Anyone who has ever been to a public event can tell you that the idea of a portable cannabis smoking device is a practical godsend to the stoner who actually likes to go out and… do things.

Now that portable vaporizers are a reality, it’s no surprise that there are many different choices available to those in the market for an easy-to-use and compact smoking device. I decided to purchase my Kryptonite vaporizer after seeing a Toke Daily Deal on Westword earlier this summer. It was almost kismet, as I was about to leave on a trip that would require me to cross several state lines in both a car and airplane. If there were ever a time to get a portable hash pen, then that was it.

The benefits are pretty obvious. Because the design is much like an e-cigarette, it allows you to not only you smoke in places you wouldn’t be able to otherwise, but it also is great for taking your medicine with you without having to worry about getting busted.

A single cartridge in this pen can yield 250-300 hits; it usually takes me 4-5 hits to be able to call it a good session. That’s actually higher then average for a pen of this size, no matter the brand.

I have to give special props to the Denver Kush Club (where I purchased this), who makes their own cartridges that go with these devices. When I first bought this, they only had sativa and indica to choose from; by the time I needed a re-fill a few weeks later, they started making strain-specific cartridges. Many dispensaries carry both flavored and strain-specific cartridges for portable vaporizer devices.

The bottom of the device is a battery, which recharges with an included USB charger, which is very convenient. At first I thought the battery life was really awful, until I realized it really needs to be charged overnight to ensure a full battery. It also has a small display at the bottom that not only tells you how much batter you have left, but also has a hit counter so you can keep approximate track of how much hash is left in the cartridge. The display and counter are unique features that I haven’t seen in any other device of this size, and the included carrying case was also a great bonus.

The price of this pen new is $40, and the new refills cost $40. This is about average (in Denver, at least) no matter what the product or the dispensary. Price will depend on the size of the device and the dosage of each new cartridge. Where I work, we sell two different sizes of devices made by Atmos: a small $60 model and the larger $75 model. The bigger model has cartridges ranging from 100mg all the way up to 800mg, with prices for those starting in the $30-range and going up to $59.

Another popular option that friends of mine rave about is the G-pen from Grenco Science. It has a cartridge that you can refill yourself with whatever hash oil you want. This is a great option for anyone who can make their own hash oil, or for those that don’t want to have to keep getting the single-use vessels that most other pens use. Some companies have already started to come out with attachments to their existing devices to try to compete with the G Pen, so if you already own a device, look up the manufacturer and see what they’ve been up to since you last bought your device.

If I knew what I know now, I would probably just save up the money and get the Atmos Raw, a device that will take any raw medicine. Atmos is one of the very many companies that make pens that take specific cartridges. While I like the ease of the cartridge system, I have to keep going back to the dispensary to get that specific cartridge (I have found another made by a now-out-of-business manufacturer that does fit, but the quality of the medicine in it is not nearly as good as the ones that DKC makes in-house). It would be nice to try bud and earwax in a portable vape.

The bottom line: the Kryptonite is a great device and I get a lot of practical use and enjoyment out of it. For those in the market, it’s definitely worth shopping around before making a final decision.

(Note: With almost eerie timing, this week’s Toke Daily Deal is actually this very same pen at the same place. This is not as good of a coupon as I had, but it’s still half off if you’re thinking about getting one of these!)

Check out other Weedist Vaporizer Pen and Hash Pen reviews!