Hunting isn’t exactly a sport where you can call it quits when you’re tired.
A morning in the woods can mean getting up long before sunrise, hiking into a backcountry spot, sitting in a tree stand for hours and then hiking back out. That’s part of the reason energy and hydration products have become such a big part of the hunting and outdoor market, and it’s where MTN OPS has carved out a particularly specific niche.
The Utah-based company makes supplements and drink mixes designed around outdoor performance, with its current lineup including energy, hydration, endurance and recovery products. MTN OPS says it is trusted by more than 100,000 outdoorsmen and describes itself as “born in the outdoors.”
One of its most recognizable products, IGNITE, is essentially an energy drink designed with the hunter in mind.
IGNITE Is Made to Go Into Your Pack
Rather than carrying cans of energy drinks into the backcountry, IGNITE comes as a powder that you mix with water.
One serving contains 200 milligrams of caffeine, along with L-citrulline, L-arginine and a proprietary blend of nootropic ingredients. It’s also sugar-free and comes in a tub with 45 servings, or individual trail packs that are easier to throw into a hunting pack.
And hunting isn’t buried somewhere in the fine print of the marketing.
MTN OPS specifically recommends using IGNITE before or during a hike, hunt or other strenuous activity. The company also positions it as an alternative to coffee for people who need a boost early in the day.
That’s a pretty logical use case for a product designed around the outdoors. There’s a big difference between drinking an energy drink on the way to work and needing something you can easily pack into a remote hunting spot.
There’s a Reason Hunters Started Using Supplements
The hunting world has changed considerably in recent years.
Western hunters, in particular, have increasingly treated physical preparation as part of the hunt itself. A backcountry elk or mule deer hunt can involve significant elevation changes, long distances and carrying equipment through difficult terrain.
A Hunting Retailer feature previously identified MTN OPS as a brand catering specifically to “hunter-athletes,” noting the growing overlap between hunting and fitness. It highlighted IGNITE and ENDURO as two of the company’s products aimed at hunters looking for energy, endurance and recovery support.
That makes MTN OPS a little different from a traditional sports supplement company.
Its products are designed to fit into the actual rhythm of an outdoor day — including the less glamorous parts, like getting out of a sleeping bag at 4 a.m. when it’s cold and dark.
There’s Even a Cold-Weather Version
For late-season hunters, MTN OPS makes HOT IGNITE, which takes the same general idea and turns it into a warm drink.
HOT IGNITE comes in flavors including Mountain Mocha and Apple Cider and is designed to be mixed with hot water. Outdoor retailer GOHUNT specifically positions the product for cold-weather hikes and late-season hunts, with individual trail packs available for taking into the backcountry.
That’s arguably one of the more interesting products in the lineup.
A hot drink in the truck or at camp is already part of the morning routine for plenty of hunters. HOT IGNITE essentially puts caffeine and the company’s other ingredients into that same ritual.
MTN OPS Makes More Than Energy Drinks
IGNITE gets most of the attention, but the company has built out a much larger lineup for people who spend time outdoors.
ENDURO, for example, is caffeine-free and focuses on endurance rather than stimulation. MTN OPS describes it as the base formula behind some of its other energy products, using L-arginine and L-citrulline without caffeine.
There’s also HYDRATE for electrolytes, RELOAD for carbohydrates and calories during longer activities, protein products and other supplements.
That means a hunter could theoretically build an entire supplement routine around the same company, although there’s certainly no requirement to do so.
And that’s probably the more sensible way to look at a lineup like this.
Not every hunter needs an energy supplement, and someone already drinking coffee or using another caffeinated product should pay attention to total caffeine intake. IGNITE’s 200 milligrams per serving is substantial enough that it shouldn’t simply be treated like flavored water.
Is It Actually Worth Bringing on a Hunt?
That’s going to depend on the hunter.
For someone who already relies on coffee and doesn’t want another caffeinated product, probably not. For someone spending 10 hours in a tree stand or hiking miles into the mountains before daylight, however, a lightweight drink mix can make more practical sense than stuffing cans into a backpack.
That’s ultimately what makes MTN OPS interesting.
It’s not trying to convince hunters that they need an entirely new category of gear. Instead, the company has taken a familiar category — energy drinks and sports supplements — and built much of its product lineup around the realities of spending long days outside.
For hunters, that’s probably the biggest selling point: the products are designed to go where the hunt goes.
