Stay Alert gum, Scho-ka-kola and other coffeine loaded "guns

[Name_not_found]

I haven't looked locally in a while for caffeine foods other than coffee.
but

http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/candy/

[TurtleNomad]

I've wanted to try "Stay Alert" gum for a while, but not pay a crazy unit price for it.
A couple of other MreInfo Geeks and I have been discussing some trades, and they were also very interested in some, so for $28 (shipped!) I ordered a box of 24 packs from Amazon for us to split.

Here's what it really looks like, with a can of Throwback for size reference:

It's a little different than the Amazon image, but not disturbingly so.

They arrived during a three week period when I was having some major sleep disruptions, and some mega-life-stress, which turned out to be a fantastic time to Field Test them.

The day I received them, I had some errands to run, and during the first leg it was obvious that my reaction time and driving were both noticeably poor. Before starting the engine for the 2nd leg, I started chewing my first ever piece of First Alert. I've used many other forms of caffeine delivery, and had read some reviews about Stay Alert, so did have some preconceived expectations.

My actual experience was quite different.
There was neither an aftertaste nor a "jolt" to the system. The first noticeable part of the experience was the cinnamon taste, which didn't last very long (as noted in reviews).

Next noteworthy experience was after I started driving, there was a major improvement in my attentiveness. That continued for much of the rest of the day.

I kept expecting the "bitter" aftertaste to kick in, but there really wasn't any. There was a very slight aftertaste, after the flavor had disappeared, but it wasn't bad.

The next day, I used another piece, and had a similar experience.
No "kick", just a definite increase in alertness and reaction time.

For the performance, size and price, this is now my leading contender for emergency caffeine.

Quick question:
How do these hold up in a car, over prolonged periods?


Here's a few other caffeine items I've tried over the last two years:


The two PowerBar energy gels definitely give a pronounced "kick", which is nice feedback. I've used them before potentially stressful driving activities, and found they helped, however their effect does not last as long as the gum.
I've also tried them as a breakfast replacement for sedentary work (computer stuff), and found they were poor for that task, because they're designed as a short term "boost".
The reviews had mentioned a bad taste to the "tangerine" flavor, which is true. However, once I'd tried my first one, I knew what to expect, and the double dose of caffeine is worth it.

I'll buy more, if/when I find a decent price, but I definitely won't buy them at full price (close to a dollar each). I had bought a box of 24 each on sale for about $0.54 per "dose". That sale price is more than twice the regular cost per dose of Stay Alert gum.

The Penguin caffeinated mints were less noticeable (i.e. no "kick") effect, similar to the gum.
I have yet to try them under non-trivial conditions, and only for sedantary work.
They're ok, but I didn't really have the sense that they were helping, as compared to my regular one can of Dew per day. I should really try them for a multi-day period, and spread them out instead of taking all three mints at once (3 mints == one can of caffeinated soda).

One thing that did impress me about the mints is that they have excellent car heat performance.
This is a close up of the contents of a one year old tin of mints, beside the contents of a (new) gum pack:

I'll keep that same tin in my car, for at least another year, and report back.
Ditto for some packs of Stay Alert gum.


I've found that people vary widely in their reactions to caffeine, so, as always, experiment yourself, under both gentle and harsh conditions.

[Treesuit]

TurtleNomad,

Were you turned off by the "metallic" taste of the cinnamon? I've tried that cinnamon flavor before wasn't impressed by it. I also found that I had to chew more than two pieces to get any "Kick".
I found that Power Bar makes energy gel "chews" that are really good and do a slow release of caffeine. I've used those on several marches and runs and they work very well and taste good. I also found the protein balls by Power Bar were really delicious and those too were great for sustained energy.

[TurtleNomad]

Were you turned off by the "metallic" taste of the cinnamon? I've tried that cinnamon flavor before wasn't impressed by it. I also found that I had to chew more than two pieces to get any "Kick".
I found that Power Bar makes energy gel "chews" that are really good and do a slow release of caffeine. I've used those on several marches and runs and they work very well and taste good. I also found the protein balls by Power Bar were really delicious and those too were great for sustained energy.

I was exhausted and "braced" for a bitter taste, so I didn't even notice a metallic taste. Since the first piece definitely worked, it didn't occur to me to try two pieces - I'll keep that in mind for future emergency use.

Sometimes, it's nice to experience a "kick", like with the energy gels, other times, I'm looking for a prolonged steady alertness and don't need the "kick". I still have a decent supply of the energy gels, and am keeping several in my car's emergency kits.
I forgot to mention that the gels are sticky and can be messy to use, for example, while driving. I definitely like having a variety of caffeine delivery substances, and want to be able to choose the most suitable for the current situation.

Tree, thanks for the tip about the PowerBar energy "chews"!
I've seen those at Target, and did try one pack to evaluate it, but under light/sedentary conditions. I'll pick up more, next time it's on sale, and do more testing, based on your recommendation.

What do you (and anybody else) think of the other Stay Alert flavors?
I picked cinnamon because I like it and it's supposed to be a memory enhancer. I'm seriously considering ordering another 24-pack, and am open to trying a different flavor.


Shock-a-Lots
Yesterday, I inspected and rotated parts of my emergency kits (mostly Clif & Luna bars, but also did a thorough check of my car's "snacks" box).
Here's two packs of Shock-a-Lots from the exact same batch (bought from TheEpiCenter about 15 months ago):

The top pack spent almost one year in my car, in a cardboard box that lives in the front passenger foot area.
The bottom pack lives in my birdwatching field gear, which is mostly kept inside.

I've rotated the melted pack, and replaced it with Stay Alert gum.
I ate some of the melted yesterday & today, and they tasted fine - I definitely like them.
The main issues are availability and heat resistance.

Does anyone have a cheap source for Shock-a-Lots?
How have they held up, long-term, both indoors and in your vehicle(s)?

[ak70g2]

A very big "Thank You" for TurtleNomad, especially for the Stay Alert gum. Two packs keeped me awake and focused from saturday morning to monday afternoon, kind of 60 hours of non-sleep. It takes the first aid contest on June 30, the all-nite party after, the departing of Sarajevo on July 1st and the 1000 km road home. After that, took me a week to recover