Looking for a replacement for a traditional glass bowl

[Mr John Doe]

Hello! I am brand new and posting here because I have been researching endlessly, and have yet to find what I'm looking for, and I'm not certain the item I'm looking for is even on the market. If it is, I figure the folks here would be the best suited to help me identify it. I have been using a glass bowl for combustion for quite a while now, and ultimately would like to move to a vaporizer (mainly because it's healthier, and also because, you know, fuck combustion). However, the basic bowl and lighter provides many advantages:
- Large quantity (easily enough to share), can be passed around while talking for quite a while
- Small size, can be put with a lighter in a pocket without being more bulgy than normal with keys etc
- Ability to be taken into the wilderness (such as hiking or camping) and be ready for use on any given day of the trip

In terms of providing those same benefits, I was leaning towards a VaporGenie or a Lotus, for when out and about, and eventually looking at something like the arizer solo for when not separated from power for days at a time, as transport inside of the McDonalds cup is inconspicuous enough for my needs, and it has rave reviews. However, on both ends I have some concerns, and am *certainly* open to other ideas.

For the Lotus or VaporGenie, my main concerns are that I'm not actually improving anything in terms of the health side of it. Sure, anything is an improvement, but how easy is it with those to both use them effectively, and inevitably instruct others in their effective use, without crossing the line into combustion? Are either really suitable for passing, do they support the necessary load for that? How much, in terms of pollutants from the heat source (butane etc) still make it into the air path?

For the Arizer Solo, my main concerns are strictly in its suitability for passing, but are still twofold. First, can it support the kind of load necessary? If not, am I missing something obvious for larger loads but similar quality? Second, is it still the case that it cannot be used while charging? Is there any way around that bit of absurdity, or good alternatives which avoid that issue? I was originally looking towards the Davinci Ascent, but I realized that no one device would have all my needs, and unless I was out in the sticks it fitting in my pocket did not matter that much to me, not nearly as much as quality, and on that end I've had serious concerns with the Ascent, first with the outgassing issues and now with the air leaks. The chinese construction isn't winning any points in my books. Yet all the quality in the world doesn't help me if I can't at minimum come close to the easy passing supported by a basic piece of blown glass, and from everything I'm seeing, as awesome as the solo is, it's meant for just that- solo use.

Your thoughts, and assistance, are greatly appreciated!

 

[Delta3DStudios]

Welcome to the forum!

The VG is a solid vape for what you're looking for in terms of portability, but it's not the best performance. The Lotus blows away the VG, but it's not the easiest for a newbie to use. You can and will combust a few times while practicing with the Lotus (WATCH the videos, and be careful not to over-heat the Lotus!)

The fun part about the lotus is how fast you can heat up and use your lotus - though it's not the most stealth because of the huge hot plate (doesn't look legal..... though neither does combusting bowl/spoon). But once you get the hang of it, you will have HUGE control over the temperature - you can take nice long slow low temperature hits if you want to sip away. Or you can take huge lung busting near-combustion hits. It's all in how you handle the torch. Health wise it can be just as healthy as my other vapes - but that's also because I had experience with other vaporizers before the Lotus.

The Lotus is not however a good "sharing vape" because it's not very user friendly - especially with newbies who don't know how to handle the torch. And you can only really share 1 load with 1 other person at most. The Solo would be a great vape to use around the house and to share with friends

I think the Lotus is great especially if you have been combusting through a waterpipe for years. It's a smooth transition (though you will want to DESPERATELY clean all of your old combusting pieces with PBW to eliminate the old taste once you fuck combustion).

I also have the Ascent - it's a good vape (Flavor country oh my god, damn near tastes like you're vaping perfume for the first 2-3 hits!). But the OLED screen is bright, there's an air leak in the vapor path (which makes your hits have less dense vapor - smaller clouds), and the low draw restriction means you can drop the thermal heat VERY fast from the vape - hit it too hard and you won't get any visible vapor (so it's really not that great for newbies when you try to explain "Slowly fill your lungs over 30 seconds!", and they try to hit it so hard the damn thing whistles!). I think the Ascent is a nice vape, but certainly not worth $250, I'd put the value closer to $175 (with a full warranty - you will absolutely want that warranty if you buy the ascent).

I would say the Lotus is great, especially in recreating the sensation of hitting a waterpipe with a lighter (although with a sweet cigar torch instead of a normal lighter). But it's not good for newbies. Especially if you're new to vaporizing.

I think you should start with the Solo - it's a solid vape, but it's not the most stealthy. Of course as you mention there are workarounds to conceal the vape.

One final piece of advice - if you do buy a vape - quit smoking for at least one or two weeks and vape exclusively. If you try vaping one or two times, you won't fully enjoy it and go back to smoking. Seriously try the vape for several weeks and you'll never go back!

 

[Beluga]

I might recommend the Hammer vaporizer for you. It doesn't have an extremely large bowl, but the glass stem makes it easy to refill quickly if you have your bud handy. Plus its hits are similar to the Lotus, it runs on butane (great for outdoors), and it's basically just a lighter, so it's easier to get the hang of if you were to pass it around. I might even say it would be more portable than a Lotus because you wouldn't need to carry a lighter. The new Hammer Plus was recently announced which includes a bigger bowl and a built in nail for concentrates if that interests you.

 

[max]

Your thoughts, and assistance, are greatly appreciated!

Well John, you might get better response if you participate in your thread. You posted a week ago and haven't logged back onto the forum since. Looks like you may be having trouble remembering where you posted your questions.

 

[drfe3]

the ascent is the only vape i own and i like it a lot:
-great taste
-solid battery (but it takes like 3-4 hours to charge which is kinda shitty)
-i dropped it like 10 feet out of a tree (dont ask) and it has a nice little dent but still works fine
-ive smoked up a bunch of buddies with it, you just have to make sure they are doing it right i.e a slow long draw
-also ive noticied if you put a little bit of e-liquid in it (nicotine free, costs like 3$ ) it creates huge clouds which are really fun to blow rings with
- easy to clean (you just take the glass out and rinse with rubbing alcohol)

negatives:
-definitely overpriced but its not insane since most vapes are expensive right now, ive used the pax quite a bit but its a bitch to clean, there is less temperature control, and the battery life is kinda crappy

i was also worried about how the vapor path is not a tight seal, but honestly you don't really get vapor leakage unless you hold it below a 45 degree angle (which doesn't really happen and it sits upright in your pocket like a phone so it wont leak there either) . now that i have used it I actually like how its an easy draw, yeah you are getting air mixed in with the vapor but it doesnt really create any problems as long as you take a nice long hit