Volcano Classic

BONG ODER VAPORIZER?

Der Classic Volcano ist ein echtes Phänomen... mit Sicherheit zunächst belächelt von jedem Kiffer, versteckt sich hier eine Bestie mit ungeahnter Kraft. Zunächst einmal ein kleiner Exkurs für Bong-Liebhaber, stellt es euch so vor:

UNTERSCHIED ZWISCHEN BONG UND VAPORIZER

Beim Rauchen mit der Bong kriegst du direkt voll einen auf die Mütze - ein Vaporizer hingegen schlägt nicht sofort zu... besser:
Er nimmt ordentlich Anlauf. Und schlägt dann mit doppelter Kraft zu. Soll heißen: Man wird zwar nicht so schnell dicht, wie bei einem Kopf mit der Bong (was auch am Tabak liegt), aber dafür wird man umso breiter und vor allem auch länger auf einem höheren Level breit. Wer darüber nach dem Ausprobieren noch lächeln möchte, kann das also höchstens aus einem Grund, nämlich weil er einfach unheimlich breit in der Ecke liegt und nicht mehr kann ;)

ARGUMENTE FÜR EINEN VAPORIZER

Wirkung, Geld, Gesundheit und Stil... hier ist man mit dem Vaporizer ganz vorne. Für Viel-Nutzer natürlich interessant: Der Verbrauch (und somit die Ausgaben) sinken erheblich. Der Vaporizer wirkt viel stärker und länger, als ein Kopf aus der Bong, da das THC brav aus dem Grünen "gelöst" wird, statt stupide alles zu verbrennen. Ein Balloon aus dem Vaporizer bietet also quasi "pures" Vergnügen - ohne die Schadstoffe, die beim Verbrennen entstehen. Zudem verzichtet man automatisch auf den Konsum von abhängig machendem Tabak und Nikotin - ebenfalls gesünder und billiger. Der Verbrauch an Grünzeug bspw. sinkt erheblich, da man aus dem vorhandenen Grünen einfach viel mehr rausholen kann. Was will man mehr? Und was den Stil anbelangt, so ist es doch auch weitaus angenehmer, ohne den ekeligen Gestank und Siff einer Bong zu leben und dennoch mit einem Lächeln durch das Leben zu wandern :)

EMPFEHLUNG FÜR OPTIMALES ERGEBNIS

Ich weiß, für einen Bong-Liebhaber, der den Flash liebt, mag es hart klingen, aber um den Vaporizer mit allen seinen Facetten wirklich genießen und auskosten zu können, sollte man auf das Benutzen einer Bong (und Joints!) verzichten. Es ist tatsächlich so, dass die Bong einen zwar im ersten Moment mega fertig macht, aber lasst mich ein Beispiel anbringen:

- Vaporizer only rauchen = 100% Erlebnis - jedes Mal (!)
- Vaporizer in Verbindung mit Bong = einmalig (!) tolles Erlebnis, jedes weitere Mal nach dem ersten Einsatz fühlt man sich allerdings nur noch bei 75-50% Spaß ...die Bong knallt zwar, versaut aber jedes spätere Erlebnis

Heißt, dass ihr zwar mit der Bong einen viel höheren Verbrauch an Grünzeug habt, allerdings die Wirkung (nach der ersten viertel Stunde) weit unter dem eigentlichen Potenzial liegt. Die Bong härtet den Körper quasi für den Extremfall ab, dieses Level kann man leider nur beim ersten Mal halten. Das zweite Bong-Rauchen ist dann schon weit weniger wirksam, als der erste Versuch. Beim Vaporizer hingegen bleibt die Wirkung (mit leichten Abstrichen) relativ konstant HOCH. Klingt doof, ist aber einfach so.

FAZIT

Auf den Vaporizer würde ich nie wieder verzichten. Die Wirkung ist einfach unantastbar. Das Gerät bietet neben der grünen Erheiterung auch die Möglichkeit, möglichst fein "zermahlenes" Piece und Co. zu nutzen, die Wirkung bleibt die gleiche. Die verbrauchte Menge bei gleichbleibendem Konsum nimmt insgesamt auch ab, man hat also weniger Ausgaben, da man weniger Ausgangsmaterial benötigt. Der Vaporizer erzeugt zudem keine unangenehmen Gerüche, weder beim Inhalieren noch im Zimmer riecht es unangenehm. Lediglich die feinen Pflanzenaromen sind minimal im Raum wahrzunehmen, nach kurzem Lüften verfliegt dies aber sehr schnell. Man verzichtet zudem auf den ganzen Schmand und Schmutz, der beim Rauchen unweigerlich auftritt. Was spricht nun gegen einen Vapirizer? Ehrlich gesagt eigentlich gar nichts, außer dass man eine Steckdose benötigt (aber ist das wirklich problematisch?) - aber im Gegenzug spricht eigentlich ALLES FÜR einen Vaporizer. Meinen würde ich nie wieder hergeben! ;)

I just tested it. Lovely machine. Lots of vapor from a very small amount of weed. Super! :-)

I always thought this modern stuff machinery was just made to impress health-freaks and medicine students. But a friend of mine (a medicine student) purchased one and after smiling down on him for some months, I realized how little weed he needed to get dead stoned and how long the effect lasted.

At first it is strange to use the vaporizer because the stuff you inhale is incredibly dry (chewing gum helps) but once you're used to it, it can't be beat. Like with a bong, the onset varies from immediately to 15 minutes, half a balloon (0,5 - 0,8m) usually is sufficient for an intense effect for 1 - 2 hours (varies with habituation*g*).

The Volcano is said to have an efficiency of extracting the active ingredient of 80% or more, so you can image how much of your weed is no longer burnt for the sake of burning but goes straight to you!

All in all: great product, good for your health, doesn't produce the usual strong and distinctive smell, helps you get the best of your herbs.

Me and my Volcano

It was in the summer of 2007 that I bought my first vaporizer. Since I didn't know there were any others, it was the Volcano Classic, with Easy Valve balloons. Although I bought it somewhat impulsively, I do not regret it one bit.

At the time I was growing a couple of Shiva plants on my rooftop, and I figured it would be a good investment to purchase a vaporizer. Previously I had been a bong smoker. I never smoked tobacco, so joints had never been my thing. When I was 16 I grew and harvested my first cannabis plant, so hashish hadn't been my thing either.

My girlfriend had become interested in the effects of cannabis, but had difficulty keeping smoke in her lungs. I figured purchasing a vaporizer would make it easier for her to get really stoned.

When I received my Volcano, for the first couple of weeks I used weed that I had bought in a local coffeeshop. What a different but delicious flavor! For the first couple of days I experimented with the temperature setting. If the temperature was too low, the vapor would be tasty, but not very dense, whereas a temperature too high would generate a white cloud that had even me coughing, what to speak of my girlfriend.

Another thing I discovered was that if you switch of the heating system, the element will remain sufficiently hot to fill another balloon with white vapor. So there's an energy-efficient technique: switch off the red button before filling up an additional one or two balloons.

I also noticed, like most users, that grinding the weed into a fine powder will release much more vapor. To avoid a sticky grinder it's best to first crumble the weed with your fingers, fill up one or two balloons, and then put the dried crumbs in the grinder.

I later discovered that the Volcano Digit has an automatic shut-off function. There have been a few instances when I had used the vaporizer in the morning before going to work (or in the evening before going to a party), but forgotten to turn it off, so that when I came home, the heating element was still around 200 degrees Celsius. But fortunately the Volcano can handle it fine. The weed in the extraction chamber was completely dried up, but not scorched or anything.

Heh, that reminds me, one time I forgot to turn off the vaporizer before going shopping, but this time I had kept the air flow on, in other words, the vaporizer was blowing a stream of vapor into the balloon, which once filled up started to spill into my living room. When I came home 15 minutes later, my room was like sauna or Turkish bath house. I sat down and inhaled deeply... Hmmmmmm...

While the Volcano had been forcing vapor into that balloon for 15 minutes, it had not blown a fuse or anything. And although this time the weed in the extraction chamber had been somewhat scorched, it had not combusted. In other words, the Volcano can handle forgetful stoners pretty well.

Regarding the smell, if I vaporize in my living room, the smell doesn't travel to other parts of the house. This is much different when you're smoking a bong or a joint. So if you're in a situation where you don't want others to inhale your spice, for example because you've got children, a vaporizer is really practical.

After harvesting my plants, hanging them upside down, I didn't wait until they were completely dry. I cut off some attractive buds and placed them in the extraction chamber of my vaporizer. And both the taste and effect were great!

When the plants were in fact dry, I didn't bother to remove the smallest leaves. Of course, if you want to smoke (or sell) weed, you want a minimum of leaves, but when you have a vaporizer with a large extraction chamber, the presence of leaves doesn't really matter. As far as I can tell, it doesn't affect the taste. And we all know those leaves contain quite a bit of THC!

That harvest was enough for a whole year of relatively intense vaporizing. And when I was ready to harvest a year later, I still had quite some buds from the year before (which I turned into cannabutter).

I usually start with the temperature switch at 6 (185-195 degrees C) and then, to squeeze out all the THC, end with 7 (197-207 degrees C) or 8 (209-219 degrees C). At 7 or 8 the vapor can be so dense that it's hard to keep it in your lungs. One trick that works for me is this: after filling your lungs with vapor, take one short breath of fresh air to clear your throat. And don't laugh while you're vaporizing! :)

I didn't really keep track of it, but I think I needed to replace each bag of the Easy Valve every second or third month. At a certain point the bag starts leaking, which is of course a waste of precious vapor.

I do not regret getting the Easy Valve system. I like how it keeps the balloons light weight (easy to keep between two fingers, like a joint) and easy to refill. Later on I tried the Solid Valve system, but didn't like it that much. The solid valve is quite heavy and more cumbersome to refill. One good thing about the Solid Valve is that you can create your own replacement balloons using cheap oven bags. These balloons can be of whatever size you like, so if you're throwing a party, you can create a huge balloon, which is fun. To celebrate April 20 I decided to create a large balloon myself, of a whopping two meters length. It took a lot of effort, but I managed to attach a huge oven bag to the Easy Valve. So it's possible, and fun, but not really recommended.

What I really like about the Volcano system is that you can take the balloons everywhere: to your bedroom, to the toilet, into your garden, to your friendly neighbors etc. With many other electric vaporizers this is not an option.

The Easy Valve extraction chamber is very easy to refill. You don't have to wait until it cools down (though you've got to be careful, as it does get hot). Simply pick up the chamber, open it, turn it over (either to throw the spent weed away or grind it some more), fill it up again and continue vaporizing.

Of course this applies to all vaporizers: no more tar and ashes! After a while some sticky stuff will build up inside the extraction chamber, but this can easily be removed by taking out the screen in the lid of the extraction chamber and either cleaning it or replacing it.

The extraction chamber has three legs. If you drop the extraction chamber, the plastic on the legs might break, but there is an iron leg underneath that will remain, so it's not a disaster. Still, I decided to replace the extraction chamber about once a year.

Oh, here's a problem you might run into: if you let the extraction chamber cool down, it will be very hard to open it, due to sticky material between the two parts of the chamber. But heat it up, and it will open again. Be sure to keep the herb chamber clean, especially the parts where the two halves connect (use the tiny brush). Or otherwise open the chamber at the end of your vaporizing session.

The Easy Valve mouth piece is also a very practical invention. Detach the black part, place the orange part on top of the extraction chamber, fill up the balloon, click the black part in again, and inhale!

I've tried many electric and portable vaporizers since I bought mine, but none of them matched the practical aspects of my Volcano. Yes, they are cheaper, but also more cumbersome. At least that's how I feel about them. If my Volcano ever breaks down (and it's still doing fine!) I'm surely going to buy another one. Perhaps the Digit, because of the automatic switch-off and other features, but certainly the Easy Valve system again.

BEST PURCHASE EVER! The Volcano is worth every penny! So easy to use, so efficient, so beautiful, so smooth, so easy to clean and reliable. I HIGHLY recommend it. Bag style vaporizers are FAR superior to whip style. With a bag, every hit is the same. Don't have to worry about sucking too fast, or slow. Set the temp and forget it. :) Everyone should have a Volcano, it's a wise investment, will save you money in the long run!