If you’re new to vaping or looking to explore and discover the ideal vaping experience for yourself, familiarizing yourself with vaporizers is a crucial first step. The overall selection of vaporizers available may look vast, but for the most part, they all fall under a few particular models. E-cigs are fine for casual use, but most folks that want to get seriously into vaping end up looking to more sophisticated devices – this often means a vape mod. Before you buy one, though, it helps to know what you’re looking at, how it works and what makes it tick; this way, you’ll be able to pick the best mod for you and take good care of it so it continues to deliver.

What is a Vape Mod?

Also called a “box mod”, a vape mod is a souped-up version of the assembly at the heart of a vape pen or e-cig, built with advanced power and customizability in mind. This is exactly why they’re called “mods.” The basic set of components, how they work and what they’re meant to do are all the same as with other vaporizers: • The battery, which stores energy and then supplies the power to the heating mechanism in order to vaporize the e-liquid. • The heating mechanism commonly called the coil, which is designed to convert e-liquid to vapor • The tank that houses both the e-liquid and the heating coil, creating a complete assembly that’s often called an atomizer • The drip tip, a mouthpiece that allows e-liquid to be manually poured directly into the atomizer What makes these different from those found in vape pens and e-cigs is that the parts are assembled in a way that makes them more modular – a pen is a complete package and you generally won’t be fiddling much with the details, but vape mods let you do just that to refine your vaping experience for better taste, stronger throat hits and more.

The Battery

Batteries are a familiar part of our daily lives, but it’s good to know the role a battery plays in vaping. Whether rechargeable or replaceable, the battery is what allows the atomizer’s coil to heat up and produce vapor by supplying a current through the coil. The jump to a more potent battery is what often drives switching to a box mod. Batteries in e-cigs often don’t provide enough power for a good hit, or they don’t hold a charge long enough for extensive use. Box mods boast batteries with longer life (rated in milliamp-hours, or mAh) and a higher current output (given as an amperage rating, which can range anywhere from 10A to 35A for higher-end models). Keep these statistics in mind when choosing a battery, especially the latter – the amperage needs to be compatible with the rest of the assembly.

The Coil and Tank

The heating mechanism takes the form of a coil of resistance wire with one end making contact with the battery, while the other is allowed contact with the e-liquid via wrapped cotton or a wicking element. This coil heats up as electricity is passed through it, with the heat generated proportional to the coil’s resistance (measured in ohms), in order to vaporize the e-liquid. Replacing the coil and its cotton or wick every so often prevents a burnt taste from creeping in. These elements, together with the e-liquid, are housed in a glass or plastic tank – the whole thing together is called an atomizer. E-cigs don’t usually allow temperature control, so the coil heats up to a specific temperature – often one too high for a good draw! Box mods allow you to adjust the coil temperature to prolong the life of the component and produce better flavor and hits. Additionally, some atomizers allow what’s called sub-ohm vaping – the resistance of the coil is set to less than one ohm, to increase power output on devices with a fixed voltage. This can put extra strain on the electrical components, but it also produces significantly more vapor for exceptionally strong lung hits.

Drip Tips

Dripping is a practice among more dedicated vapers that makes use of a hollow mouthpiece called a drip tip. Instead of storing e-liquid in a cartridge, the liquid is poured through the drip tip and directly into the atomizer. This allows finer control over your hits, and many report a cleaner, more consistent vapor. Learning to properly drip can be a bit advanced for new vapers, as proper timing and amount are needed to prevent a harsh, burnt draw or an overflowing atomizer. Perfecting it can give users a richer flavor and higher vapor production, and some like to use it to try out multiple different flavors.

Load Up at the Smoking Buddha

Whether you’re picking up your first vape mod or looking to customize with new parts, the Smoking Buddha has everything you need in one spot. Check out our premier inventory, or contact us with any questions you may have regarding our products.

Vaping is a fun activity on its own, but doing it in your bedroom or your friend’s place can get boring after a while. If your vaping routine is getting monotonous, you may be looking for new places to enjoy your favorite e-juice. After all, vaping is a great social activity. It’s a perfect thing to do with friends, and it can be a conduit for meeting new people. However, it can be challenging to find new places on your own, especially if you don’t know if they’re vape-friendly. Here at Smoking Buddha, we know the Parker community like the backs of our hands. As vape enthusiasts ourselves, we’re always on the lookout for the best locations to vape at in and around Parker. Here are our top five favorite places to vape in the area.

1. Downtown Parker Wine Walks

No matter how many times you’ve been to downtown Parker, there’s always something to do and new people to meet. One of the best ways to enjoy the downtown area in a new light is attending one of the Wine Walks put on by the Parker Chamber of Commerce. All you have to do to attend is buy a ticket, and you’ll get to enjoy wine from various local businesses. Tickets are available at the Parker Visitor Center on Mainstreet. What better way to enjoy your vape while trying new wines and meeting new people? We recommend trying the Strawberry Belts juice from Candy King or the Blue Razz from Ritual with wine.

2. Elk Mountain Brewing

Few things are better than pairing your favorite vape juice with your favorite beer. If you’re looking for a fun place to meet new people and enjoy friendly service, you should check out Barnett & Son Brewing Company – one of Parker’s best hometown breweries.

3. Parker Farmers Market

Attending the farmers market on Sundays is another cool way to enjoy downtown Parker. You get to discover new food, arts, and activities. From fresh produce to farm-raised beef and everything in between, you’ll never run out of things to experience at the farmers market. Go ahead and enjoy a Sunday stroll with your vape! It’s an easy activity to make a routine with your buddies.

4. Parker Days Festival

There’s hardly anything more fun to do in Parker than attend the Parker Days Festival. While you’ll have to wait until summer rolls back around, this festival is something you’ll want to be sure to attend. Here are some of the things you can enjoy at the festival: ● Concerts ● Carnival Rides ● Parades ● Entertaining shows ● Delicious food There are plenty of exhilarating rides, exciting bands, and scrumptious food options to keep you coming back to the festival as an adult. Nothing’s better than vaping with your friends during the perfect weekend every year.

5. Smoking Buddha

How could we put together a list of the best places to vape in Parker and not include Smoking Buddha? This isn’t just shameless self-promotion–any of our customers will tell you Smoking Buddha is one of the most fun places to vape. We’ve been a trusted smoke shop and holistic store since 2011. We pride ourselves in offering the best products at fair prices–in fact, you’ll never pay over $20 for vape juices here. Some of the bottles of e-juice you can get here include: ● Candy King ● Ritual ● Naked ● Mr. Salty ● TRPCL ● pod Plus, we have all the mods, vape pens, and glass you could ever want. You’ll run into other vape enthusiasts here that may turn into great friends. Plus, you can always come and talk to us and hang out–we love meeting everyone who comes into our store. Vaping is one of the best ways to express yourself, socialize, and chill out. Whether you do it alone, with friends, or while meeting new people, it can be a special experience. However, sometimes it helps to break out of your standard routine. Trying new flavors and vaping in new places will help keep your passion for vaping alive. Come by to check out our vape shop for all your vaping needs!