Most dry-herb vaporizers boast varied temperature settings with quick heat up, simple button-push applications, and a variety of battery strengths that all have you charging more frequently than desired. The Dynavap “M” goes old school, removing the battery or plug-in power-source, and implementing a cool heat-click system.
Overall Rating for the Dynavap M
- Size/Portability: 10/10 – You can slip it in your pocket. It’s not bigger than a pen or an oil cartridge battery. The standard size is 92mm (though there is an XL version).
- Ease-of-use: 7/10 – Not as simple as most battery or plug-in options, but easy enough to learn. And super easy to pack, unload, and clean.
- Quality/control of vapor: 7.5/10 – Big hits. Great for the lack of preset control, but not as super-clean feeling as the highest end vapes. Temperature control is possible, but requires more know-how.
- Mechanics/durability: 9.5/10 – No fears of breaking it from dropping, though the cap should not be crushed. It should last as long as you do, with replacement parts easy to get if necessary.
- Price: 10/10 – The vape itself is ~ $60, but will cost a little over $100 with the full kit. An amazing price for something that can last a lifetime.
Total: 44/50
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What is the Dynavap M?
It’s a relatively new dry herb vape model that uses no battery or electrical power. It’s constructed out of metal – titanium or stainless steel, and shaped like a pen complete with a cap on the end. The design is sleek and the mechanics simple enough. The vaporizer works by using a flame – preferably from a torch lighter as that makes heating much faster. Standard butane lighters can be used, but the heat-up time is longer. The Dynavap M doesn’t have any pre-set temperature settings, and much like the MFLB, requires a little know-how in order to moderate the temperature when vaping.
How does it work?
The Dynavap M is 92mm long (about 3.6 inches). The end you drag through has a hole with a carb almost a third of the way down. On the other end are coils leading up to a bowl where the cannabis flower goes in. It can be stuck in as a chunk of a flower, broken up a bit, or put in completely ground. I found the middle option best, although putting in a chunk of flower works well with mixing between hits. A cap fits on the end over the cup and is the basis for the heating system. It can also be used to stir the flower in between, but it’s a little cumbersome for this and can easily knock the flower out.
Generally speaking, a flame is used (although after market accessories like a plug-in heater do exist). The flame is put on the cap, while rotating the vape so that it heats evenly around. The flame should be held to the middle of the cap to provide the most even heating. The cap itself protects the cannabis from getting any chemicals on it from the lighter. When the vape has heated to the appropriate temperature, a series of two clicks sound telling the user to stop heating, and to start vaping.
After approximately 30-40 seconds it cools down and two more clicks are heard. At this point it can be reheated, with the reheat taking significantly less time. The clicks are nice and loud, though sometimes, only one click will sound. If the second one doesn’t sound within a couple seconds, the heat source should be removed as combustion is likely.
How to heat it?
The intended heating method is a flame, with torch lighters working much faster than standard lighters. I found that with a double-flame torch lighter I could get it to click within about 5-6 seconds. A more standard torch lighter took a few seconds longer. When using a regular lighter, it took me a good 20 seconds, or even 30 to get it to click, and this generally means the lighter itself gets very hot, and also causes more soot on the cap. I even used one of the small disposable torch lighters, and actually found this preferable to all other options. Mainly because its small and light, but with a powerful enough flame to get it hot within about 10-12 seconds. The air temperature outside will affect how long it takes to both heat-up and cool-down.
How are the hits?
It hits very well. Like most vapes, the first hit generally dries things out and is more about flavor than vapor. By the second heating, I got a nice big vape cloud. I had read a lot about people not expecting the power of the hit, and I see what they mean. It does produce a very nice, strong vape experience which is surprising for the size of the vape. I have the standard-size model, and probably use no more than 1/6 of a gram to fill it. With that I usually get through about 3 sessions of heating 2-3 times each. With each heating I get about 1 big hit and 1 smaller hit. Personally, I like to let it cool down in between sessions and stir. As it uses both convection and conduction in its design, I find it best to stir it around so that the parts heated less in the middle can be better exposed.
It’s very true that heating too far past the click (more than a few seconds), or reheating before the cool-down click, generally results in combustion. So, if you get a big hit that tastes kind of smoky, you went too far. It’s easy to forget to wait for the clicks, but this means ruining the rest of your bowl.
Upsides
- It’s tiny. There is an XL version which is longer, and with a bigger cup that holds more flower, but both sizes – M and XL – are long and thin, like an actual pen. Literally the most portable vape. I slip it right in my pocket.
- No batteries or outlet needed. Technically even a candle will work just fine, so if there’s a flame available, you’re good to go.
- Easily cleaned by taking the pieces apart and soaking them. Instructions can be found on the website to do this. It takes quite a bit of time to require a full cleaning.
- It’s a nearly indestructible vape. Won’t break from dropping, and comes with a lifetime warranty. Sometimes simple mechanics are the best.
- Produces nice, big, hits. Less wasteful than other vapes I’ve used. You can smoke it out as far as you like by heating longer at the end.
- Super-easy to load, clean out, and load again.
- Temperature control is possible with a few manipulations with where and how it’s heated.
- Dynavap is big on after market products, so there are tons of add-ons, and extras that can be used to enhance your vape experience.
- The vapes come in a variety of colors, patterns, and materials, so you can get the one that sparks your fancy.
- It’s cheap! $60 buys you a vape that lasts years if not the rest of your life.
- It’s fun. Seriously, try playing around with one. It makes vaping cannabis flowers that much more interesting! Once the basics are learned, it’s an easy device to manipulate.
Downsides
- It gets hot, and does take time to cool down. If you get the whole package, it comes with the Dynastash which has a magnet that helps it cool. I like to just remove the top and place both on a surface that won’t be affected by heat, or which is cold and can help it cool down. The cap is thin and cools down quickly. I tend to think removing it after a session allows the cannabis to cool faster as well, leading to less waste. The coils and bowl remain hot for several minutes and you must be careful, it’s easy to get burned! If you’re carrying it in your pocket, you will have to wait a few minutes for it to cool down sufficiently.
- You need a flame. If you find yourself without a lighter of any kind, or stove, or even a candle, then you’re out of luck.
- More difficult temperature control, and overall less specific control than a vape with preset temperature settings.
- You have to wait for a cool-down click before re-heating. It’s easy to forget this and burn out a bowl. It also means waiting when you might want to go right into the next hit.
- Requires a little more manipulation and know-how than a standard electrical vaporizer.
- Overheating too much, or too many times, can ruin the cap and the heat-click system.
- The screen is a weird shape and can’t be replaced with a standard one. You’ll need to get the specific screens for replacements.
Tips and tricks
- Lighting the cap closer to its end heats the vape at a lower temperature because of the mechanics. This is a good way to get a smaller, less intense, hit.
- If you are using a less-strong lighter, there is more time between the heat-up clicks. Waiting for just one click means a smaller hit.
- If you’re towards the end and looking for a nice hit, or to simply finish it out, heat it 1-2 seconds past the click, but not more. According to instructions over-heating can ruin the entire click system. I overheated it a few times accidentally, and I haven’t had any such implications. The more you get used to it, the less overheating you’ll do.
- The carb is very important! I find it best to cover it about halfway for a stronger hit. As it cools down more, covering the carb more will force a bigger hit. If it’s overheated, you don’t need the carb at all.
What does Dynavap M come with & after market?
You can buy just the Dynavap M for about $60, or you can buy the whole Dynastash kit. The kit comes with: a compartment for the vape with a magnet, and separate compartments for tools. Different Dynastash options exist with different offerings at different prices.
Dynavap M offers lots of extras to improve your experience. Like plug-in heaters if you don’t want to use a lighter, different kits with cleaning tools, and replacement parts. Check out their site for all available options, and to see what’s in the pipeline.
Conclusion
Everyone has their own preferences for how they like to vape hemp flowers. The Dynavap M offers a quick and easy vape experience with a durability and portability not found much in the vape world. If you’re looking for a cost effective way to produce nice, big, hits without waste, want something small enough to fit into your pocket that will last a lifetime, and would prefer to go without plug-in or batteries, this is a great option. Plus, between the torch lighter, sleek new-age design, and heat-clicking mechanism… you’ll feel just like James Bond as you smoothly vape your hemp buds. Although I advise stirring over shaking.
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