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.
