You’re already familiar with how the cold weather affects your life—it forces you to turn up the heat, wear a heavy jacket, and make lots of cups of hot chocolate. But did you know that winter also impacts your vaping experience? Without preparing yourself for the cold, you’ll find yourself dreading your vape break. Thankfully, taking a few vape hits is much quicker than smoking a cigarette. If you follow these tips, you’ll be able to enjoy winter vaping:
- Don’t share your vape. It’s fun to let others try your new mod and custom blend of e-juice, but it’s also unhygienic. Viruses can spread easily through respiratory droplets, like the ones left behind on your mouthpiece. Winter is the season for colds, cases of the flu, and now COVID-19; this is because we spend most of our time indoors with others. For the sake of your health and your family’s, keep your vape to yourself this winter.
- Keep the battery warm. Ever notice that your cell phone dies much quicker in the winter? The harsh weather can hinder your device’s battery life as the metal expands and contracts. If you let your vape sit in the cold, you’ll notice a drastic reduction in battery life. This change can be permanent if the battery is repeatedly exposed to cold temperatures. Be mindful of where you store your vape—tuck it in a pocket close to your body rather than a bag and don’t forget it in your cold car. Try to bring your charger with you wherever you go, since it’s more likely that your device will die on you.
- Protect your e-juice from freezing. Save your vape by buying e-juice that’s less prone to freezing. E-liquid contains alcohol derivatives, so while it isn’t likely to freeze completely, it can become a thicker consistency that clogs your device. Other main ingredients are propylene glycol and vegetable glycol; PG freezes at a lower temperature than VG, so e-liquids with a higher concentration of PG will withstand the cold better. The thicker your e-juice becomes, the harder it is to turn into vapor. If your vape juice is frozen and your device won’t work, research how to clean your vape tank; sometimes, a fresh coil is all you need to remedy the issue.
- Change the mouthpiece. When your parents told you not to stick your tongue to a metal pole, you probably listened—unless you were curious, and did it anyway. You found out that your tongue gets stuck to frozen metal, and it’s pretty painful to get free from it. The same thing can happen if you use a vape metal tip in the winter. Switch out the mouthpiece for one that’s made of glass, rubber, or plastic. Applying lip balm can help protect your mouth against a cold vape.
- Wear gloves. Bundle up when you venture outside for a vape so that you can enjoy the experience; it’s hard to enjoy a smooth hit when all you can think about is how frozen your fingers are. Your hands will freeze if they need to hold a metal vape without any protection. Try to find gloves with texture pads on the fingers so you have a firm grasp on the device. If you need to distract yourself from the frigid temperatures, purchase e-liquids with cozy flavors like cinnamon, chocolate, or marshmallow.
Vaping in the winter has its challenges, but it sure beats standing in the cold to smoke a cigarette! When you exhale in the frosty air, it looks like a plume of vapor due to the cold temperature—the difference is the sweet smell of e-juice. If you follow the above tips, you’ll have a much more enjoyable experience fairing the snowy weather.
Norm Bour started VapeMentors in 2013 and since then has consulted in every sector of the Vape and CBD space worldwide. He is a recognized author, speaker, and trainer.