AO Review: Hoist IV-Level Hydration – Actually Military Level Hydration?…

When it comes to all of our adventures, exploits, and excursions in the outdoors, hydration is often not thought of until its too late. You’re out fishing with friends on the water and eventually the sun beats you into submission… you’re dehydrated, light-headed, and need to cruise back to the public access to get yourself some water before you tip over. Similarly, you might be on a hunt trying to pack out game you harvested and you’re cramping uncontrollably. When was the last time I drank something other than coffee again?… Hydration can keep you in the game, or quickly pull you out if you do not manage it. A new player on the scene in recent years is Hoist. Hoist touts what they call IV level hydration, but does it actually perform as its billed? With more science and a closer lens on what’s actually in Gatorade (childhood, hydration staple that it was), we’ve learned that it’s unnecessarily chocked full of sugar. So, does Hoist do better by being more scientific, forward-thinking in their development, and bring us resoundingly into the 21st century with their hydration products? Let’s dive in and find out!

Hydration Coverage on AllOutdoor

Specifications – Hoist IV-Level Hydration Products

With the Hoist IV-Level hydration products, they have 3 different mediums that you can purchase them: bottled drinks, powder sticks, and liquid pouches. All three of these options afford you similar hydration profiles. So, it is simply up to you how you would like to receive/drink your hydration, and/or how you would like to carry it with you. All of the MSRP pricing, flavors, quantities, and additional specs can be read below as presented by Hoist:

IV Level Hydration Bottles
- Case of 12 (16 fl oz per bottle) – MSRP $28.00 ($30.00 for a Case Variety Pack)
- Dragon Fruit, Peach Mango, Blue Raspberry, Watermelon, Strawberry Lemonade, Black Cherry, Blaze Orange, and Variety Packs (4 Orange, 4 Peach Mango, and 4 Strawberry Lemonade in Variety Pack)
Military Hydration Powder Sticks – Department of Defense Approved (DoD Approved)
- Bulk Pouch of 12 Powder Sticks (mixes with 16 – 20 ounces of water per stick) – MSRP $19.99
- Fruit Punch, Peach Mango, Grape
Military Hydration Liquid Pouch – Department of Defense Approved (DoD Approved)
- Case of 24 Pouches (8 fl oz per pouch) – MSRP $35.00
- Grape, Fruit Punch, Tropical Orange

Whether you’re fighting the enemy or conquering your own personal best, you need hydration that works longer and harder to keep you going. HOIST is formulated to absorb instantly, replenishing your body with the electrolytes, carbohydrates, and fluids you need without delay. HOIST is more than a drink, it’s IV-level, hydration equipment that’s warfighter-tested and battlefield-approved. So you can power through.

For anyone who might be interested in Hoist, they do offer a 10% discount for military and first responders as well as FREE shipping on all orders over $99. Additionally, if you sign up for a subscription of one or more of their products, you get a 15% discount on all subscriptions. Finally, you can rest assured that this product is healthier than most because it will be free of artificial dyes and sweeteners. Plus, their products are made in the USA.

Ideally balanced with electrolytes, carbohydrates and fluids to absorb and hydrate rapidly
Hydrates 110% better than water*
Clinically proven to keep you hydrated longer than water*
No artificial sweeteners, preservatives or dyes
3x the electrolytes and half the sugar of traditional sports drinks
Ideal for exercise, headache & muscle cramp relief, intensive heat or sun, or as an aid to wellness and recovery.

What’s Inside & the Science Behind It – Hoist IV-Level Hydration Products

In my ripe middle-age of 37 years old, I have become really “woke” in recent years to the food and products I put in my body. I hunt and harvest wild game for cleaner sustenance, farm my own steroid-free and vaccine-free beef cattle, raise my own pigs for the cleanest bacon possible, tend honeybees with my wife for a clean sugar source, and even have egg-laying chickens for a chemical-free protein source. All that being said, I am not alone. People want to read labels that they can actually pronounce and understand what they are putting into their body. Moreover, they want performance to make ourselves better, healthier people.

I’ll indulge myself with a package of Oreos just like the next person with a sugar craving, but the other 90% of the time, I am looking to be as reasonably healthy as possible. So, here is the science behind Hoist and their IV-Level hydration products as well as their ingredient listing:

Water, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Trisodium Citrate, Calcium Lactate, Gluconate, Potassium Phosphate, Natural Flavors, Dextrose, Magnesium Lactate, Salt, Rebaudioside A (Stevia Extract)

Field Use – Hoist IV-Level Hydration Products

So, how did I use Hoist?… I have had some samples that they graciously sent out to AllOutdoor for about one month now. I had previously seen Hoist at SHOT Show’s “Industry Day at the Range” in Las Vegas a few years ago. At that time, I had never heard of them, but as time went on I began seeing it everywhere. From media events in the firearm industry to athletic and sporting, and even in my hometown gym. So, my interest was piqued to try some Hoist myself.

I am a renaissance man in that I lead a very eclectic life doing many things. In a given day, I could be wrangling cattle, choking someone out on a jiu jitsu mat, or at a gun range (sometimes all of the above). Whenever I am on the run from one task to the next, I try to tote along some water because of my copious coffee consumption. Hoist has turned out to be a much better alternative in the past month.

Strangling your friends on a mat can be tiresome work and Hoist has been great to keep me aptly hydrated so I’m not cramping while someone is trying to break my arm. Moreover, I often wake up dehydrated in the morning and that’s typically when I am doing most of my workouts. So, to be able to grab something convenient like a Hoist product in the morning and hit the gym keeps me motivated and consistent in all of my training.

I actually pulled my gastrocnemius muscle (calf muscle) about 5 weeks ago during the CrossFit Open because I was dehydrated. If I had Hoist back then, maybe that wouldn’t have happened?… We’ll never know, but that incident alone has made me more mindful of my personal hydration needs.

Something else that is encouraging is that Hoist Powder Sticks and Liquid Pouches are currently used in military bases, camps, academies and facilities around the world. Our US military knows a thing or two about severe fatigue and hydration needs, and if it is something they endorse and use, that is a huge thumbs up in my eyes.

Final Thoughts – Hoist IV-Level Hydration Products

So, what are my final thoughts on Hoist and their IV Level Hydration Bottles, Powder Sticks, and Liquid Pouches?… To be blunt, I am sold on it. “Back when we were kids,” the uninformed answer was to chug Gatorade (crammed full of sugar) or to chug water like a camel. Both of those responses for people young and old are outdated and uninformed reactions to hydration. Hoist obviously has found their secret sauce, and it is working. If you’re wrangling livestock, shooting guns on a hot flat range, fishing on the Gulf, or simply drink way too much caffeine, grab a Hoist.

In closing, I want to say thank you to Hoist for allowing AllOutdoor and myself the opportunity to try out their Hoist IV Level Hydration Bottles, Powder Sticks, and Liquid Pouches. That is greatly appreciated. Also, we would like to know what all of you guys and gals think? Do you believe that the Hoist IV Level Hydration Bottles, Powder Sticks, and Liquid Pouches are something worth spending your money on? As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.

Adam Scepaniak