Highbrow News — vapers

We’re deep into the heart of allergy season, which means that millions of sufferers are dreading going outside.  Pollen is everywhere right now, causing allergy sufferers to experience symptoms like scratchy throats, itchy eyes and runny noses.  

If you’re a vaper who tends to enjoy their hobby outside, this time of year can be a serious nightmare.  Luckily, we’re here to help. We’re gonna provide you with some tips that can help you get through this season relatively unscathed.

Consider Vaping Indoors

First of all, you probably know that during allergy season, it’s best to stay indoors as much as possible if you get symptoms.  So, if you can, try to vape inside. Many vapers are hesitant to do this because they don’t want their house to be filled with vapor.  But, unlike cigarette smoke, vapor doesn’t linger in the air, nor does it cling to clothes and upholstery.

If you really don’t want vapor in your home, you can always blow into a thick piece of fabric like a sweater, your pillowcase or a towel.  The vapor will simply absorb into the material rather than getting dispersed into the air.

Consider Keeping the Windows Closed

It’s also wise to keep your windows closed as pollen can easily travel from the outdoors into your home through those screens.  If you tend to vape out the window, follow the advice above to keep vapor from filling up your room.

Take Those Allergy Meds

Of course, the most important thing to do if you suffer from allergies is to take an allergy medication.  There are plenty of over-the-counter options available, but if you feel like they don’t work, consider seeing an allergist for a stronger prescription medication.

Stay Hydrated

Staying hydrated during allergy season is incredibly important as your immune system strongly relies on your body having enough water.  Some particularly heavy vapers find that their habit can make them feel a little dehydrated from time to time, so consider drinking more water than usual during these spring months.

Clean Your Mouthpiece

As you know, pollen gets everywhere during the spring months, including the mouthpiece of your mod.  And, if your mouthpiece has particles of pollen inside of it, you’re going to be inhaling those when you go to take a hit, causing your symptoms to get worse.  So, each day, consider rinsing out your mouthpiece to avoid worsening your symptoms.

Don’t Leave Your Setup Outside

Again, because pollen can find its way into any crevice, leaving your setup outdoors during allergy season is a bad idea.  Small amounts of pollen can collect in your tank, meaning that you’re basically vaping pollen-infused vape juice. Needless to say, this won’t help your symptoms at all.  

Make a point to keep your kit inside as much as possible.  Even leaving it in the car can cause pollen to accumulate as pollen can find its way through the cracks of your car doors.

Allergy Vaping Sufferers, There’s Hope for You Yet!

For those who suffer from allergies, vaping outdoors during the springtime can lead to all kinds of unwanted symptoms.  Thankfully, there are some easy ways to ensure that you continue enjoying your vaping life without feeling overwhelmed by watery eyes and a stuffy nose.  Follow these tips for a glorious vaping experience all season long.

While dripping has been around for years, this alternative form of vaping has remained under the radar throughout its existence.  In fact, it’s gotten quite a bad rap because of people mistakenly believing that it’s a highly dangerous activity. The reality is that if you’re using the right equipment, dripping can be an incredibly fun way to enjoy your e-liquid that doesn’t put you at serious risk of harm.

Dripping involves pouring a couple of drops of e-liquid directly onto the coil of your atomizer and taking a couple of hits at a time.  Many believe that this produces a more satisfying vape overall. It’s known to enhance the juice’s flavor on a profound level while strengthening the hit of nicotine.  Another advantage of dripping is that it allows the user to enjoy a wide variety of different flavors throughout the day without having to constantly empty, wash and refill their tank.

Now, in order to drip properly, you need to know what you’re doing as this vape style requires certain equipment and a knowledge of basic vaping technology.  We’ve created this guide to help you understand how to do this activity properly.

Dripping 101

First, you need to purchase an RDA (rebuildable drip atomizer) and is specially designed to accommodate this style.  Without an RDA, you simply can’t drip properly.

RDAs are designed for dripping as they have large airflow ports and an extremely small juice well that’s designed to keep the e-liquid on the coil.  

Once you’ve selected a good RDA, you can begin your dripping adventure:

1. First, take off the drip tip of the RDA.  
2. Pour about four or five drops of e-liquid directly onto the coil.  
3. Then, put the drip tip back on and take a hit.  
4. Take in a massive, thick cloud of vapor that tastes delicious.

You should get only one or two hits out of each dripping session.  When you’re ready for another hit, repeat the process.

What Not to Do

Always be careful not to pour too much e-liquid onto the coil.  This will cause your coil to flood, ruining your vaping session and causing unwanted spit back.

It is also important that you don’t hit your atomizer after that second hit.  Each four or so drops of e-liquid is really only good for a hit or two. If you try to stretch out that vape juice, you’ll likely get a nasty dry hit.  You may even burn out your coil, meaning that you’ll have to get a new one.

Lastly, always make sure that you put your drip tip back on before taking a hit.  Otherwise, you’ll severely burn your mouth.

Have a Safe and Proper Dripping Time

When done right, dripping is an extremely fun way to enjoy the flavor of your e-liquid.

If you have been a sub-ohm vaper for a while, you’re used to the fact that selecting the right coil for your device is just as important as finding the best-tasting e-liquid or the most powerful mod. When it comes to pod-based vaping, however, the variety of coil designs that you’re used to just doesn’t exist.

Because of the nature of salt nic e-liquid, pod systems are a little stricter than sub-ohm devices. In order for the liquid to properly vaporize, your coil’s resistance level must stay within a fairly small range. This means that you can’t really experiment with different coil builds like you can when you’re using a sub-ohm tank or an RDA.

In fact, pod cartridge coils and tank coils are dramatically different from each other in basically every way. As you’ll see, each have unique properties that promote two totally different vaping experiences.

Resistance Level

While vape tank coils tend to have resistance levels below one ohm, pod cartridge coils are often 1.2ohms or higher. This is because of the fact that salt nic e-juice must be used with a mouth-to-lung (MTL) device. A higher resistance level and a lower wattage level help preserve the integrity of the salt-based nicotine, allowing the juice to be turned into smooth, satisfying vapor.

Size

If you’ve recently gotten a pod system, you may have struggled to locate the coil. Pod cartridge coils are extremely small. That’s because they don’t require a huge amount of e-liquid in order to create vapor. Sub-ohm coils, on the other hand, need to have enormous wicks in order to absorb a lot of juice at once.

Material

If you’ve been using sub-ohm coils with a conventional mod, you know that organic Japanese cotton is a must if you want to experience smooth, clean flavor and massive clouds. Surprisingly to many, pod cartridge coils typically don’t contain a cotton wick.  That’s because cotton is so absorbent that it can cause the pod cartridge to flood. Pod mods are low-wattage devices that don’t require that their coils stay extremely saturated with e-juice. Therefore, they tend to have wicks that are made from synthetic fibers. This material absorbs just enough liquid to turn each hit into a satisfying experience.

Purpose

Many people who prefer sub-ohm devices are cloud chasers who crave abundant, thick vapor and high wattage levels. Pod systems are designed for vapers who want to experience a good throat hit and a nice nicotine buzz.  

Sub-ohm coils are made to accommodate the needs of those who want to chase clouds.  They’re specially designed to absorb a massive amount of e-liquid so that each hit produces a ton of vapor. Pod cartridge coils take in a small amount of liquid since the vaper wants a nice hit to the throat more than anything else.

Longevity

Because sub-ohm coils are heated to such high temperatures, they tend to die out pretty quickly. The average heavy vaper will go through one sub-ohm coil every two weeks.  Because pod cartridge coils are exposed to lower wattage levels, they tend to last for long periods of time. Many vapers can go a month or so before it’s time to invest in a new cartridge.

The Differences Are There

As you can see, pod cartridge coils and sub-ohm coils are extremely different in every way. If you’re new to pod-based vaping, it is crucial that you understand how pod cartridge coils differ from the coils that you’re used to.

If you haven’t noticed, we have entered the coldest stage of the winter season. For those who vape outdoors, it can be a bit tedious to bundle up just to get in a few satisfying hits. Believe it or not, the winter season affects your vape sessions beyond your level of comfort. In fact, cold weather can alter everything from the thickness of your fog to how well your batteries function.

However, just because it is cold out doesn’t mean that you have to run to the vape shop and invest in a whole new setup. There are a few very easy tips that you can take in order to get the most out of your wintertime vaping sessions.

Tip #1: Switch Up the VG/PG Ratio of Your E-Liquid

E-Liquid is composed of lots of different molecules that come from its various ingredients. Many flavoring ingredients consist of molecules that freeze when exposed to cold air. However, because vegetable glycerin (VG) and propylene glycol (PG) are compounds that are derived from alcohol, they’ll stop your juice from freezing into a solid mass.

However, because of those flavor molecules, your liquid will change in consistency.  Cold weather makes juice thicker, meaning that your vapor will be thicker. For those all about those massive, fluffy clouds, this might be good news. However, if you’re more into that strong throat hit, you’re probably going to want to increase your PG level in order to compensate for the cold.

Tip #2. Don’t Leave Your Vaping Hardware Outdoors

If you’re the type of vaper who leaves their device and/or hardware pieces outdoors or even in the car, you’re gonna want to be a little more careful during the winter season. When your mod is left outside on a cold day, its technological components can freeze, meaning that your unit just won’t work as well. Cold weather can damage your display screen as well as the internal mechanisms that keep it running smoothly.

This applies to your vape batteries as well. Batteries should never get cold because this can cause them to greatly decrease in capacity. When the weather is cold, a battery’s electrons move more slowly, meaning that the battery must try harder to power your device. This drains your batteries quickly and can permanently lower their capacity level.

If you can, store your hardware in a warm place indoors. While it doesn’t need to kept somewhere hot, make sure that it’s a place far away from any particularly drafty areas.

Tip #3: Treat Yourself to Seasonal Flavors to Get into the Winter Spirit

One of the best things about wintertime vaping is being able to indulge in winter-inspired e-liquid flavors. During the wintertime, we tend to crave richer desserts that keep us feeling warm during the cold months. If you want to watch your weight, you can satisfy your cravings with indulgent Highbrow juices that are inspired by the desserts that are abundant during this time of year.

Don’t Be Left in the Vaping Cold

By following these tricks, those freezing temperatures don’t have to ruin your experience.  You’ll be able to enjoy those smooth, flavorful hits no matter what’s going on with the weather.

For vapers going through those bottles of e-juice at a ridiculously fast rate, it's time to reconsider your vaping habits. How frequently you have to restock your juice supply depends on so much more than how often you vape. This guide will help you make that vape juice last for a long time, saving you a good amount of money in the long run. 

Tip #1: Lower Your Wattage Level

Many people who are new to vaping don't quite grasp the relationship between wattage and e-liquid supply. As it turns out, the wattage that your device is set at directly affects how quickly you go through vape juice. The higher the wattage, the more your e-liquid will evaporate. 

People who enjoy blowing huge clouds enjoy high wattage levels because of how much liquid is evaporated per puff. However, if you're trying to make your juice last for a long time, lowering that wattage level would be a good idea.

Tip #2: Select a Vape Juice with More Propylene Glycol (PG)

Juices that have a high amount of vegetable glycerin (VG) don't last as long as those that have more propylene glycol (PG). That's because VG is a thicker substance that evaporates at a different rate from PG. 

Always look at a bottle of liquid to see the VG/PG ratio. This will help you choose an e-juice that won't burn as quickly. 

Tip #3: Choose a Higher Nicotine Concentration

Some vapers go through a tremendous amount of e-liquid weekly because they're simply addicted to nicotine. Many beginners make the error of choosing a low-nicotine juice after coming off of tobacco cigarettes. The problem is that those who crave a lot will end up vaping excessively to get the proper amount of nicotine in their system. 

If you're physically addicted to nicotine, opt for a high-nic e-juice. You'll likely find that you hit your mod less frequently.

Tip #4: Stay on Top of Your Coils

Always change your coils when they begin to lose their functionality. Coils that are past their prime will negatively impact the e-liquid that's in your tank, causing it to burn and develop a poor flavor. A dead coil can also cause your tank to leak. 

As soon as the flavor of your juice tastes burnt or weak, it's time to change your coil. Always opt for high-quality coils that are made with materials that last for a long time. 

Tip #5: Don't Leave Your Tank in Hot, Bright Areas

E-Liquid going to evaporate. In fact, the act of steeping involves letting it evaporate just enough to create a stronger, richer flavor. However, it’s possible to accidentally let your juice evaporate too much. 

Leaving your vape tank in a hot or sunny area will inevitably result in more evaporation. It's wise to store your tank and liquid in a dark, cool place when not in use. 

Final Tip: Maintain Your Tank

Another reason for wasted e-juice is a poorly maintained tank. If your tank is extremely old or improperly cared for, it can end up leaking trace amounts of juice throughout the day. Always check your tank for signs of damage. 

Save Some Cash and Keep a Longer-Lasting Vape Stash

By following this guide, you can say goodbye to wasting money on e-liquid each month. These tips will help you make the most of your juice supply.

Have you noticed that your vaping preferences change dramatically, depending on the time of day? If so, you're definitely not the only one. As our palates crave different types of foods and our bodies have unique needs, depending on whether it's the morning or the evening, our vape-related needs tend to vary throughout the day. 

In fact, what time of day it is can impact everything from how much nicotine we crave to what flavor we wish to enjoy. Below, you'll see just how dramatically our vaping tastes change from morning to night. 

Vaping in The Morning

Flavor

When we first wake up, our palates are still feeling a bit sleepy. That's why we crave more mild, gentle flavors that aren't too complex or heavy. Many vapers find that tobacco and coffee flavors work very nicely during the early morning hours. Others enjoy fresh fruity flavors that remind them of refreshing smoothies or healthy fruit salads. There are also many breakfast-inspired e-liquids that taste like cereals, pancakes and more. 

Device

Upon waking up, we are usually less interested in blowing impressively sized clouds and more interested in getting that nicotine fix. That's why many vapers prefer to use pod mod devices or portable sub-ohm pen mods. These mods give us that hit to the throat that stimulates our sleepy senses. 

Nicotine Strength

If you're all about nicotine, the craving is probably most intense upon getting out of bed. That's because you've gone hours without having any in your system. Unsurprisingly, vapers often prefer high-nicotine e-liquids in the morning.

Vaping in The Evening

Flavor

In the evening, our palates are more interested in bold, complex flavors. Many of us enjoy rich and sweet dessert flavors after finishing our dinners. This is the time of day when you can pull out the custards, pastries and cakes. Vapers love that they can indulge in their favorite sweet flavors without any of the calories. 

Device

Many vapers find that their cloud-related desires increase during the evening hours. This is probably because of how relaxing it can be to chase clouds. This simple hobby has a therapeutic effect on the mind, helping us unwind after a long day. That being said, it's no surprise that many vspers prefer heavy-duty sub-ohm devices during the second half of the day. 

Nicotine Strength

Because you've spent all day consuming nicotine with your vaping device, your cravings are probably less intense when the evening hours come around. Many vapers choose low-nicotine e-liquids for their evening vapes. Plus, the lower the nicotine level, the bigger and fluffier the clouds. 

Vaping Any Time of The Day Works

No matter what time of day it is, vaping is one of the most satisfying hobbies of all. There's something about that smooth vapor and that delicious flavor that provides us with loads of pleasure all day long.

Now that you've ditched the analog cigarettes for vape products, you have much to feel proud about. However, it's still important to be a responsible vaper. When it comes to hardware, recycling is crucial. Most of the materials from which these types of products are made from can be recycled so that they may be reused. 

You may think that your products don't make a huge difference when it comes to saving the environment. However, consider how many coils and juice bottles you go through in one month alone. Over time, your discarded products add up. That's why it's important to recycle your vape products when you're no longer using them. 

Recycling Your Vape Products:

Used Bottles

Your empty e-liquid bottles are made from either plastic or glass, two materials that should always be recycled. To properly recycle your old juice bottles, make sure to rinse them out with hot water. Don't forget to recycle the bottle caps as well.

An alternative to recycling your old juice bottles is repurposing them for yourself. These bottles can be collected and used for future DIY juice-making ventures. Even if you don't plan on becoming a DIY vaper in the near future, small, empty bottles do come in handy. 

Batteries

It's crucial that you recycle your old batteries. In fact, many states require by law that all batteries are properly recycled. Because they can leak toxic chemicals if carelessly discarded, it's very unwise to simply toss them into the garbage. 

If your vape batteries are still functional, you may consider selling them instead of discarding them. Many online vaping communities allow you to sell your old batteries if they still work properly. 

Coils

Sure, coils are small, but they really do add up. Because coils are made from stainless-steel, they're recyclable. Give them a good rinse and toss them into the recycling bin rather than the garbage can. 

Tanks

Your tanks can be recycled because they are made from stainless-steel and glass/poly-carbonate. Both materials can be turned into other products. Give your old vape tank a thorough rinse under warm water and throw it into your recycling can. 

Just Recycle It

By making a point to recycle these vape products, you will become a responsible vaper who is doing their part to take care of the environment.