At Sea Otter, our usual snacking habits have led us to seek out free samples of nutritional supplement brands, but we’ve got all the new products here to help you hydrate, recover and refuel.
The new Osmo Endurance Sample Pack shown above includes single-serve packs of each product in every flavor, including caffeinated and decaffeinated versions of Preload Hydration, Sports Drink Mix, Rapid Recovery, and Fuel. Suggested retail price is $24.00.
This bundle is made possible by the addition of single-serve packets of Rapid Recovery Drink Mix and Preload Pre-Ride Hydration Drink Mix. Sure, it’s more packaging, but it’s perfect for traveling or to pack in a jersey pocket if you’ve finished a long ride away from home and need to get some protein. Are you getting enough protein?
Carbohydrate Fuel
Carbs Fuel is a relatively new brand that started out with high-carb, flavorless gels. At $2 a pop, they have 50g of carbs, a small amount of sodium, and are a lot more calories per serving than most other gels. We tried them and they worked great. They’re slightly sweet, have the right thickness, and are high in carbs per dollar, so what’s not to like?
Their sports drink mix is an all-new product that uses a mix of simple and complex carbohydrates, containing 75 grams of carbohydrates, 300 calories and 500 mg of sodium per serving. It’s unflavored and clean, simple fuel. Suggested retail price is $36 for a 1,000 gram package, and serving size varies by use.
Spring Energy
Spring Energy is a different kind of energy gel that uses real foods (like organic basmati rice) as its main ingredient and carbohydrate source.
Their Awesome Sauce flavor uses real applesauce and juice, as well as yams and maple syrup, for both flavor and calories. They use lemon juice instead of citric acid as a preservative, making this one of the cleanest real food flavors I’ve seen. And it tastes pretty damn good.
Unexplored
If you haven’t tried MapleAid sports drink by UnTapped, but you love maple syrup, it’s worth a try. This single-serve pack is just that: a liquid concentrate that you put in your water bottle (ideally 16-20 oz) to create a hydration mix sweetened with maple syrup. If you’re interested but not yet ready to commit, why not try making lemonade and sweetening it with maple syrup? If you like that, you’ll love this.
Tactical ORS
The Tactical line, from the makers of Fluid sports drinks, is a low-calorie, hydration-focused mix aimed at fitness enthusiasts, first responders, and anyone who isn’t riding or running for hours but still needs to stay hydrated. If sucralose doesn’t bother you, it’s a tasty option available in four flavors.
Cheerfully
I’ve seen Bucked Up energy drinks before, but I didn’t know they also had pre-workout, hydration, energy and recovery products. Their Long Range endurance drink mix is well-made, Fuck yeah, brother. Be sure to check out the branding.
Recpack
If you’re an ultra-distance rider, bikepacker, or just someone who wants to consume more calories on long rides but doesn’t want to snack on sugary gels (like me), Rec Pak meal replacement pouches are the way to go.
You’ll need to add water, but you can do so before you leave, or if you know you’ll be taking breaks to hydrate, pack light and keep some to drink later. Each pack is 700 calories and contains fat, protein, a carbohydrate source, vitamins, and minerals. I haven’t tried it, but judging by the ingredients, it seems to keep you fuller longer than a carb/sugar only product. Suggested retail price is about $9.50 per pack.
Kodiak
Kodiak traditionally gives out pancakes at events, which we love, but new this year is the introduction of Crunchy Granola Bars.
Like the others, it’s high in protein, mainly wheat and pea. It’s a little drier and less sweet than something like Nature’s Valley, but it does pack in 10g of muscle-building protein and is a little more filling. Plus, at just $1 for a two-pack, it’s a bargain compared to most other sports nutrition bars.
Certified Piedmontese Beef Jerky
Certified Piedmont Beef Jerky is delicious, grass-fed, nitrate and nitrite free, sourced from Nebraska cattle and available in three flavors.
The suggested retail price is about $9 per 3-ounce package and it comes in Hickory, Bold & Spicy and Teriyaki flavors.
Pretty good instant coffee
Pretty Great Instant Coffee is actually pretty great. It comes in single-serve packs, but also in 50-serve packs, which I prefer because I usually make my coffee in a larger mug and hate the waste of single-serve packs. I also like the light roast because it’s hard to find light roast instant coffee. It’s also great for cold brew. Boxes are $15 (5 packs) and bags are $60 (50 1-cup servings).
Techne
This one’s not about nutrition, but it’s definitely something that will get you going (and it’s small enough to deserve its own post). Tecnu’s new disposable Poison Ivy/Poison Oak Wipes are a godsend for those of us who get burned by such plants (hands up again). Keep a couple in your backpack or car to use after runs in places like Santa Cruz where the mere sight of ground covering plants will give you a rash. They’re also great for trail work days when you’re roaming the woods and you never know what you’ll come across.
