10 Gas Station Candies We Regret Buying on a Road Trip From Boise

What Makes Gas Station Snacks So Appealing?

Nothing intensifies the allure of gas station snacks quite like a road trip.

All it takes is one pit stop in the middle of Nowhere, U.S.A. for us to come undone. One moment, we're tethered to our macros and tracking our water in-take. Then, before we know it, we're one step into the junk food aisle eye-f@$!ing Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies and making our way to the slushy station.

We can help it. We just don't want to. And why would we? It's fun to feel 12 every now and then. Come to think of it, that's what makes gas station snacks so appealing to us. In a way, they're a total departure from schedules, routines, and the hamster wheel that is adulting.

The MVP of Gas Station Treats

Let's not forget about the MVP of gas station treats! No, not liquor. Remember, this is a road trip, not a red-eye to Vegas. We're talking about that sweet, sweet candy, y'all: Butterfingers, Payday Bars, Starbursts, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers, Sour Patch Kids...the list goes on! Once we flip our switch to road trip, we're down to chase a gas station hotdog with a bag of Skittles and a box of Milk Duds.

Straying from Name Brand Candy Land

On a recent road trip from Boise to McCall, we thought we'd mix it up a little on our candy haul. We thought, "Wouldn't it be fun to branch out of our comfort zone and give the no-name candy a try?" It wasn't fun. It was weird.

Straying from the gas station's name brand candy land left us with rot-gut, an indescribably-weird coating on our tongue, and so-so many questions. For instance, how come off-brand chocolate tastes chalky? And what's up with the weird names and strange spellings?

The gallery below features 10 weird off-brand gas station candies and treats we regret buying on our road trip from Boise to McCall.

Have you tried any of them?