The Summit by Vapium (Formerly MARK 1)

I only have the Summit and non of the others you mentioned, so take this as you will, but I break glass and the Summit has nothing to easily break. Unless that is, you throw it down hard on concrete or from a great height. It's taken a few spills on thick carpet and Oak flooring with no issue, it didn't even open up like I expected it to. A 4th (5th maybe) of a chamber gives me about 6 good draws at heat # 6 and more can be pulled from # 7. To me, that is a session. My Arizer Extreme Q has seen it's share of dropped 3rd party glass bowls that were too hot to handle. I now have a test tube clamp since 3rd party bowls don't have a safe way to touch them when hot. Glass is nice and easy to clean though. Good luck with your decision.

Hey kapattack,

The summit is awesome, great value by the way. So just for everyone out there not getting vapor (or thinking their not getting any), first off and the lost important part, make sure you're putting quality gas in the tank.

My most recent material lasted 3 full battery charges at setting 4 (374 degrees) which means I packed the chamber, setting 2 for about 5 minutes then setting 3 (350 degrees) and it lasted me until the battery died, (about an hours worth straight vaping) then charged it and went again starting at 3 this time, about halfway then moved to 4 till it died, charged up again started at 3 then bumped to 4 and then 5 and had the thing cranking vapor till it died.

About cloud blowing: I almost never see the vapors unless theres sun shining through the window or I'm in the right lightning. If you think the summit isn't producing vapor, get your phone out and use its light, shine it right at your lips and be amazed as vapor comes whisping in large quantity from your exhale. A standard led or any light to exhale over will work (the light on the button doesn't shine that much light unless you're in pitch darkness). Either way you'll be amazed at how well the summit DOES work.

I use no aftermarket parts. Before packing I push the screen down to the bottom, take a test draw to check air flow an if it's really restricted I'll pull up on the screen then push it down again and test draw. I only use premium material and each kind produces different results flavor quality etc. I use only my fingers to break up the material takes 3-4 minutes breaking apart any leaves or flower trying no to make it powder. I do this over a 2"x2" piece of foil I folded then I dump it in the chamber and lightly pack it down to where the chamber and black plastic meet. I was packing too tightly and was getting horrible results. Started to pack it a little more loosely and got great results. Just push it down so its in there kinda firmly just like a pipe don't compress it too much or you will restrict air flow. I turn it on and have it on setting 2 the full blue light. Do this for a few draws usually about three button presses and then I bump up to 3 and stay there as long as I can until I notice vapor isn't as great. This is usually about 30 minutes in, I'll open it stir it and top it off and make sure I mix the top off so it gets to the bottom and the slightly browned material is towards the top. Fire it back up and this lasts until it dies mostly from setting 3 very rarely I'll bump it up to 4. I charge it back up, and start at 3 then about halfway I'll bump to 4 then when vapor is less I'll stir and top off, drop it back down to 3 until it needs to go to 4. Then it dies.

Only with 3 materials have I cranked up to 5 and most recently its after the 3rd charge with the first chamber.

Remember your max temp is probably setting 5 (390 degrees). I've only needed to go up to 6 (410) with a lesser quality material.

I'm starting off at like 338 at setting 2 and setting 3 is 356 degrees where I get awesome results then when I bump up to 4, 374 degrees is my optimal quality temp. Setting 5 (390) is the final "ok I'm getting every last bit I can out of this" which produces great quality as well.

My thoughts are there's a lot of chemical changes going on at different temps and if you start out high you're wasting everything in between and only getting the reactions of the highest temp. So for best results start out super low (it doesn't take much heat to vaporize quality material especially ginuts fluffy) and if you're worried about getting vapor blow it over a light source. I now blow every draw over a light to be sure I'm getting 100% and this has really helped. My friend was like "I'm not getting anything" and I showed him the light truck and he bought a summit the next day. Plus if you blind yourself for too long it adds a nice strobing effect which is great for those who loved being effed up.

Some may disagree but I'm getting fantastic results now and this is after I had mixed feelings about the quality of the summit. I suggest everybody use a light if you feel like the summit isn't the best bang for the buck!! You'll be blown away in a couple of ways.

thank you all. Pulling the trigger on the summit. Sounds pretty me-proof. stealthy, and can take a drop. And it will be dropped.
Any sites you'd recommend? think there'll be a Black Friday sale worth waiting for?

kapattack said:

thank you all. Pulling the trigger on the summit. Sounds pretty me-proof. stealthy, and can take a drop. And it will be dropped.
Any sites you'd recommend? think there'll be a Black Friday sale worth waiting for?

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Give @stickstones a PM. He can hook you up with a Summit.

Yeah, it can take a drop or two. I have dropped mine twice. Once i managed to get my foot under it before it hit the tiles.

2nd time i dropped it fully loaded straight on to a tile doorstep. About a 4 foot drop. The door stayed closed (no spillage) and i couldn't even tell which part of the vape hit (it was in the dark) as there was not a scratch even though there was a load thwack when it hit.

I used it riding my bike the other night so realized another benefit of this vape (and other similar vapes like the alfa, pax, indica etc). 1 handed usage is a breeze. Switch it on, put it in your basket. Grab it every 15 seconds or so to take hit. I do the same thing if i am working in the garage. Just leave it humming away and grab for a hit every 15 seconds or so. Gives it time to build up a nice big hit. I guess that would be my interpretation of a session with this vape.

I am opposite to most. I almost never go below 200c and usually do 220c-230c. Battery life is not brlilliant, but i can get 3 sessions on max heat, with a session being 3 'time outs' so about 5-6 mins incl heat up and wait time between 'time outs'. Each of this type of session is more than enough for me for an hour or 2. Full charge then takes about 45mins, even with a small battery bank the exact same size and shape as the summit which i take with me if required. So the small battery is not an issue for me. Can get much longer run time and more sessions at lower temp, of course.

Are there disadvantages to the way I'm using it? I turn it on and draw until the battery dies, pressing "go" each time after it turns to standby. So pretty much getting vapor for about an hour, then charge for 45 minutes then fire it back up and repeat.

VapeWiser said:

Are there disadvantages to the way I'm using it? I turn it on and draw until the battery dies, pressing "go" each time after it turns to standby. So pretty much getting vapor for about an hour, then charge for 45 minutes then fire it back up and repeat.

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If you're enjoying it, I don't see anything wrong with it!

Still lovin' my Summit and using it exclusively for the last month and so...

Sungodv said:

Still lovin' my Summit and using it exclusively for the last month and so...

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I'm confident you're not alone in either of those.......

Neat device, for sure.

OF

OK, so here's the deal.

I bought a Summit three weeks ago. Last spring (northern hemisphere) I was torn between the Pax 2 and the Summit for my next suppression device for uncontrollable VAS.

What I say below is just my personal impressions, based on my personal preferences, based on my personal desires/ needs.

You may disagree, but you are not me. / end disclaimer

I decided on the Pax 2. I do not regret the purchase. It is a solid vape, with few downsides. The only dissatisfaction I have is the charging system. It is stoopid, and unnecessarily clumsy.

Based on reviews here, especially the seasoned, well reasoning OF, and The Vape Critic, I decided to purchase the Summit. Why? Because VAS.

I find the Summit exceeds my personal needs, compared to the Pax 2, in every way except stealthiness and battery longevity.

Stealthiness is not a major problem, I am fortunate to reside in a legal recreational State, so if I need stealth, I use a pre filled oil cartridge. Yes, it is good to live in a recreational State.

Why is the Summit less stealthy than the Pax 2? Because the Summit is very odorous. Again that is not a major problem for me. I will be spending Thanksgiving (USA) with less cannabis friendly relatives. So I will use edibles and cartridges. (Yes, it is wonderful to live in a recreational State).

Then there is battery life. The Summit, as has been stated before, has battery longevity problems, not entirely mitigated by pass-through charging. I hope Vapium addresses this issue with a new model.

That is the cons.

For the pros... this thing hits like a beast! The only vape comparable in my arsenal is the original Flowrrmate V. It is a vapor chimney. I feel it runs a little hot, so I start at level 3, and work my way up. Flavor is very adequate, and I end, unless I am feeling greedy, at level 6.
Also, personal tolerance, I find I can use very small amounts, packed snug, and still get satisfying performance.

I love this thing!

I hope Vapium can address the battery longevity issues, because otherwise, it is close to flawless. For my personal requirements.

Yeah I get about 56 minutes of straight usage on a full charge but I defiitely have felt like if I power down after about 20 minutes then power back up I maybe get 15. So to go out and actually get more than three 10 minute sessions just because of the light and vibrations I feel like you take a draw then go "oh snap it died." Now combustion seems like an in between until I can get back to camp and hook up to my solar panel.

Unless of course you just went ahead and purchased two Summits because you love them so muh and well why would you buy a pax when you can get two of these around the same price!

So now you're out on a ski lift take a draw, rip down the slope, take a draw at the bottom, take a draw on the lift again and boom dead battery, good thing I bought an extra summit.

My question: will the summit operate while connected to the solar panel? My idea is I could strap the solar panel to my helmet and just plug it in whenever and use it kind of like one if those beer helmets.

I found that one of those oblong power packs around the same size and shape of the summit pairs well.

I can put the summit and charge pack together in the waterproof pouch that came with the summit, and it is charging up as i ski, plus keeping it together, and dry too.

The one i have charges the summit 2 1/2 times, so plenty for a day out for me.

The rubber of the summit means unlikely to slip out of gloves on the chairlift. Hooking a small length of string or a clip on to the lanyard would be extra safe for those with butter fingers.

I have had a lot of trouble with my summits...Four replacements.....One wouldn't heat. One wouldn't stop. One cracked on the cover area.....Great service, mind you, but not a good build.

In addition, let's face it: in this day and age, battery replacement is a must. And so is a vape you don't have to open and fool with to keep it going. You shouldn't have to stir.....,I like my Summit, but it isn't my go to....

Just my two cents. If you get nothing else out of this message, buy from a reputable purveyor so you can get a replacement....

Teaming,

Jeff

My Summit has been acting strange and I need to send it in. At first it just went dead. When cleaning to send it in, it started working. Used it until the battery was low. Wouldn't charge with stock charger but would with an alternate. After it fully charged, it wouldn't work again. I like my Summit, I just hope I don't have too many issues with it.

Madcap: does the other charger you're using output the same amperage? Also have you tried using the summit ac adapter and a different usb cable? I came across a similar post and the usb cable had gone bad.

I unplug the summit as soon as it is done charging and if I have to go to bed or something I'll wait until tomorrow when I'm able to keep an eye on it and remove it from the charger when it's fully charged.

I had a drone explode that I left on the charger after the battery was full, so with these usb style chargers, I no longer trust em.

I believe I did try all combos. What's strange is, it dies by being plugged in. Then stays off for a week. Then magically starts working until it's time for a charge. Try charging and it kills it. So weird.

Yeah definitely sounds like a problem that would be covered under warranty.

My USB cable died the second time I used it. I have other micro USB cable devices, so no big deal, but it makes me worried the Summit will croak too.

sickmanfraud said:

My USB cable died the second time I used it. I have other micro USB cable devices, so no big deal, but it makes me worried the Summit will croak too.

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Anything can happen of course, but unlike the Summit, Vapium didn't make the cable. Someone else made the defect and failed to detect it. I (carefully) opened mine up, nothing sub par in there I could find. IMO very solid design (mechanically) for the task, excellent construction:


Reminds me of a modern cell phone, FWIW.

OF

@OF, I know you are old enough to remember "the good old days " when a phone made calls, a camera was a separate device, a music player (cassette? 8 trak?) an address book, a date book for appointments, cash, etc, etc. were all separate devices.

Given time we may one day vape thru our phones. Heck, given enough time we may be able to call from our vapes. The Summit signals when ready, why not for a call?

Gardenerjeff said:

In addition, let's face it: in this day and age, battery replacement is a must.

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Good point. I must admit, the non replaceable battery is a drawback and a concern. I have tried to avoid buying vapes that don't have this option, and i try to use other vapes whenever I can to prolong the life of this one.

Hopefully when the time comes i am able to source a battery and replace it myself. Having inspected it's gizzards, Does this look like an option at all @OF?

JamesTiberiousKirk said:

I find the Summit exceeds my personal needs, compared to the Pax 2, in every way except stealthiness and battery longevity.

Stealthiness is not a major problem, I am fortunate to reside in a legal recreational State, so if I need stealth, I use a pre filled oil cartridge. Yes, it is good to live in a recreational State.

Why is the Summit less stealthy than the Pax 2? Because the Summit is very odorous.

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It does smell a bit. The Pax 2 is less smelly, eh? The battery life has been touted as an issue, but it charges pretty darn fast on an A/C USB and it lasts OK for me.

Vapenvy said:

Having inspected it's gizzards, Does this look like an option at all @OF?

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I seriously doubt it, it's not part of the design. The battery is the blue thing under the top board, it's soldered into the lower board IIRC. You'd need above average soldering skills and of course the 'odd ball' battery with tabs welded on. I sure don't plan to mess with it until the battery life becomes an issue (slow decline should start about 300 recharges out (I'm hoping to double that using my 'gadget'). There should be many hundreds of more cycles of declining capacity after that. Somewhere along that line I suspect it will get so short it'll annoy me enough.....

Unless something better comes along, I'll probably buy another one?

OF

^ All good points. I agree that this would be a long way off, i just hate waste, so if in 600 cycles or whatever my summit is still working (and pairing it with a charge pack no longer adds value) i would probably attempt to remove the battery and find a replacement.

I have pretty good soldering skills, but from what you say and looking at the photo you posted, it will be a challenge. But hey, if it no longer provides enough power, i guess i got nothing to lose. And these diy projects can be fun and satisfying.

Looking at the up and coming threads, and the speed portable vapes are developing and proliferating, I'd venture something better will come along.

I was just playing around with the clear mouth cap/guard and have a few things to ponder. One, I wonder if a solid cap would keep the smell down by sealing it off and two, the cap/guard does allow more air in and doesn't provide as direct of a pull. I now remove the cap when in use and put it back to protect the MP.