Switch From Smoking to Vaping: The Comprehensive Guide
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Time to read 9 min
At Pocket Ovens, we believe that good things must be shared among friends. In this blog, Chief Baker reveals a different way to extract the aromatherapeutic benefits out of your dry herbs – through vaping instead of smoking.
Quite honestly, it took a while for Chief Baker himself (a heavy daily smoker) to embrace the #vaporent lifestyle and it was a struggle at first. Read on for his transformative journey from smoking to vaping. Or jump straight to his tips below.
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Personal Tale from the Vapor Trail
Hi, my name is Chief Baker and truth be told, I’m a former hardcore smoker. I used to exclusively roll and smoke my dry herbs. On pokai days, I even used cheap paper and mixed it with tobacco.
From one smoker to another, you’ll understand when I say this – coughing became a normal part of life for me. Early in the morning, late in the evening, I used to cough up nasty looking stuff. I cough until I got headaches and sore throat. When I take the stairs, I can’t catch my breath.
But what can i say 😅 i love my dry herbs and the relaxation after-effects it gives me. I couldn’t put it down.
Once, in a group session with some buddies, someone took out a Mighty - I didn’t know what it was back then, it looked like a car part to me - and started to puff out clouds. We all laughed at his geeky tech explanation of the device and I was VERY skeptical that it would give the same effects as smoking dry herbs. But being a dry herb enthusiast, I indulged and gave it a try.
My first ever review: hmm ok-ok only... the vapor is nice and cool, and it gives me a subtle after-effect, but nowhere near to what I was used to.
Nevertheless, this first try piqued my interest and I went down the black-hole of dry herb vape research. Here I was thinking that dry herb vaporizing is some new space-frontier tech, only to find that it’s been around for a couple of decades!
I found out even athletes and celebrities have been seen using it – comedian Sarah Silverman, singer The Weeknd, and UFC fighter Nate Diaz just to name a few. ‘Cool!’, I thought. I felt like I needed to give this a proper attempt!
I bought my first dry herb aromatherapy vape – the PAX . As expected, the first few inhales and exhales were quite meh. The vapor wasn’t scratching my itch of puffing out thick smoke. Still, I was determined to stick with it because I read up before that it will take some time to adapt to vapor instead of smoke.
More important to me was that it gave me the effects I was looking for and after the first 15 minutes - ho ho ho i was not disappointed! The next morning, I woke up with a lighter feeling in my chest. And I remember being so clear-headed and thinking: this is the way lah!
It was tough to stop the habit of rolling but this time I was going to do it properly. Two weeks, that's all it took for my lungs to be rid of the morning coughing ritual. Over time I also noticed using lesser herbs than usual.
Not long after, I got a PAX water pipe adapter for more cool, clean vapor that my lungs now thank me for. It's been 5 years, and I’ve come some way since my PAX days. It blossomed into a full-fledged hobby, collecting different vapes from around the globe and I’m now “that geeky vape dude” in my friend group.
Dry herb aromatherapy vaporizers have allowed me to enjoy my favorite herbs without the coughing and headaches, and now my significant other doesn’t complain about the smell either! The hardest part was to break the habit of rolling and smoking. That took some mental agility and emotional support from my SO to overcome. Thank you sayang 😘
I’m so grateful that I have transitioned from smoking to vaping - the benefits have hugely impacted my life positively, which is why I feel very passionate about sharing it with other dry herb enthusiasts like you guys!
If this is your first time hearing about dry herb vapes, then you’ve come to the right place. For those who want to switch from smoking to vaping dry herbs, I want to help you be successful at it so I’ve compiled what I’ve learnt for beginners to the vaping world. Let’s dive in!
How to switch from smoking to vaping?
Chief Baker's top tips for switching from smoking to dry herb vaporizers
Tip #1 Commit to a short break: Depending on how heavy a user you are, take a 4 day (very light user) to 14 day (very heavy user) break from smoking aromatherapy dry herbs. Two weeks, no smoke. Detox from the harmful compounds of smoke to prep your palate and lungs.
Tip #2 Pick the right vaporizer: Usually a heavy smoker? Get a vape with a bigger bowl to hit the spot. Check out the Volcano Hybrid, Mighty+, or PAX Plus – take your pick. Find one that has a chamber capacity larger than 0.2g.
Portability not important? A desktop device like the V-Tower or XQ2 would be top picks.
You can't go wrong with any pick from the Storz & Bickel line
Tip #3 Turn the heat up: Smoking-like vibes are best simulated at higher temperatures. If you’re not feeling the aromatherapy dry herb effects that you desire, crank the heat up for that potent vaping experience. It’s fine to overheat your herbs during your learning curve as you master your vape, but don’t make it a habit!
Tip #4 Use the right technique: Research the best techniques to produce the highest output of vapor from your chosen dry herb vape. With some vaporizers, you need to sip long and slowly, with others, you can close the air intake holes for a stronger draw.
The amount of material in the oven and how tightly packed they are can also produce different results. It really depends on the type of vaporizer you have. This also applies to how finely you grind, you cannot cincai do it like when you roll one up.
What to expect when switching from smoking to vaping?
There will be a learning curve and habitual adjustments as you transition from smoking aromatherapy dry herbs to vaping. Just to set your expectations right:
It won’t be the exact same experience as smoking. The taste will be different, and the hit will be different. But doesn’t mean it cannot be just as good an experience (It can be even better!). I notice the aromatherapy herbs’ flavours come through more. Depending on the dry herbs, taste profiles range from citrus, floral, fruity, earthy and more.
With smoking you only get like 10% of the real flavour…the rest is just the taste of ash! 😣 Just keeping it real, guys.
Accept that vaping is a new way of enjoying dry herbs, and you will come to get used to it just like you did smoking.
Imagine switching to espresso machine coffee from instant coffee powder. Just as drinking freshly brewed coffee provides a bold and intense flavour experience, vaping offers a more concentrated and flavourful way to enjoy aromatherapy herbs.
If you drink alcohol, think of it as switching from beer to wine, you end up getting the same essence but it’s a totally different experience on the way there. While both methods can satisfy your cravings, vaping may give you a more refined sensation.
Smoking vs. Vaping? Beer vs. Wine? Both gets you to the same place via different methods
It won’t be the exact same dosage as smoking. Oftentimes, you’ll vaporize less dry herbs to achieve the same effect of a larger dose with smoking, but it also depends on several factors. Temperatures, heating methods, and the specific type of dry herb vaporizer you’re using can make a difference. Try it out or chat with us if you’re stumped!
As with anything new, it will take time to learn about your specific dry herb vaporizer, best heating temperatures, grind size, packing, timing, and more. It also depends on the different types of botanical blends you’re planning to vaporize.
Just like the art of brewing tea or coffee – the more you do it and pay attention to what works and what doesn’t, the better you’ll get at it. It’s worth the effort once you’ve gotten into your groove. I guarantee.
Double the effect. You can actually extract the remaining beneficial compounds from your already vaped dry herbs after using them in your vape. Can you believe that? Yes! Collect them and reuse them for a final session. Sometimes referred to as ABV (Already Been Vaped), it can readily be eaten or drunk. You can steep it to make tea and experience a different kind of relaxation from your dry herbs.
Steep ABV into tea for extra beneficial effects
The first dry herb vaporizer you buy might not be ‘The One’. Hate to break it to you fam, but sometimes you got to date around a bit before finding your true love. Chat with us so we can help guide you to purchase the most suitable vaporizer for your use.
Heavier users would be better off getting a vaporizer with larger ovens like the Storz & Bickel Volcano or PAX Plus. Users who need to vape on the go would require long battery life like the Storz & Bickel Mighty+, or, even better – go battery-free with a DynaVap M Plus. There’s a myriad of factors to consider. Which brings us to the next point.
How to choose a dry herb vaporizer?
Now that you’ve decided to experience these game-changing devices, take a moment to answer these questions about how you’re going to use your vaporizer:
- Solo or Squad: Are you a lone herbal adventurer, or do you prefer passing the vape in good company?
- Herb Volume: Do you go big on herbs per session, or are you a light herbal user?
- Frequency: How often do you normally enjoy dry herb aromatherapy sessions?
- Herbs or Concentrates: Are you all about the raw herb experience, or does the allure of concentrates pique your interest?
- Discretion & Portability: Where's your ideal vape spot? Home sweet home or on the go?
- Budget: What's the magic number you're willing to drop for your dry herb vaporizer?
- Brands: Are there any particular brands you’re familiar or comfortable with?
- Use the questions to guide you on your preferences and habits before you dive into further research, and feel free to email / chat with us about it.
Pening kepala? It’s alright if you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can just head over to our easy guides:
Take a look through our other blog posts loaded with reviews and guides for all our best-selling vaporizers. At Pocket Ovens, we strive to be your go-to source for informed choices on dry herb aromatherapy vaporizers. We are also committed to exceptional customer service.
If you're buying a Pocket Ovens vaporizer from outside of Malaysia like Thailand and the rest of Asia such as India, Indonesia, Philippines or even Australia, we also offer the PocketOvens customs clearance insurance to guarantee your order arrives to you smoothly, wherever you are. Choosing a dry herb vaporizer from Pocket Ovens means choosing 100% satisfaction.
Contact us if you have any issues, and we'll assist you throughout the process.
Dry Herb Vaporizers Varieties
Conclusion
There are many alternative methods for achieving your desired state of relaxation, and you may be surprised at how enjoyable and effective they can be. I hope that this guide has made it easier to embrace a new path to your dry herb aromatherapy journey.
Vaping encourages you to reimagine your approach to getting the full spectrum of flavours and aromas from your herbs, without the harshness and health risks of smoke. It comes with various benefits – health, savings, potency, discretion, flavour, and control.
Let us know if you've already, currently or thinking about making the switch. We would love to hear about your experience!
