Top Tips To Avoid Winter Vaping Hiccups
Fair dos, of all the countries in the world, the UK isn’t one that suffers from the harshest winters, yet on occasions at this time of year, it can feel like it gets mighty cold – everything’s relative, right! And it’s as well to be mindful of what effect winter weather has on vaping. Yes, really. Here are some things to think about…
Our drip-tip tip
Like it or not, the more metal your e-cig or mod contains, the colder it’s going to be to the touch. Now, on its own, this isn’t necessarily a *big* issue, you may feel – after all, as noted, the UK doesn’t get horrendously cold in the winter compared to some countries (Russia, Eastern European nations and North America, for instance); but still, vaping is something that people get into – and especially invest time and money in not just as an activity but as a hobby – because they get enjoyment and satisfaction from it. To wit, although the temperature’s unlikely to dip low enough in a British winter for the metal drip on your device to become stuck to your lips, a very cold metallic drip tip is hardly going to make for comfortable and enjoyable vaping. Our suggestion then? Try going with a plastic, a rubber – or to really mix it up – a glass drip tip instead.
Don’t forget about your batteries
It’s easy to assume that only living things are not too keen on and affected by the cold weather in winter… until you get into your car on a frosty Monday morning and discover it won’t start. The truth is lots of mechanical and/ or electronic devices aren’t crazy about low temperatures – especially those that rely on batteries. It’s important then to remember that your e-cig’s batteries aren’t going to function at their optimum level should they get really cold (when a battery’s called on to work at very low temperatures, the chemical reactions inside them don’t occur quite as they should).
And it’s really simple to avoid any issue arising here – simply pop your spare batteries in your pocket instead of exposing them to the cold air. Moreover, because very cold batteries are being forced to work harder than when they’re warmer, they won’t last as long either. In which case, it’s a good idea only to expose your e-cig or mod (especially if the latter holds spare batteries) to the cold elements when you need to.
What e-liquid are you using? And is too cold?
Of course, it’s perfectly understandable why one might want to choose vape juice that mostly or entirely contains vegetable glycol (VG) over propylene glycol (PG), yet it’s important too to be aware of what happens to a VG-dominant vape e liquid in heavy cold snaps. The trouble comes when the e-juice wicks – specifically, how it takes to the wick, so it might enter the coil, become heated and turn to vapour to, therefore, enable vaping.
What happens? Well, e-liquids heavy on VG tend to become rather syrupy when very cold and don’t wick as well as they ordinarily would, the result of which can be the burning of the cotton wick and, inevitably, dry hits. Not fun. So, what’s the answer? Well, you’re advised in cold weather to use juices that that are made up of at least 50 percent PG, rather than VG. If this isn’t an option, it’s definitely for the best to keep your e-liquids as warm as possible – which means leaving them indoors instead of taking them out in the cold with you when vaping.
Always avoid moisture
If you experience freezing temperatures sometime this winter (likely, given the UK already has done so), then it’s also worth bearing in mind that, along with frost, snow and then ice, comes moisture. It’s easy just to focus on the cold and the inconvenience of wintry weather – and forget that thigs can get wet from it too, just as they do when it’s incessantly raining (something we’re all too familiar with in Britain!). Naturally, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to point out that moisture and, yes, water especially, are anathema to e-cigs and their related equipment. So, be vigilant; don’t handle your device and kit with wet hands or gloves or leave them lying out on snow-covered or icy surfaces. Or you may find they suddenly stop working!
Why you should embrace winter vaping!
Now, the above tips are all about how to avoid vaping pitfalls this time of year, so what about some positivity? Why shouldn’t we close by focusing on why it’s great to vape in winter? First off, should you have only just caught the e-cig bug, this time of year’s ideal to get going, especially if you’re feeling a bit self-conscious as you start out vaping in public; creating billowing clouds of vapour. Why? Because everyone else breathes out lots of cloudy air from their lungs in cold, cold temperatures – so you won’t look out of place at all!
And, second, speaking of ‘bugs’, let’s not overlook the fact that heavy colds and the flu are obviously prevalent in the year’s colder months. Could vaping actually offer its adherents an advantage here? Well, it’s speculation on the part of scientists if nothing more really, but the thinking goes that because many a vape e juice is high in propylene glycol, vaping them may be good for your health should you have caught a cold or an infection. How so? It’s because PG has disinfectant properties; it’s quite possible then that filling your mouth and your wider respiratory system with it for short bursts could well kill off bacteria and harmful germs contained therein (i.e. bugs). It’s a theory – but a great one, for sure!