Let’s Look at How to Vape
Let's Look at How to Vape
If you have been introduced to the world of marijuana, you must have heard terms like vape, vaping, or vaporizers being used by several people. If you aren’t familiar with these terms, then a few questions would have popped into your head like – what is vaping? How does it work? How to vape? Well, don’t worry. The point of this article is to answer all these questions and ultimately determine if vaping is a good option for you or not.
What is Vaping
First things first. Vaping is the act of consuming the vapor from a device producing it by heating certain herbs or oils. It is fundamentally different from the smoke you otherwise inhale when you burn the same substances.
The difference is seen in multiple aspects. Primarily the vapor that you inhale doesn’t have an ashy taste anymore. Thus, the experience is elevated significantly. Moreover, since you aren’t burning through your consumables, this process is more efficient and will make your stash last much longer.
There are also other benefits like the discreetness that vaporizers offer and even a lower risk of second-hand smoke. Of course, like any other thing, there are pros and cons to vaping as well. However, primarily, it is a better alternative to smoking for the reasons stated above.
But then how do vaporizers work? Well, as the name suggests, the devices create vapor out of the oils or herbs that you put into them. They achieve this by heating them to a certain temperature at which these substances start releasing the oils within them. Once the oils are released in the form of vapor, they can then be consumed in the way you see fit.
Things required for vaping
Before you learn how to vape, there are primarily two things required for you to start vaping. A vaporizer (that creates the vapor) and the dry herbs (mostly marijuana in this case). Of course, vaporizers can also be coupled with several accessories to enhance the entire experience. However, they are not essential for getting started.
Vaporizer
As mentioned earlier, the vaporizer is the device that produces the vapor by heating your herbs to the desired temperature levels. Different vaporizers use different kinds of heating techniques to reach the desired temperatures. The most common heating techniques used are conduction, convection, and hybrid (convection + conduction).
Vaporizers also differ from one another based on their size. The most common ones are portable vaporizers which can go with you wherever you go. Portable vapes like the Davinci IQ2 fit well into your pockets and the palm of your hands making them super discreet as well. Such devices are generally powered by rechargeable batteries that can last an hour or more before a recharge is required.
The other type, desktop vaporizers are harder to move around with and thus are meant to stay atop your desk. These however are great for social vaping sessions with multiple people. Since these vaporizers generally have an in-built fan, they require more power and thus need to be connected to a power outlet when in use. The Arizer XQ2 is an amazing desktop vaporizer that can be used in a multitude of ways.
Finally, how you intake the vapor from these devices also can vary. For portable vaporizers, you would most likely be inhaling through their mouthpiece for the entirety of the session. However, with the desktop vaporizers, you have an option to puff the vapor using a long whip that you pass around among your mates. Alternatively, you could try smoking through the weed vaporizer bags. These bags enable you to prolong the sessions as the thick vapor stays trapped inside the collection bags to be consumed at your leisure. (But don’t leave it too long)
Dry herbs
Now that you have the vaporizer, you will need something to put inside it for it to produce the vapor. Depending on the type of vaporizer you go for, they can handle either dry herbs or oils. In the case of dry herbs, you can grind up the herbs; but with some convection desktop vaporizers, you can even place entire buds inside them and let the hot air do all the work.
Since most vaporizers are quite versatile, you can even choose to use them for Aromatherapy. Vaporizers by Arizer are perfect for this as they usually have an aromatherapy attachment for their devices. Moreover, they also send some aromatherapy herbs along with the box for you to try out. If this seems like something you are interested in, then you can give the XQ2 a try if you want a desktop vape, or the Solo II if you prefer having a more portable one instead.
How to vape
To start off, you would want to get yourself a vaporizer and the dry herbs that you want to put into your device. Depending on the device you go for, you may have to grind up your herbs a little bit before you can start the process of vaping. With Arizer Go’s prefilled aroma tubes, you wouldn’t have to worry about grinding these multiple times. Just grind them once and keep them for use later on when you feel like it.
Each of these devices has its version of a collection bowl where you put in the herbs that you want to consume. Once you place the crushed herbs inside, you must wait about 30 to 120 seconds for the herbs to heat up. In some vaporizers, you can set the exact temperature you want the herbs to heat up to. The temperature can affect the flavor of the vapor and thus, you can fine-tune your vaping experience to match your tastes.
Remember to have your vape charged up or plugged in as you wouldn’t want it to die mid-session. Most devices will then notify you that you start vaping at this point. Once you hear this friendly notification, just place your mouth on the mouthpiece and get started! Here are two methods for you to try –
Mouth to Lung (MTL)
The first method involves savoring the taste a little bit more than the next one. In this method, when you draw in the vapor from the mouthpiece, you let it sit for a short while in your mouth and then breathe in through your mouth for the vapor to reach your lungs consequently. Once you feel it there, you can then exhale it out from your mouth again before taking in the next puff when you are ready. Using your mouth as a buffer zone allows you to enjoy the flavors while controlling the temperature of the vapor entering your lungs.
Direct to Lung (DTL)
Unlike the previous method, the idea is to skip retaining the vapor in your mouth. In this technique, once you begin to draw the vapor, you send it right to your lungs and exhale it back out through your mouth in one smooth motion. This allows to you make big clouds if you are into that and also gives you a quicker hit. We wouldn’t recommend this for beginners as it doesn’t allow for easy control of temperature or the amount you inhale inside in a hit.
Is Vaping for you?
Now that you have figured out how to vape, it is time to decide whether this is a path you should head down on. Vaping is something that differs from person to person as it is related to how they like to consume their weed. While its health benefits are debatable, it is a great alternative to smoking, primarily because the experience is much better.
Moreover, many users switch to vaping as it is a great way to wean off nicotine while also avoiding inhaling smoke into their lungs. If this is something that interests you, and you like the discreetness offered by portable vapes, check out our website to help you get started on your vaping journey today!
