip for additional vapor production. It combines features of the popular Tobh and Helios atomizers. For cloud chasers on a budget, the CLT v2 Plus looks like a fantastic choice.

Vapers that want an elegant mod for a low price will want to check out the Infinite Mod. This copper beauty has a magnetic switch and can accept the three most common 18xxx vaping batteries. What impressed me the most about the Infinite Mod was its seems. Even though this is a modular mech, you can’t see the seems. The practically transparent lines reminded me of the ones on JD Tech’s excellent Stringray X mech.

Check out my chat with Infinite manager Jeffrey Wong to learn more about the mod and the atomizer, and stay tuned for a review in the near future.

Infinite CLT v2 Plus atomizer

Vaping Diaries #267: The Oil Company Ehab Abufarie Interview (Vapecon USA)

As I was walking past The Oil Company’s booth at Vapecon USA, its bottles immediately caught my eye. The Oil Company uses bottles that are unique, different, and cool. Each one is hand finished and hand painted, so no two are the same. I immediately want to learn more about these e-liquids and started chatting with chief of operations Ehab Abufarie. In the interview above, Ehab talks about the unique bottling process The Oil Company e-liquids use, its three launch flavors, the next flavor coming, and why it’s important to him to use nicotine derived from organic tobacco.

Oil Company Ehab Abufarie Vapecon USA

Vaping Diaries #266: The Mad Carpenter Brandyn Young Interview (Vapecon USA)

The Mad Carpenter has been making gorgeous hand-crafted wood vape stands for years. Recently, the company introduced a hand-crafted wood box mod called the Curve V1. With the same quality as its renowned stands, The Mad Carpenter Curve V1 is one of the most beautiful box mods you’ll ever see. There are several variations of the Curve V1, since dozens of different woods are used throughout the line. All models feature an ergonomic shape that allows you to get a good grip with either hand, as well as a unique thumb-slide door that ensures that your batteries will never be exposed accidentally.

In the Vapecon USA 2014 interview above, The Mad Carpenter owner and craftsman Brandyn Young talks about his background in wood furniture and transitioning from making great vape stands to making a great box mod. Brandyn talks about several unique features of the Curve V1 and teases his upcoming DNA40 box mod based on the same design language.

Companies like The Mad Carpenter make my happy. It’s an American company that serves up unique made-in-the-USA vaping goods of impeccable quality. Check out the clip above and you’ll see what makes The Mad Carpenter so special.

Mad Carpenter Box Mod Brandyn Young

Vaping Diaries #265: Good Vibes Kuya Ray Interview (Vapecon USA)

If there’s a vaping event in Southern California, Good Vibes E-Liquid creator Kuya Ray is more than likely to be there. I’m pretty sure there are at least three of him, because dude is everywhere. Ever the hustler, Kuya Ray has been netting a ton of attention with Good Vibes’ juices. A lot of my friends are hooked on Lei’d and LA Lovin’. In the Vapecon USA 2014 interview above, Kuya Ray talks about those flavors, the Morning Wood and First Kiss juices, and a couple of upcoming additions. There’s also a tangent about how one of our pervy friends from Cloud Kicker Society helped come up with a clever juice name. There’s also talk of an upcoming e-liquid that may or may not be called Golden Showers. Ha!

Good Vibes Kuya Ray interview

Vaping Diaries #264: MVPZ Cindy Kaminaka Interview (Vapecon USA)

Mom’s Vape Protectorz (MVPZ) owner Cindy Kaminaka is a fixture in the SoCal vape scene. She’s a mother figure or big-sister type for so many SoCal vapers. Her company also makes some of the best mod protectors in the business. MVPZ mod protectors are made primarily from neoprene, which is soft, cushioned, and stretchable. The company offers models that can accommodate eGo-style e-cigs, 18xxx mods, 26650 mods, and box mods. Several MVPZ models are also available with horizontal or vertical velcro straps, allowing them to be attached to a backpack strap or belt. With their great protection, versatility, and good looks, MVPZ mod protectors are my favorite mod holders.

In the interview above, Cindy talks about how the company got started, the various mod protectors she has available, what’s coming next, and how our friend from Convict Vapors uses his MVPZ to vape while on his motorcycle.

Vaping Diaries #263: Beefcake the Mighty GWAR Talks Vaping

In addition to being a ruthlessly rocking bassist and one of the most powerful denizens on planet Earth, GWAR’s Beefcake the Mighty is an avid vaper. He even has a juice named after him (German Chocolate Beefcake) in Mt. Baker Vapor’s line of GWAR Fluids. Minutes before he took the stage and conquered the crowd, I had a brief chat with Beefcake the Mighty to learn more about his vaping habits and how the relationship with Mt. Baker Vapor came about. The answer to the latter was simple, as Beefcake boisterously exclaimed, “They came to me on their knees!!!” As for the type of vaping gear the GWAR bass-playing badass likes to use, Beefcake favors simple devices. Check out the video above for one of the zaniest interviews I’ve ever conducted.

As for the show itself, it was a total blast. It took place at The Observatory in Santa Ana — an intimate venue where the crowd could really connect with the band. It was my first GWAR show and it was entertaining on several levels. The music and show were enjoyable on their own, but what I really loved was the utter lack of pretense. You can tell that the band is serious about entertaining their fans, but don’t take themselves seriously at all. It was such a refreshing contrast to most “artists” out there. The show itself was great, but the unique vibe is what will stay with me — a very particular and very pure type of fun.

For many GWAR fans in attendance, this was the first time seeing the band since original frontman Oderus Urungus passed away. The tour’s plot revolved around using a time machine to (mistakenly) order pizza and grab Oderus from the past. Several portions of the show were a tribute to the GWAR mastermind and you could feel the love the fans have for him. If you’re interested in furthering Oderus Urungus’ efforts on Earth, please check out the outstanding Dave Brockie Fund.

Anyway, please watch the video above when you have a chance. It was definitely fun for me to conduct and edit, but it was also very challenging. Both my feet are wrecked and I was on crutches for the entire interview. I was pretty close to keeling over towards the end. Ha!

Special thanks to my excellent friend Justin Leeper for setting up this interview and to Convict Vapors for a nice gift for Beefcake the Mighty.

Gwar fluids

Vaping Diaries #262: Vapetilly Allen Seiden Interview

Vapetilly is a social network for vapers with Android or iOS devices. It combines elements of Instagram, Yelp, Tinder, and more. Vapetilly is all about connecting vapers, whether it’s vaper to vaper, retailer to vaper, mod maker to vaper, etc. In the interview above, Vapetilly founder Allen Seiden goes over the app’s current features and talks about upcoming additions.

In addition to an Instagram-style feed, Vapetilly has some nice features for vapers looking to pick up new goods. The app makes it easy to find vape shops and the feed can be used to buy or sell goods privately. The social aspects of the app are unique; users can locate nearby vapers and chat with them in order to set up vape sessions. Some of my friends find this feature fun, while others find it a bit stalker-y.

While Vapetilly has a lot going on right now, there are even more features planned for future updates. Video will be a big part of the app’s future, with video posts and video chat coming soon. On top of video chat, voice chat will be available as well. For vapers that are on multiple social networks, Vapetilly will have cross-posting capabilities, allowing users to enter a single post that hits multiple social networks.

As a vaper-specific social network, I’m glad that Vapetilly exists. It’s good for the community and the social network has great potential. Some users like the broad array of features that the app offers, but some feel that it’s too ambitious and somewhat unfocused. While I’ve used Vapetilly a bit, I haven’t used it enough to form a strong opinion one way or another. Certainly it hasn’t replaced Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ for me, but I’m intrigued by its potential. While the feature set is broad, I like that the community is ultra-focused. Plus, I’m hoping that it will help me find the vampire-vaper-cheerleader stalker that I’ve been dreaming about.

Vapetilly Allen Seiden Interview