Exploring Life & Business with Deed Ziegler of RecPak

Today we’d like to introduce you to Deed Ziegler

Hi Deed, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in California, and have always had a passion for service and the outdoors. After college, I was an officer in the Marine Corps, and experienced firsthand how critical proper nutrition is for performance in demanding environments. We were often operating in tough, remote environments where every ounce mattered, yet our options were limited – either bulky rations that required stopping to prepare, or convenient but nutritionally incomplete snacks.

After transitioning from the military, I pursued my MBA and worked in tech, but I couldn’t shake the vision that would become RecPak. Working with top sports nutritionists and food scientists, I spent a few years developing the product, launching in 2022.

The journey from concept to launch required the same kind of persistence needed for any challenging summit bid. As a solo founder with no background in food science or manufacturing, I had to learn everything from scratch – from formulation chemistry to packaging engineering to supply chain logistics. We tested countless iterations with outdoor athletes and professionals to ensure the product could perform in the most demanding conditions. There have been many challenges but I’m incredibly proud of where we are today and where we are going.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think starting a business is ever a smooth road. But, thats what makes it rewarding and even fun. As a solo founder with no background in food science or manufacturing, I faced a steep learning curve. Developing a completely new type of outdoor nutrition product meant there was no established playbook to follow – everything from the nutritional formulation to the custom packaging had to be built from scratch.

The first significant challenge was perfecting our product during a global pandemic. Supply chains were disrupted, costs were volatile, and in-person product testing was limited. But just like route-finding in difficult terrain, these obstacles forced creative problem-solving. Another big challenge is the significant capital required for production runs while bootstrapping the entire operation. This is something we’re still trying to figure out.

Perhaps the biggest challenge has been one familiar to many entrepreneurs – wearing every hat in the business while maintaining a day job to keep the lights on. From production planning to social media management to hand-shipping orders from my living room, juggling all these responsibilities while ensuring product quality never suffers requires constant prioritization.

As you know, we’re big fans of RecPak. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
RecPak is a 700-calorie, nutritionally complete instant meal that combines the balanced nutrition of a full meal with the convenience of a snack – just add water and drink on the move. It comes in three tasty flavors- Chocolate, Vanilla Chai, and Coffee (with caffeine).

What truly sets us apart is our uncompromising focus on performance nutrition specifically engineered for the outdoors. Working with top sports nutritionists, we developed a precise blend of macronutrients in a 2:1:1 ratio of carbs, fats, and proteins, optimized for endurance activities. The custom packaging is a technical achievement in itself – a lightweight, durable pouch designed to withstand everything from high-altitude climbs to backcountry expeditions.

While there are plenty of outdoor meal options that require you to stop and set up camp, or convenient snacks that sacrifice nutritional completeness, RecPak uniquely bridges this gap. Whether you’re pushing for a summit, conducting search and rescue operations, or moving through remote terrain, you can maintain peak performance without breaking stride.

RecPak has been used everywhere from the Appalachian Trail to the Himalayas, fueling incredible human achievements. But equally important is our commitment to service. We’ve donated over 6,000 packs to first responders and refugees in Ukraine, support outdoor veteran orgs, and as members of 1% For The Planet and The Conservation Alliance, we’re dedicated to protecting the wild places where our adventures unfold.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
I grew up in the SF East Bay, and there is a playground called Adventure Playground that is very unusual, especially in this age of helicopter parenting and kids in front of screens. The playground is a bunch of tools, nails, scrap wood, and paint, and kids are free to build and paint whatever they’d like – forts, sculptures, anything we could think of. I used to go with my brother and we’d let our imaginations run wild for hours. It really developed my creativity and love for building things.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://recpak.co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recpakco/
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/recpakco