Las Vegas (USA) Energy Drink Trip 2015

Off to the Hunt!

After sightseeing from early morning, I finally set off at this time!

The sun is starting to set Σ(´∀｀；)

First, I made sure to secure these new products.

This time, I grabbed the newly renewed AMP, the newly discovered Outlaw series, Go Fast series, and also picked up NOS Original because I just wanted to drink it. There’s something exciting about pulling a NOS from the American fridge ((o(´∀｀)o))

On the same store's floor, I found the limited-edition Red Bull Quest released before summer 2015.

...Seems like there’s quite a lot left, haha. I thought it would be gone, so I had prepared in advance, but I guess I didn’t need to worry. The Quest will probably still be available until next year.

The store with the best selection this time was here. There’s a nice variety, and it’s a fun place to choose from (●´ω｀●)

Although not like the massive stock at supermarkets, they’ve neatly organized their products by manufacturer, size, and type, making it easy to find everything in one go.

Some items here are probably close to running out! Those who can tell will probably spot them from these tiny pictures!?
Anyway, I picked up two of the items I thought I wouldn’t find in other stores and moved on to another shop.

Buy Things You Won’t Find in Other Stores First

Here it is! The old Ultra Black was there again, the second store in Las Vegas.
And here’s the 2015 hot new product, M-100 Phantom.
Also, the Unleaded on the right was the design I was after, and I didn’t have it yet! It has the medium gray outline. I figured I could find the Phantom in other stores, so I bought Ultra Black and Unleaded here.

Hunting for Treasures is Fun! ((o(´∀｀)o))

Here are the energy drinks all thrown in together. This is a small, messy fridge, separate from the main one. I found multiple things here that I couldn’t find elsewhere. It seems like strange stores tend to stock strange things (a compliment).

Such an arrangement... or rather, a fridge that looks like things were tossed in. It’s hard to imagine something like this in Japan, right (^_^;)
I’m sure there are some people who, just like me, can’t help but grin when looking at photos like this! It’s just too much fun.

Also, the BANG Energy series is usually not sold like this, and ARMA Energy was also tossed in carelessly.
I was initially sure that BANG wouldn’t be available, so finding the new Star Blast was a pleasant surprise (●´ω｀●)

On the First Day of the Hunt, I Visited 10-15 Stores

I kept visiting stores, and even though there were lots of fridges like this, some stores also had a huge amount of stock laid out on the floor. Normally, they’d be stored near the back, but it’s interesting to see them spread out like this. It made me want to load everything up with a forklift.

In the end, I managed to visit around 10-15 stores in 2 hours. At the last store, I dropped a bag with around 6 bottles, and it got a bit banged up, but I decided to leave it like that as a memory without buying moreヽ(=´▽`=)ﾉ

By the time I was done, it was getting dark and the atmosphere wasn’t as pleasant, so I headed back to the hotel. (By the way, if you’re heading to Las Vegas, be aware that in winter, the sun sets early at 6 PM, and it gets pitch dark, so be cautious about safety outside the Strip area.)

Here’s what I bought this time.

I think I bought quite a bit (*´艸｀*)
Buying what I don’t have as cheaply as possible is a bit tough. I think it’s especially hard in Las Vegas.

The trick to buying cheap is buying from stores with 2-pack discounts and finding stores with better prices on those sets. This is obvious, but it’s worth emphasizing.
You can often find prices that differ by a dollar between stores (ΦωΦ)

Visited a Store I Heard About in Advance

On another day, after enjoying some sightseeing, I went to a store in Las Vegas that I had heard was good (for energy drink enthusiasts).

When I arrived in the area, it was in a location I never would’ve guessed.
Walking around the store, I found plenty of things I don’t usually see! There were even a bunch of single energy drinks that didn’t seem important... This is what the store looked like.

Seeing everything packed like this is quite impressive. By the way, unlike the minis that were released earlier, this one had a plastic cover, so I decided to buy it just in case.

Here’s what I bought that day v(´∀｀*v)

I was looking for Rockstar 12oz this time (*´艸｀*) The Black Top was tucked in the very back of the fridge, with just one left. The joy of finding it is indescribable...
It wasn’t a place or store where you’d typically find energy drinks while on a regular trip, so this was truly a hidden gem.

Since I didn’t have a place to store the ones I bought earlier, I put them in a drawer.

This picture has gotten quite a good response (●´ω｀●) If you’re an energy drink enthusiast, you’ll definitely grin when you open a drawer and find it packed like this!

Other Rare Energy Drinks I Picked Up During Sightseeing

Actually, I kept checking stores while sightseeing, but as expected, it was Las Vegas! It’s really a tough city for energy drinks (^o^;) It’s almost certain that you need to cover a wide range to find good stuff.
By the way, during the trip to Antelope Canyon, I bought 4 more (2kg worth) Σ(´∀｀；)

On the last day, I thought I’d enjoy dinner while looking at the night view, when I spotted a can of Monster Energy 8.3oz casually sitting there. I was more shocked that it was in such an unexpected place than anything else, haha.
I didn’t need to buy it since I could have it sent later, so I passed on it. It feels like strange things are placed in strange spots...

After dinner, I entered a shop just before closing and found Rockstar Sugar-Free 8.4oz. It was in such a dirty, worn-out condition that it seemed impossible to sell, but I bought it anyway, haha.
Looking at a few pictures, it seems like energy drinks are often treated like trash (￣▽￣)

Summary of the Las Vegas Energy Drink Trip

In the end, I spent a lot of time hunting for energy drinks during this trip (；´∀｀)
I also managed to fully enjoy sightseeing, but it was a pretty tough vacation with just 2 hours of sleep every night!

Las Vegas isn’t the most friendly tourist destination for energy drink enthusiasts, but maybe the places Drin-kun didn’t check out are worth a shot!? Specifically, I’m talking about hotel fridge stores. The price is so high that no one buys them, so there could be some leftover cans you can grab. I remember seeing a photo in summer 2015 of Killer Bee Extra Strength being sold alongside Unleaded in a hotel fridge. I was shocked back then. But finding that kind of thing is tough... so be sure to check it out if you ever go to Las Vegas!