I’m sure this is as much an access question as a preference question!
I usually prefer either adding a bit of concentrate to the top of a bowl, maybe mixing it in after I heat it a bit. But I’m also a big fan of just dabbing in general, using a DTv5 or banger.
How many of you vapists are also dabbing? I’m rethinking the word vapists after typing it…
Nah, I find concentrates to be processed extracts from the plant. Just like eating junk food you can consume a lot of it and it will taste great, but does it fill you up with healthy nutritional content? Of course not.
Same with concentrates. Plus on top of that many brands like to add extra stuff like terps to increase the flavor while diluting the finished product. I have trust issues so I absolutely won’t even mess with the concentrates unless I personally know the person extracting them (anyone remember one of the pioneers of concentrates for medical needs - Mvapes? Good guy).
These days I might enjoy a dab or two among friends, but I try to keep my tolerances low so I can fully enjoy the plant by itself.
Pro tip - there is something called “vape tolerance” which is basically what happens when the use of a device becomes habitual (load size, temperatures used, draw/hold patterns, etc). Switching to a completely different dry herbal device once or twice a year can help “reset” one’s tolerances without the need for a full t-break.
I like using “Vapor”-ents (ents as in the TreeFolk of LordOfTheRings)
I have about 30 vapes I switch between, so I have vape tolerance on all of them 😅
Rosin exists for people with trust issues. I have my own press and I was pressing both the flower and the trim hash.
The best concentrate I ever had was from an organic home grow I pressed myself fresh trim hash, full spectrum but nearly unadulterated with the physical plant matter.
I’ve got a friend who grows pretty oldschool, it’s hands down the cleanest bud I can get in this country. They also have a press, one of the few people I can 100% trust whether it’s rosin, ice hash or green… I know they’ll have done a top notch job with the initial product, because they’re so picky about quality.
Part of my problem is the extraction process. I feel that this alters the chemical composition. It isn’t the same “full spectrum” as direct extraction from the raw flower in a high end dry herbal vaporizer
It’s one of those things where it’s hard to get across to people who smoke joints, how much more enjoyable / tasty dry-herb vaping can be. Even a cheapo device, it’s night and day. I remember trying to smoke a joint after I’d been vaping around a month and it tasted absolutely vile.
I do miss the social aspect though, sitting with a group of friends passing a massive joint around.
Lol yeah - I’ve become such a flavor chasing snob. These days when I socially smoke with friends they make a big deal out of it because I’m known to enjoy a dry herbal device. However I’ve gotten a lot of friends switched over to dry herbal devices. So sharing a balloon full of vapor from the XQ2 is more common these days. My one friend knows me well enough to have his EQ pre-heated for a half an hour before I show up to party so it’s ready to go hahaha.
undefined> Pro tip - there is something called “vape tolerance” which is basically what happens when the use of a device becomes habitual
Very interesting, can you link me to any further reading on that? I used to find I grew a tolerance to certain strains if I didn’t switch it up, but often wondered if it was placebo effect.
Well I mean the topic is discussed over on r/vaporents and over on FuckCombustion, but most peer-reviewed scientific studies focus on the negative aspects of vaporizing and there is very few studies on the subject aside from anecdotal evidence from long time ents.
Well that is absolutely possible as well - because your body builds up a tolerance to that combination and concentration of those chemicals. Your body chases more and more to get the same affects.
By changing your regular device, you’re completely changing your routine - draw patterns, load sizes, temperatures, etc all change drastically especially when you switch from one device to a very different one. IE instead of going up to more and more powerful devices, sometimes it’s good to step back to something a bit slower and ride the wave.
I’ve gone from an Arizer XQ2 back down to a Vapcap for my daily device - it’s a much smaller oven, and the heater doesn’t preheat automatically by itself. But damn it gets me where I want to go.
Eventually I’ll switch to something else and maintain a lower dosage size to keep my tolerances under control. Sometimes I can extend a gram to last me a whole month if desired (or even longer lol).
Thanks for the explanation. That makes a lot of sense. I do have a Pax in addition to the Mighty, it’s like going from a lambo to a lada though haha. Tough draw, and a nightmare to clean. Am thinking about getting a DynaVap; partly for something different / portable (not keen on taking a £300 vape on holidays), but also… if the unthinkable happens and there’s an apocalypse, and by some chance I survive, I’m going to want something that doesn’t require electricity!
I’m doing really well with my tolerance atm. Moving up north end of the year, and currently doing two weeks at my dad’s, two weeks at home. I prob will bring a little with me next time but I’ve always maintained, if I can’t just put it down at any point without turking then I have a serious problem.
Yeah, sometimes it’s good to switch back from that Mighty to the Pax to force yourself to slow down. You might find that actually gets you MORE medicated than your Mighty currently does.
Sometimes I even switch back to even cheaper weaker devices like my Wulf vape I got when my Rogue failed on a road trip haha.
The Vapcap is a fun vaporizer which belongs in everyone’s arsenal. the Vapcap-B is a great budget-friendly option. I also have the OG Omnivap which is made out of titanium - that sucker is going to outlive me! It is nice to have a variety of heating options from electric induction heaters to cigar torches and campfire coals. Hell you could even use a magnifying glass and sunlight with enough patience!
I always travel with a Vapcap in my collection so I have a backup in case my electric device fails.
If you want a more wild stallion, check out the Lotus (formerly it’s own brand, then discontinued thanks to the PACT act, and now merged with the brand Vapman which makes an awesome conduction style butane vaporizer). The Lotus can heat up in seconds, and produce waves of vapor unlike any other portable I’ve ever owned or handled. The catch is that just like the car - it requires skill and practice to get the hang of handling the torch to prevent over-heating and combustion (I prefer a figure-8 pattern, constantly moving the torch). So the Lotus NEVER gets shared with friends (because I don’t want them to combust and tarnish the flavor of this device).
Brilliant, really appreciate the thorough reply… lots to think about there. Going to look into the Vapcap and Lotus when I get home, I’m away staying with my dads for a couple of weeks and loathe to order anything else while I’m here. A surprising number of companies don’t seem to understand the difference between ‘shipping address’ and ‘billing address’ at the mo!
My tolerance will be on the floor by the time I get back, that first session for me is actually a little unpleasant… in the sense that it gives a good window into why some people freak out when they get high on weed. It’s like my brain is turned up to 11 (which is kinda one of the things I love about cannabis, it seems to connect all the creative parts of my brain and turbocharge them). Then, the next session once a tiny tolerance is built up… sheer pleasure!
Lol yeah I’m happy to be here to drop some knowledge - I used to spend my free time helping novice users over on reddit.
The Vapcap is a fun analog device which has a cult following. The Lotus is a much more “exotic” butane powered device which is a f*cking beast once you master how to handle the torch (gotta keep it moving! If you stop that torch in one spot for even half a second you are going to risk a flashover and combust)
Funny, I have my storefront directly connected to the shipping software. That way there is no transcription errors on my end - I hit ship and it generates a label based on the ship-to address. That way I have no liability if someone mistyped their own address at night haha.
I truly enjoy the temperature regulation aspect of dry herbal vaporizing because I can choose what I want from the plant. As a CAD 3D designer, I often need the low-temp cerebral side to dream up new widgets and then pluck away at the code to design the 3D model (most surreal part for me is always holding a new design for the first time after dreaming it up in my mind haha)
Microdosing with small quantities is my favorite - sometimes I drop my tolerances down to the point where I am vaporizing 3-4 flakes of dry herb (maybe 0.015 grams) and getting where I want to be. Vaporizing is insane what’s possible, especially when you start temp-stepping - starting at a low temp for the first few puffs before stepping up to higher temps allowing the body to obtain a more complete extraction from the herb.
There’s always the debate over cloud chasing - is it counter-productive and wasteful to exhale massive clouds of vapor. I personally believe for maximum efficiency, one should be exhaling zero clouds.
I had a pretty lengthy reply but unfortunately the ‘massive exodus from reddit’ gremlins ate it.
In particular, replying to the last bit you put over cloud chasing. According to the sources I’ve read recently, cannabis molecules are absorbed very quickly; and that holding smoke in does not increase the high from cannabis, only increases potential lung damage. Apparently a couple of secs is optimal and any further holding won’t absorb anymore cannabinoids. There’s a decent breakdown here: https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/uk/blog-debunking-the-myth-of-holding-a-hit-of-marijuana-n748
It’s really interesting to hear from someone with strong visualisation how it affects (and increases) their ability to think creatively. I have aphantasia ie no mind’s eye, so can’t speak to that (other than deep envy, would be nice to see something other than the backs of my eyelids), but it definitely makes my musical creativity skyrocket. It’s a double-edged sword though, it’s not exactly a rare occurrence where I listen back to something I was sure was something incredible the next day… only to find it’s more filler than killer. OTOH, some of the best melodies / tracks I’ve written were produced heavily under the influence of green!
Dude, tell me about it - I’m having trouble sending messages and responding on multiple different instances. It’s crazy, but understandable lol. Just remember - same thing happened when everyone left Digg to go to reddit.
Awesome! Thanks for the link! I’ll be sure to digest that info later.
This kind of reinforces my belief that temperature-stepping is far superior to cloud chasing from an efficiency standpoint.
You know, it’s like this trippy experience I have when I use 3D printing. It’s like unlocking a whole new power that I never had before. It’s hard to explain, but imagine trying to remember using a tool that doesn’t actually exist. I create a memory in my mind of me holding or using this tool, but it’s kind of blurry, like a hazy dream. I can see some of the main details, like the shape of the scoop tool or how it’s used in a device, but I can’t remember exactly what the finished item looks like.
So I start designing different parts of the tool based on the key details I can remember. Then I fill in the missing pieces, like adding a handle or figuring out the structure around the main part. After that, I make a prototype and print it out. And here’s where it gets mind-blowing: when I finally hold that physical item in my hands, it’s like a surreal experience because it’s something I partially remembered holding, but couldn’t fully visualize. I never get tired of experiencing that.