The last few months I have been testing an ultralight meal replacement product called “RecPak“. I’ll be honest and start by saying I am not a big “protein shake” guy. My all time favorite food to carry on my mountain adventures has always been some pie from the Flatbread Company. I understand there is a place for function over flavor. Weight savings are valued over texture. Performance is prioritized over the aesthetics of leftover pizza.
That place is filled by RecPak, a veteran owned small company that a former Marine (Semper Fi brother!), Reed, started when he couldn’t find a meal replacement solution that fit his needs. I like supporting our Veterans, American made products, and a company that belongs to 1% For The Planet. The company also joins me in supporting the Conservation Alliance, The Access Fund, and the American Alpine Club. So when a media sample was sent to me to review I was willing to set aside my personal indifference around “protein shakes” and give RecPak a fair try.
I received ten each of the Chocolate and Vanilla Chai flavors. Since I work with a mountain guide service that has guides adventuring all over North America and beyond I distributed some of the media samples to my colleagues to get their feedback as well.
Taste
I am not a true expert in meal replacement or protein shakes. I can’t speak much on the flavor of either the chocolate or the vanilla chai. My palate would place both of these flavors in the “fine” category. They taste like most other protein shakes I’ve tried. I don’t think people really fuss much over the flavor of such a practical item, do they? The other testers agreed the flavor is on par with similar products they have tried.
Texture
This, for me, is more important than flavor when it comes to nutritional supplemental shakes. I have tried some brands whose solubility was just not up to the task of being drinkable. RecPak however, with one important caveat, has great solubility. After adding some cool water to my first RecPak, a chocolate flavored pouch, I took my first sip. I was greeted with some peanut butter like paste. Cap back on, a minute of very vigorous shaking, then another sip. Better, but still not where I wanted it to be. I check the instructions on the back a little closer.
“For best consistency, let settle for a few minutes after shaking”
I stuffed the pouch back in the top of my pack and covered another 1/4 mile above tree-line before stopping at a nice view of the Southern Presidential’s and took my third sip. Now the mix had fully dissolved into a smooth consistency that was pleasant to drink. I drank about a third of the pouch and put it back in my pack before continuing up to the summit of Mount Pierce.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. Many of my readers probably have more education on performance nutrition than I do. After a sunrise summit of Mount Chocurua, I read the ingredients to my hiking companion.
He is a nutritionally educated personal trainer. He nodded his head at each ingredient. He was impressed. Nothing was added that would reduce the value of the mix. He noted the 42 grams of protein is especially welcome considering the requirements of weight training.
Performance
Designed specifically to replace calories depleted during endurance sports RecPak hits the mark. Seven hundred properly balanced calories in a package that weighs just over 6 ounces (175 grams) is impressive. I definitely felt re-fueled after consuming just half of a package.
RecPak for Preppers & Thru-Hikers
I’ve recently started shifting my mindset to adapt a bit more of what is often referred to as a “Prepper” mindset. I’m not digging any bunkers in the backyard but I have adopted the practice of having a “Get Home” bag packed in my car as I travel pretty far from home in very rural areas almost daily. It’s comforting to know I have everything in my car that I would need to travel by foot for 2-3 days if I ever needed to. For that reason two of these RecPak’s now live in my Get-Home-Bag. A huge bonus is these bags are reusable and compatible with the Sawyer Mini Filter which is also in my Get-Home-Bag. Extra treated water storage is great for everything from SHTF type events, vehicle breakdowns, or long distance Thru-Hiking.
- Expect a post soon detailing the contents of my Get-Home-Bag
Summary
RecPak has caused me to return to the meal replacement/protein shake space after a pretty long hiatus. I won’t rave about the flavor of any protein shake anytime soon. However, the convenience of quick healthy calorie replacement is impressive. I found the serving size to be a little large. One of the other testers agreed. It felt can feel over-sized when you are still moving quickly on your adventure. His exact words were “I can’t consume 700 calories at once”. In cooler temps after mixing you have a couple days to finish consuming the drink. This timing works for me. On my hikes, I would start a pouch around lunch time. I would finish it at the end of the day. I appreciated how small the packaging was after finishing for easy packing out.
If you are a mountain athlete who has tried to cut back on pack weight but still have what you need to complete the mission take a look at RecPak. In my opinion it is a solid product made by a company with great ethics and global responsibility that I can align with. I will continue to carry one on my hiking and climbing adventures while two will live in my Get-Home-Bag. Once I start to get low in supply I’ll be placing an order for the new Coffee flavor that 150mg of caffeine!
Readers! Have you tried RecPak yet? Are you into “meal replacement” or protein shakes? Nothing beats left over Flatbread pizza but that’s not always practical! Share your thoughts, comments, questions below!
See you in the mountains,
Northeast Alpine Start
Disclaimer: Media samples were sent to the author for purpose of review. Affiliate links above support the content created here. Making a purchase after using one of these links earns the author a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!