How to Stealth Vape Like a Pro
A friend of mine has a problem.
He works remotely and likes to take a midday walk, pausing under a tree to enjoy a quiet vape. But every day, the same runner storms past - and hurls a round of abuse at him just for vaping.
You can’t always control how people react. And explaining why we vape - again and again - can get exhausting.
Fortunately, there’s a solution: stealth vaping.
What is stealth vaping?
Stealth vaping means discreet vaping. When you stealth vape, you use your vape in a way that people will not notice unless they pay close attention.
This involves using smaller, lower-powered devices which can be held in the palm of your hand, and vaping with high PG e-liquid. It also means using vaping techniques which minimise the amount of vapour you exhale.
How do you stealth vape?
To stealth vape, you need a combination of the right techniques, equipment and e-liquid.
Stealth vaping techniques
Palm vaping
Ensure your vape is encased in the palm of your hand, so the device is as hidden as possible.
If there are LED lights or displays, ensure these are covered and that the display is pointing face in towards your hand.
The second inhale
Take a short, gentle inhale.
Inhale air on top of the vapour you have inhaled.
Hold the vapour in for several seconds before breathing out.
The swallow technique
The second technique is to inhale, then swallow the vapour (twice if you can). Inhale air again if you can, then exhale.
Exhaling
Purse your lips to make a tiny hole, or place your top lip over your bottom lip, and exhale downwards to minimise the appearance of any vapour.
Stealth vaping equipment
Equipment should be:
- low-powered (to produce less vapour)
- have low or no LED lights, or lights that can be turned off
- be small enough to fit into the palm of your hand.
The trickiest part is the LED light, as few modern devices have the ability to turn these off. One option is the Xros 5 Mini - the lights are very muted, and can be easily held against your hand.
My personal favourite, though, is the Xros 5 Nano. While it does have LED lights, it’s very compact, has a great battery life and offers a superb vape.
For a prefilled option, try the BM600 prefilled pod kit, which is small enough to fit into most palms.
E-liquid and pods for discreet clouds
VG:PG ratio
It’s important to avoid high VG e-liquid for stealth vaping, as these produce a lot of vapour.
Instead, look for an e-liquid with a VG:PG ratio of 50:50 (or 40:60/30:70 if you don’t mind a stronger throat hit).
Halo Max and Elfliq are examples of e-liquid with VG:PG of 50:50, while Riot Bar EDTN comes with 60% PG.
Prefer prefilled pods? Almost all come with a VG:PG ratio of 50:50, so it doesn’t really matter which you choose.
Nicotine strength
If you are using less power, you will be inhaling less vapour. So to assuage nicotine cravings, you may need to increase the nicotine strength of the e-liquid you are using.
What is zero vaping?
Zero vaping is a subset of stealth vaping. While stealth vaping means to vape discreetly, zero vaping means to vape without exhaling any vapour.
While it’s relatively easy to adjust your technique, device and equipment for stealth vaping, blowing out only a thin wisp of vapour, zero vaping is more difficult and will need some practice. The techniques are the same, but need more refinement.
When is stealth vaping acceptable?
Of course, I’d never recommend vaping in places where it is forbidden.
However, as with my friend, sometimes vaping in places where it IS legal can lead to problems.
That’s probably because some people have been misinformed, and believe that second-hand vapour could harm them in some way.
At the same time, if you’ve recently switched to vaping, relapsing to smoking is always a danger. So ideally you want to avoid going to a smoking shelter where you could be met with temptation.
That’s why, in certain public situations, stealth vaping can make sense – helping you avoid confrontation and the temptation to revert to smoking.
The dangers of stealth vaping
There’s two key areas where stealth vaping can cause problems.
The first is vaping in a place where it is banned. Sometimes this can have serious consequences.
For example, people who have vaped on Qatar Airways have been arrested and spent several nights in jail.
In the UK, we can legally vape in most places (and we can often vape where we can’t smoke), but there are local restrictions to contend with. This means vaping is restricted in:
- Trains and train stations
- Buses
- Airplanes
- Some businesses and pubs
- Theatres and cinemas
- Some hospitals
The second is the reputational risk that comes with vaping. Like it or not, vaping has a stigma attached for some people, who find it hard to distinguish from smoking. Get caught vaping in a place where it is forbidden - and you risk cementing the bad reputation in people’s minds.
With these dangers in mind, remember to use your stealth vaping powers responsibly!
Wrapping up
Stealth vaping is a useful tool in the right situation - but don’t forget, people have lost their jobs, or even spent nights in jail, for vaping where they shouldn’t.
Your new powers can help you avoid conflict, but do use them wisely - after all, they are not foolproof!