Ooo-nooes! My transition from Camel Snus sucked today

[rustyrat]

You gents and ladies are being very helpful. Thank you.

Yesterday, I felt like I was putting out little fires all day. Every time I wanted to respond to this thread, along comes another interruption. So, I'm gonna gradually respond to your input.

...we have no clue what Camel is using as their ingredients, or the process they use. With Swedish snus you know whats in it, and how it is prepared.

This is a big reason why I wanted to make the full switch to Swedish snus. I still don't understand how the manufacturing process that Camel uses may differ from the *approved* methods used in Sweden.

Other reasons are reliability and economy. Of the various stores that carried the Camel trial tins, only a few have any stock of the standard (15-pouch) tins. Availibility seems sketchy, and I imagine there are some stores that had such low sales that they don't wish to handle another product that doesn't sell decently. And $5+ for a 15-pouch tin doesn't seem like the buyer is getting the best value, especially when there's plenty of room in that tin for at least 20 pouches. In fact, I thought I heard that the early production runs did have 20 pouches.

[gambino]

Ditch the portions all together.
Weak, ineffective, and just not satisfying.
Get a can of grov, phantom classic, and general and bounce between the three.
A good pinch lasts a lot longer ( at least an hour for me), tastes a lot better, and is just as manageable as portions (with some practice).
For me personally, portions are like making love to your wife, only there is a sheet between the two so you can't really touch.
yea it's better than nothing, but leaves you wanting.

[Snusify]

Camel Snus is responsible for convincing many american dippers that Snus is pussy dip or so they think..

I have spent the last 8 months trying to dispel that image via my youtube channel and educating dippers as to what real snus is.

I am slowly winning.

Camel Snus may have introduced a few snusers to real snus but that this has been heavily outweighed by the damage it has caused to the reputation of real snus.

[Tristik]

~~
If you want economy, look into Offroad and Granit. I get my Offroad wintergreen for $2.60 US a can over at buysnus.
~~

[Snusify]

Offroad wintergreen is the worst tasting wintergreen i have ever had.

[rustyrat]

I appreciate your additional input. I figured this thread was slowly falling off the radar. I had intended to wait several more days to allow more time with Swedish snus, but I guess I can speak now.

Although I've reached for the Camel thrice in the five days since starting this thread, I have basically stuck with the Roda Lacket and General Mint, Mini Mint, and White Mini portions.

To those that suggested I need to give it time, I believe you are right. Over the next several days, I began to appreciate the genuine flavors in these Swedish snus products. Now, I'm not being overwhelmed with flavor by any means, but the trend is definitely positive and...happily...more enjoyable. Over the coming weeks/months, I hope to find this to be yet more true.

To those that suggested I continue to use what has worked for me (Camel), I believe your point is valid. However, for the aforementioned reasons, I have made a choice to gradually move over to Swedish snus. I still have a couple dozen cans of Camel, and I will probably use them in regular rotation with Swedish snus until the Camel is gone. I own it, it still tastes pleasant to me, and I'm too frugal in my snusing to just toss it.

And to those that recommeded I try Discreet or Thunder Frosted Minis, I will certainly consider at least trying these. I had already put Thunder Frosted on my "maybe" list. I just don't want to stock up on any additional overly sweet products. I suspect Discreet may be the sweeter of the two.

Although my experience with Camel would make you think otherwise, I really don't have a big sweet tooth that needs to be satisfied constantly. I occasionally eat some bittersweet chocolate (>70% cocoa solids), I don't drink sodas because I find them too sweet, and I prefer bold coffee without sweeteners that mask its flavor. So, I think I was seeking more flavor than anything else when I started this thread. While I can understand that Camel is certainly much more sweet (and probably unnecessarily so) than the quality snus products most of you enjoy, it does have a pronounced flavor. While that flavor may be repulsive to a longtime snuser, the fact is that it was easier for me to pick up on this flavor initially. [Since smokers must have a dulled sense of taste, and RJR likely intended for their smoking customers to continue using cigarettes in conjunction with Camel snus, I can see why the (artificial) flavors and sweetness is so much more pronounced in Camel.]

I'll be continuing with my switchover to Swedish snus. Since my longterm goal is to manage and then snuff out my nicotine habit, I don't see myself indulging in a large variety of the wonderful snus products available. I want it to be enjoyable enough to continue for the interim but not so grand that I never want to stop. As for how that actually plays out, I'll take it one pouch at a time.