Hello and welcome to a new regular Vapouround blog feature.
In this fortnightly digest, we will be covering all of the latest hardware and trends from the world of high-end vaping.
Many of these highly sought after items can only be purchased through secret Facebook groups and waiting lists. The small batches of units and high price tags make for products that are driven as much by collectability as they are by quality and performance.
For those involved, this is all part of the fun.
1. Return of the RDTA:
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The RDTA (rebuildable dripping tank atomiser) is simply an RDA deck with wicking channels that feed into a tank below.
This should provide the superior flavour production of an RDA with the e-liquid capacity benefits of a tank.
But with the soaring popularity of squonking and continuous improvement of traditional RTAs, RDTAs have fallen out of favour.
An RDTA falls well short of the capacity of a squonk bottle and most designs have historically had inherent leaking issues that are not present in RTAs.
High-end consumers are now gravitating towards progressively smaller mods and with a battery and bottle to consider, there’s only so much you can do to cut down on size when it comes to squonkers.
These consumers refuse to sacrifice on flavour so suddenly the idea of RDTAs modelled on tried-and-tested flavour-chasing RDAs becomes more appealing.
We’re now seeing a wave of atomisers from modders who are known for their tiny single-coil devices, such as the Haku Riviera, FLVR RDTA and Hellfire Mav-T.
Unlike RDTAs of old, this new slew of atomisers all feature a super slammed design with condensed chambers, along with the ability to be used as a squonking atomiser.
Coupled with improved leak resistance, these features make for the perfect storm of size and functionality that enthusiasts are looking to couple with their smaller setups.
2. 18350 Invasion:
For a long time, 18350 devices were all but forgotten about. But the resurgence of low-power MTL vaping and the release of the EXO18350S (re-wrapped as Aspire, Vapcell and others) 1100mAh 10A cells has changed things.
Diminished cell capacity and amp limits are a non-issue when vaping under 15W and the modern 18350s are more than capable of providing a practical run-time for most people.
What at first seemed like something of an in-joke in enthusiast circles has quickly become a serious pursuit to find the smallest, most immaculately-made setup.
Recent releases include the Noname Mods Capo, which is a hybrid tank and mod AIO, accepting nautilus coils, the Hellfire V6, a UK-made mechanical tube and the tiny Stratum 0 Prestige Mini.
3. Limelight Mechanics teaser:
Serbian manufacturer Limelight Mechanics have been producing exquisite devices for over six years now, with the landmark Freehand squonker taking the high-end scene by storm in 2017.
They’ve been relatively quiet in the last year or so but a cryptic Facebook post from company owner Dejan on June 7 teased an entire new series of products.
The only detail we have is an obscured image of what appears to be a tiny, palm-able mod but it’s safe to say that whatever’s coming will be one of the most highly sought after releases of the year.
As someone who has been using a Freehand Gloom daily for well over a year now, this is the one I’ll be watching most closely.
