Who's using a Pod system?

[Bebop]

Just realized I hit the 5 year mark a few days ago.

the last 2 - 3 years I've been using only the sub tank mini essentially.  about a year and a half ago I started making my own juice and have not looked back.    I love the fact that I'm spending virtually nothing on vaping these days.  I haven't needed cotton or wire for years.  my Juice requirements are a drop in the bucket.  It's been great.

 

but recently I've grown tired of the boat anchors I carry around to vape with and I'm seriously considering changing it up in one of two ways:

1.  get a smaller set up that is equally as easy to build on as the sub tank. 

 

2. try a pod. 

 

I'm not sold on the pods yet. Mostly don't want the expense. 

sell me?

[FXRich]

For the past year or so I have been using the nano RBAs from fasttech, they are the same design as the original subtank mini RBA,  I had to modify them a little bit by making the juice slots a little bigger. If you don't use more than 60% VG they work pretty good, I use them with a Subvod battery, and battery life isn't very long, but I can't expect a 1300 mah battery to last as long as a 3000 mah LG battery. I still mostly use the larger mods with a subtank mini, but like using the smaller setup when I'm not gone for very long or I take 2 of them with me. (the car has a USB port in the dash) and I ordered extra subvod batteries so I can charge one while using the other one.

[Tam]

8 hours ago, Bebop said:

Just realized I hit the 5 year mark a few days ago.

sell me?

You rang?  

First, congrats on your five year mark. I remember when you first came on to this forum... you've been missed lately. 

I've been trying the pods lately. Like you, I'm tired of lugging around a fist sized brick although I do still use them at home.

The first pod I've tried is Vapor Talk's Amethyst with the nic salt pods. I'm in love with the size, it's perfect for stealth vaping and so easy and light to carry around. The mixed berry flavor is amazing (the kit comes with four pods - menthol, tobacco, mango and mixed berries). That said, it's small -- something like a 250 mAh? and the pods are small so they don't last long. I could live with that - to a point, but the major downside to it is that many of the pods leak ( @Christopher  said they can be refilled but Vapor Talk doesn't sell the liquid by itself, you have to buy the pods). When it leaks enough to get into the battery part, the battery stops working. Chris is aware and said they're working on it but for now, the leaking pods being so expensive ($12.99 for a 4-pack), it's not my favorite although it easily could be if they fix the leak and sell liquid by itself.

Bought the SV MiPod, it's a little square thing with a refillable 1 ml pod. You can refill 5 - 7 times before the coil goes out. Of course, if you're using sweeter, darker juices... you know the drill. While it's cute, I'm very disappointed in the little button (five clicks on/off), it never turns off and the vapor is hot. I've burned my lips a couple times already despite changing out the pods -- of course I bought extras! This one is a no for me.

The GhoSTick is another pen style refillable pod system. The pod holds 1.5 mls of liquid, 2.0 ohm coil, 350 mAh battery and comes with the charge cord and two empty pods. All the pods take a minimum 50/50 juice. Any more VG and the coil burns up faster, too much PG and the pods leak, which is what I think is the problem with the Amethyst pods, it's too high in PG. Anyway, this is the winner so far for me. It's got refillable pods, it's a little longer than I'd like, the Amethyst's length is perfect but you give up battery life for shortness. I've been using this one a lot lately and have bought some of my favorite juices in 50/50 at 12 mg regular nic (higher nic so I don't vape it as much).

I have a SMOK Infinix on its way with some extra empty pods, they should be here tomorrow. It's very similar to the Amethyst so we'll have to see how that one works.

If I were to recommend one of the ones I've tried, so far I'd say try the GhoSTick and mix some juice to 50/50 and give it a whirl.   

[Bebop]

Hi Tam!

I just flew out of Denver a couple hours ago and just arrived in Florida for a long week here.  we bought a place out here so we'll be coming more often haha...

And, of course,  had to pack up all my stuff and once again was like so much stuff lugging around chargers, tanks,  juice ( which was a mini nightmare this trip - major leakage)  I'm Leaning toward the compact set ups that pods offer.

but,  I don't think they are quite there yet.  My stepson got the Sourin pod and I think it lasted a week.  it leaked into the unit and stopped working.  Well, I had the chance to pull it apart and thought that the pods themselves were pretty cheaply constructed and although I loved the size and vapor production was pretty awesome I'm concerned about the reliability.  (and the expense but it might be worth it for outings)  I'm still looking in to it.  jury is out right now.

 

thanks for all the info!  good stuff!  Vape stores all around our here so might do a little shopping  and research Haha.  I know next to nothing about salt nic.  frankly I haven't been wanting for years now.  those dang Subtanks are tried and true workhorses but the bulk is getting to me. 

5 years.  hard to imagine it's been five years already.  I peek in now and again but I've been very busy with my business and now I'm thinking of transitioning it out here in the next few years and see where it takes me Haha.   life is good.  I'll be around.  Have always appreciated VaporTalk. 

 

[Tam]

Salt nic is fairly new and I'm not sure what the heck they are other than they're high nic, most are in the 35 mg range, but that keeps me from chain vaping and it doesn't offer a harsh vape.

Yeah, the years fly by don't they? I'm happy to see you're already at the 5 year mark. Next month I'll be at 6 years... wow. Never thought I'd be off cigarettes for this long.

Good to hear you're doing well. I hope to see you around a little more often, I've missed spending your money.   

[Bebop]

And thanks, Rich.  hope all is well.  yeah I've done some experimenting  with the subtank on various batteries too.  I'm spoiled by the consistency and ease of the subtank and a brick battery  but dang.  it gets tiresome sometimes.  

[Bebop]

lol.  I let you know how it goes, tam.  I feel my wallet opening as we speak.  I'm definitely going to give something a whirl while I'm out here.

I've heard that salt nic is less harsh.  Only one I tried was a menthol though and I don't do menthols (although I have to admit , was exactly like a Kool that I remember).  well I'll definitely get out and do some 'sperimenting.

[Tam]

I'm interested in what you find while you experiment. You'll have to report back when you find something good.   

[Bebop]

just wanted to add.  that's one thing I found in all me experience.  at first I wanted  cigarette flavor. then it evolved to vapor production.  then I weaned myself down to 3mg where I sat for a long time.  but I was vaping like a chimney.  so went back to higher ohm coils and back to 6mg but I vape a lot less.  and that's where I'm sitting today Vaping 6 on and .90 coil but only putting away 3 - 5 mils a day instead of 10 or 15 Haha. 

 

yeah.  I will report back what I find....

Edited April 21, 2018 by Bebop

[Tam]

For me, I wanted anything that wasn't cigarette flavored but would supply the nic I wanted/needed. Then, the race was on to find the all day vape flavor. After that, I was looking for performance in way of vapor production and longevity of battery. These days I'm using the Eleaf iPower 80W TC with the Aspire Triton 2 with a 1.8 ohm coil, 3 mg nic, and vaping like a train.

This is why I want to find a good pod system that's lightweight, easy to conceal and carry, gives me the nic and vapor to satisfy and not vape as much. 

[Bebop]

yeah.  the truth is I just want to vape less (horror!) be a little more stealthy, After 5 years I've got it down!..........well, sort of......😄

[FXRich]

Another setup that I use sometimes, but not very often is a KPT2 with a 1.5 coil on a subvod battery. I don't get as much vapor as a subtank mini, but get enough and using a 1.5 coil I get decent battery life. I seem to be going backwards instead of trying new things.

[Walt]

Wow, late to the party.. @Bebop Congratulations on five years!!!!!   Huge!!!  Pod's......  No idea.  I like the look and the concept, just haven't tried any.  Nic salts.  I could be just full of it but I'm down to 2mg and like the idea.  I have it in my head if I start vaping nic salts that I will be increasing my addiction.  It is the throat hit that I find irritating and over time is lowering my nic levels.   Obviously the salts take care of that.  Almost seems nefarious in a sense.  

[Tam]

1 hour ago, Walt said:

Wow, late to the party.. @Bebop Congratulations on five years!!!!!   Huge!!!  Pod's......  No idea.  I like the look and the concept, just haven't tried any.  Nic salts.  I could be just full of it but I'm down to 2mg and like the idea.  I have it in my head if I start vaping nic salts that I will be increasing my addiction.  It is the throat hit that I find irritating and over time is lowering my nic levels.   Obviously the salts take care of that.  Almost seems nefarious in a sense.  

With the refillable pods, since they have 1.0 - 1.2 ohm coils in them, you really don't have to increase the nic if you don't want to.  Just sayin'.   

[Walt]

12 minutes ago, Tam said:

With the refillable pods, since they have 1.0 - 1.2 ohm coils in them, you really don't have to increase the nic if you don't want to.  Just sayin'.   

That's cool.  I might just give on a try then.  Just can't see increasing the nic if I don't need to.  

[Bebop]

 everything I've read so far seems to suggest that the idea behind salt nic is to give the high nicotine addicts the advantage since the sub ohm trend really went the way of huge vapor and low nic which was unsatisfying for those trying to kick  cigs but keep their nic levels high. 

I remember all too well  vaping 24mg my first 6 months, which did the job for me.   but I always had the goal of reducing nic from the beginning.  For those who never wanted to reduce nic they were stuck with harsh, high nic juice....until salt nic which boosts the nic levels and yet smooths the flavor out of high nic.  totally makes sense.

[Squid]

7 hours ago, Bebop said:

 everything I've read so far seems to suggest that the idea behind salt nic is to give the high nicotine addicts the advantage since the sub ohm trend really went the way of huge vapor and low nic which was unsatisfying for those trying to kick  cigs but keep their nic levels high. 

I remember all too well  vaping 24mg my first 6 months, which did the job for me.   but I always had the goal of reducing nic from the beginning.  For those who never wanted to reduce nic they were stuck with harsh, high nic juice....until salt nic which boosts the nic levels and yet smooths the flavor out of high nic.  totally makes sense.

So the point of the salt nic is to deliver high nic without being harsh?

If that's the case, then I need to stop thinking I need to try it. About 3 months ago I started cutting 3mg in half. Been trying to reduce my nic intake since March of 2011 when I started vaping.

[martymcfly]

I want a pod just for the sweet stealth vape potential.

[Tam]

On 4/22/2018 at 4:29 PM, Squid said:

So the point of the salt nic is to deliver high nic without being harsh?

If that's the case, then I need to stop thinking I need to try it. About 3 months ago I started cutting 3mg in half. Been trying to reduce my nic intake since March of 2011 when I started vaping.

Not all pods require salt nic, some refillables can take lower nic, just make sure you use 50/50 juice. I'm using the SMOK Infinix with 3 mg regular nic and am perfectly happy. 

[Bebop]

well,   I have to say.  kind of a bust.  I didn't see anything that grabbed my attention. was shown the Sourin Pod which I'm already sour on.  one place I went to the "clerk" was not helpful at all. Everything was "awesome", his words, not mine.  It didn't matter what you asked about, everything was awesome! drove me up the wall, lol.  I saw a couple of "no name" brands of pod systems that just looked cheap or were too big.  

So I kind of struck out, which was fine for me.  I'm not in a rush but I've pretty much come to the conclusion that, for me, the only advantage of the pod is "stealth/compact" system.  So, for me this will be a limited novelty type of use on occasion.  

I guess the short review is nothing really blew my skirt up so my wallet is save for now.

Edited April 28, 2018 by Bebop

[Tam]

For me, the SMOK Infinix is a good stick "pod" system. I like that it has a side fill and refill option. The thing I'm not crazy about is that juice will get into your mouth if you suck just a little too hard, but it's good otherwise. It's between the GhoSTick and the Infinix so far. Both are refillable, the coils seem to last -- I'm still on the first pod without having burned it out just yet.