Back on the Grind- ProVari V2 Review

Sorry I haven't been posting lately, I'm in the process of moving out as well as working on various projects so I've been very busy. That being said, let's get on with the review!

I had always dreamed of owning a ProVari from the moment I first saw them. After getting my first variable voltage mod, I was a little disappointed in the craftsmanship that was put into it so I sought after any means to get a better PV. It wasn't long after that I saw one of my instagram followers (@lito714) had got the chrome version that they sold as a "blemished" model. I asked him about it and he said other than the fact that there was no ProVari logo on it, it was fine and for 20% off! So nevertheless I purchased one a few days later. When it came in there were no distinguishable marks, scratches or defects although it was sold as a blemished model; it even had the logo on it. I was very excited and couldn't wait to use it.

After putting it through its paces I've noticed some things I absolutely love and some things I don't particularly like. First being the single button set up; after using a lava tube knock off for some time, the single button is tough to get used to especially since they don't give you a written instruction manual. Some of the commands are pretty obvious like Pu and Pd (power up and power down) but I had to search the internet to understand the rest. The only bad thing about the single button is that sometimes I skip the menu item by accident having to cycle all the way through the other commands but it's definitely not a "deal breaker" for me. One really cool thing about the ProVari is that is has in a built in battery voltage and atomizer ohm checking function which comes in handy when you have multiple atty/carto setups. This device is tough as nails, I've dropped it, spilled e-liquid on it, left it in a cold car overnight, etc and it keeps on kicking. In fact, it's so heavy and solid, if I was ever mugged, I could fend off an attacker with it. The batteries last a long time, I go days without charging a single battery. The lighted button blinks when your battery is lower than 3.5v which can get a little annoying since it will last until you get down to 3.2v but very helpful since I hate being without a fresh battery.

Only a few drawbacks to mention, first being the fact that it isn't eGo threaded and doesn't accept Vision clearomizers without an adapter. I was a little bummed because I thought it was based on the pictures I've seen. It's a bit heavy, and this is coming from someone who owns an AltSmoke Silver Bullet! The chrome version is a scratch magnet, I would strongly recommend a case or at least some sort of sleeve if you're planning on carrying it in your pocket. The simplistic menu system is a bit hard to understand/read but after a while you get used to it. My only other note about the ProVari is that the button isn't recessed like on the Silver Bullet so it could potentially go off in your pocket but the likelihood of that is slim to none since the resistance of the button is fairly high.

On the next ProVari model, I hope it will have eGo threads as well as a 3 digit screen. The button issue I had mentioned could also be something to consider for the V3. Other than that, everything else is great!

If you haven't noticed, I'm more of a subjective reviewer. If you prefer numbers and techy stuff, there are plenty of reviews on YouTube that will go into much more detail. If you have any questions about vaping, mods or anything else, feel free to comment below!

Value: ★★★★★
Aesthetics: ★★★★★

Functionality: ★★★★☆

DISCLAIMER: I bought this device for my own use and for testing purposes. All opinions are my own and are for educational purposes.

Follow me on twitter and instagram: @photoagogo

Vapemail Special!

Last week I ordered a bunch of juice because I've been vaping like a fiend and was going through a good chunk of my stockpile. I decided to try a vanilla and coffee flavor from Viking Vapor, some fruity blends from Rawr Vapor and some of my favorites from FuZion Vapor. I also got an extra special present from my good buddy Shane from FuZion which included a t-shirt, gold foil sticker and a bottle of an unreleased flavor (thanks buddy!) I've also been giving out small bottles of juice to my fellow vapers since I now have a stockpile of empty bottles. Furthermore, I've decided to only purchase bigger bottles of my favorite flavors and on occasion try some new flavors in smaller bottles and share my favs with the masses. If you would like a sample of something I have, send me an email and cover the cost of shipping and ill send you some juice: photoagogostudio@yahoo.com

Viking Vapor
I haven't tried a lot from Viking, but their juice is pretty good. Not the best, not the worst, somewhere in between. Previously, I tried their peach flavor which tasted like peach rings you get from the convenience store for 2/$1 which isn't actually a bad thing. The vanilla is very sweet and would be a good addition to a tobacco flavor if you like to do some custom mixing. Since I got it, it has darkened up quite a bit and I expect it to taste stronger when it has fully steeped. The coffee flavor is decent. When you order, they tell you to put how you like your coffee in the comments section and they will custom mix it to your taste. I'm a simple man and I like my coffee with cream and sugar so that's what I put and what I got was not exactly what I expected but it was ok. Not as sweet or smooth as I was hoping but it's still enjoyable on occasion. I wouldn't recommend vaping this with your morning coffee seeing as how it doesn't match up as well as I thought it would. Nevertheless, for $10 for a 30ml, how can you go wrong?

Rawr Vapor
I love love LOVE their custom mixes and customer creations and, as you all know, I love juice with weird names which Rawr is practically known for. I purchased BaZingah, Sweet Dreams, Strawberry Cantaloupe, AuRAWRa, Dawn of Truth and Strapple. BaZingah is a nice watermelon tropical mix, Sweet Dreams is pretty much strawberry kiwi with a weird name, AuRAWRa is a sweet kiwi pineapple with menthol, Dawn of Truth is tropical banana and coconut and Strapple is strawberry apple. So far, I have not had a bad flavor from Rawr, although Sweet Dreams and Strawberry Cantaloupe could use a bit of a flavor boost. Then again, I usually don't have Rawr's juices long enough to properly steep. Plus if you're a menthol lover, Mike offers a free menthol add on to ANY of his juice!

FuZion Vapor
I've been a fuzionhead for some time now and Shane is constantly blowing me away with some of his flavor combinations and overall quality of his juice. I ordered Chuck Norris Blood, Purple Pieman and Endless Summer plus he sent me a bottle of Doom Berry in a care package (thanks again buddy!) Purple Pieman has now stolen the top spot on my favorite e-juice list, with XTC and Unicorn Blood in a close second. I haven't had the 15ml I ordered for more than a week and it's already almost gone. Chuck Norris Blood never disappoints, smooth and sweet strawberry with a subtle hint of white chocolate. Endless Summer (strawberry lemonade) could use a flavor boost and I plan on choosing that option when ordering my next batch but still a great winter pick-me-up. The new flavor, Doom Berry, reminded me of Halloween as a kid opening up a box of Good N' Plenty's. I was baffled by the name for a while so I had to shoot Shane an email to find out what it was supposed to taste like. He said it was his take on another popular flavor with hints of berry and anise. I haven't fully tested this juice but I  will say, for someone that's not a big licorice fan, I find this juice rather enjoyable. I look forward to filling up a tank of this stuff.

Do you look forward to getting vapemail as much as I do? What are some of your favorite juice vendors? Let me know in the comments below!

Follow me on twitter and instagram: @photoagogo

Atomizer vs. Clearomizer vs. Cartomizer

Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the ultimate vaping showdown! This topic has been cause for arguments for a while now; what is the best way to vape? There's really no simple answer to that question because everyone has very specific needs and different preferences but I can give you insight on several different ways I have used these devices and my experiences with them.

Atomizers

I started off using a small standard 510 battery with an atomizer and a drip tip, dripping 3-5 drops at a time which lasted about 10 puffs. The good thing about using an atomizer is you can change the flavor the second it runs out without having a lot of residual flavor being left over. So if you have flavor ADD like I do, this is a great thing to have to at least change things up from time to time. Since I also purchase a lot of different flavors and I love getting new juice, I like to try them all the second I get vapemail. I usually keep a few of these around for trying new juices, changing things up a bit and experimenting with mixing flavors. The bad thing about atomizers is that if you don't calculate how much liquid is left you can get a lot of dry hits that taste awful and can damage your atomizer. It's always good practice to keep them wet but it can be a hassle when you're constantly getting dry hits or overfilling them. Atomizers last a long time and they're easy to clean which is good considering some can be $5-7. So if you prefer to change flavors and mix them frequently, an atomizer is a good choice for you.

Clearomizers

When I use the term clearomizer, I mean wick tanks because that's essentially what a clearomizer is but the category is slightly larger than that. In my experience I haven't had the best luck using any wick device. I'm not saying they're bad, just saying that I have my own preference however, I know a lot of people that love them and use them all the time and my opinion about them remains unbiased. From using these for a while I can say with confidence that they're a good option for someone who's trying to get a little more out of their PV. They work great on eGo devices and Vivi Nova tanks work and look great on lavatube PV's. I do own several clearos and a Nova tank so I gave them a fair and thorough testing as I do all my devices. Some pros are they're inexpensive (about $6), they last for a while, are easy to clean/use and they look nice on a lot of devices. Cons are they are prone to cracking, flavor seems slightly muted and have unpredictable variable resistance. If you're purchasing an eGo system and don't want to get a tank, consider a clearomizer as a slightly cheaper alternative and it will look damn good too.

Cartomizers

Finally, we have cartomizers; one of my favorite ways to vape with or without a tank. A cartomizer is essentially an atomizing coil wrapped in fiber fill to absorb liquid and keep the coil wet with your flavor of choice. They have several varieties including XL-5XL, shorty, mega, low resistance, dual coil, etc. Personally, I use them in my tanks and I usually cut my own holes via a dremel tool or a carto punch. You can use them with anything from a small standard 510 battery to a mod like the Silver Bullet or the ProVari (although it will look a little silly on the bigger mods.) They're relatively cheap ($1.50+) and they last for about 8 fills. Cleaning them can be a bit tricky because the fiber fill absorbs so much of the liquid but if you run some water through it and blow it out, it will work just fine. One drawback of using a carto is the fact that you can't change flavors on the fly. You really have to be set with one flavor for about 80-100 puffs, otherwise you're stuck cleaning it out and wasting juice. These are good for anyone using a tank, that wants to vape for a while without stopping to fill or just want to try something new. These are good for anyone, and seeing as they're so cheap, I recommend you order a couple just to try them.

That about wraps it up, if you have any questions, please feel free to comment below and I will answer them. I need your feedback to keep me motivated to post more often!

DISCLAIMER: I bought this device for my own use and for testing purposes. All opinions are my own and are for educational purposes.

Follow me on twitter and instagram: @photoagogo

New Years Resolutions- New Year, New You

Hello everyone, sorry I haven't been writing as much as I used to but with the holidays and all, blogging is low on the priority list. Anyways, here we are in 2013, a new year, a fresh start. With my 1 year vape anniversary coming up, I find myself looking back and thinking how awesome it feels to be smoke free.

If you're a newcomer to my blog, thanks for reading. I write this for anyone who wants a little information on the products that are available to you that will help you become a more informed vaper. Wether you've tried using a convenience store e-cig or similar product with negative results or you just want to give quitting smoking one more shot, I can say with confidence that electronic cigarettes were the reason I haven't picked up a cig in nearly a year.

Over the next year, I will make sure to blog more, make videos and I might start giving away some free juice to worthy recipients. So keep checking back for more updates, reviews, sneak peeks and lots more! Happy New Year everyone, let's all try to keep those resolutions and kick the habit!

Follow me on twitter and instagram: @photoagogo