By Michael E. Browning
My first brush with the flame-free lifestyle occurred a few years back, speeding
across Lake Washington on a late summer wakeboarding expedition.
With Mount Rainier to the south, glowing peach-purple in the setting sun,
the skipper spied a patch of glass near the eastern shoreline. He dropped
the windshield and battened the hatches. Leaning back on the windshield
with my feet in the bow, I felt for my new Holi Smokes branded 510 EVOD
basic model vaping pen – loaded with their Shakti Rising organic eLiquid.
As we took off I was pulling deep, tasty lungfulls, even as the boat’s bow
lifted off the water with our increasing speed. I knew right then that this device
was designed for the adventurous to embrace. Wind be damned!
Since the introduction of those early, basic
designs, e-cigs and vaping has blossomed
into a billion dollar industry. The technology,
form factors and opportunities for
personalization have grown right alongside.
Of course, you can still get those early
designs, sporting ultra-low prices borne
by inferior materials and mass production
(available now in shockingly diverse retail
locations). Many, like me, who were early
adopters of the “510” threaded fingerthick
“pens” have moved into higher quality
options, preferring to spend the extra
money for designs that eliminate hassles.
Even in the “pretty basic” category, my
orange Atmos 510 Optimus X (for slippery
“oils” or eLiquids) delivers far superior performance
than similar appearing devices
(that you can save a few bucks on). The
lithium-ion battery lasts me for days and
fully charges from dead, in about a movielength
of time (90 minutes). The patent
pending spring-loaded contact maintains
your atomizer’s connection at any angle,
at any speed. The 510 threading means
I can use Atmos cartridges (like the Opti50
KURPLE MAGAZINE 3.2
mus Wickless, S12 or their Pro Tanks) or any
other pro tanks whether from Kangertech,
Aspire or whoever.
For our weekend getaway to Blackstone
Hotsprings – Lodging & Baths in Truth Or
Consequences, I packed my orange Optimus,
an Ole Ultra, a Vapor Connoisseur
Ceramique and very few flowers. During
check in we asked the owner, Steve,
about the medicating policy for patients
and they seemed absolutely understanding,
suggesting the semi private back
porches and neighborly courtesy (while
also reminding us about the $125 fee for
people who leave smoke smells in the
rooms when they leave). A practice that is
getting more and more common, creating
a concern for those who maintain a regular
routine. Enter the vapor adventure.
Interiors of the TV show
themed rooms showcase
touchstones
from our shared past.
We enjoyed the As The World Turns room,
featuring the largest in-room tub there,
about 6’ x 5’ with an overhang rock fountain
and 4’ bench. We checked out the
Twilight Zone room at the other end of the
building and there were other shows I liked
better than the soap we stayed in, but the
big tub totally rocked. So did the room
furnishings, right down to the silky threadcount
of the sheets. Blackstone does offer
day tubs, but everyone who gets a room
also gets an hour in the Wet Room by the
office. With a step down waterfall pool, a
steam enclosure and shower alcove, open
shutters to sunny blue sky dripping with lush
green flora down the 12’
walls, it’s a private tropical paradise. Well
worth the booking and a return trip!
The Hot Springs District offers an assortment
of overnight options. Big parties are
encouraged to check out Riverbend’s 1,
2 and 3 bedroom suites, private bank side
hourly tubs, along with probably your best
public day-soak atmosphere in town, right
on the Rio Grande. You can even bring
your own BBQ picnic for the shaded grill
area. For those who like to pair some jets
with their heat source, Charles Motel &
Hotsprings Spa offers rooftop hot tubs with
a great assortment of propulsion, as well
as the hallway of cement tub stalls reminiscent
of Jemez Springs Bath House. All of
these are within blocks of each other on
the Hot Springs Bathhouse Historic District
Healing Waters Trail. We were also lucky
enough (totally by chance) to have our
visit coincide with the second Saturday of
the month, when downtown’s Main Street
sparkles in the desert night with the creative
revelry known as Art Hop.
A solidly relaxing mineral, heated escape,
enhanced by a nice pile of wax to load
my Ole Ultra every few hours. Atmos claims
Ultra takes five seconds to get up to temperature,
but I’m usually off the button by
then, feathering the contact after
about three seconds
(to keep a lower temp
vaporization flowing in
bursts during a steady
draw). With the window
open, you can feel
fairly confident that you
will leave no lingering
scent when vaping oils
or waxes, either by pen
or by rig. I didn’t have
a torchless nail on this
trip, but check out the
review on page
62 of the Galaxy
E-Nail. Probably
just as discreet
in the flame-free
lifestyle. The Ultra’s
ceramic heating
chamber means
my wax tastes deliciously
right from
top to bottom,
slim design means
it’s very discreet
while packing that
terpene and cannabinoid punch. So discreet
I even have to show people who
might know, the cap that hides the rubber
mouthpiece. Elegant, dependable and
durable, good for dry as well, much like
the Ceramique, my other slim companion.
Sporting a vented black exterior with a
shaved circumference that helps keep
your grip on the anodized surface, Ceramique
features a blown glass tip specifically
designed to keep bubbling goo out
of our mouths. Smart! Comes with an extra
cartridge to keep your dry and waxy moments
manageable, it also has the good
breeding of ceramic
heating elements to
keep the flavor (Mango
in this instance)
true to the end. One
thing I love is how
either one of these
seems sort of bottomless.
When it looks
empty, it’s not and it
still tokes tasty!
Also, again, lithium-ion.
When I woke on Saturday
night with some tummy
trauma, my sweet
CO2 extracted Girl Scout
Cookies loaded orange
Optimus X was within
bedside reach, ready
to satisfy, even though it
had spent the weekend
before passed around
the lift chairs on one of Sandia Peak’s
last best days. Maybe I just don’t toke
enough, but these quality pens seem to
stay charged and delivering the goods for
me for many days running (a highly admirable
trait for the adventurous amongst us
who are living the flame-free life). Sitting in
the hotsprings, or a hotel room, by never
really igniting or burning anything, vape
pens can be a real asset for traveling with
discretion.
