← Ruck Mode

Press kit

Everything a reviewer, journalist, or podcaster needs to write about Ruck Mode. Quote us freely. Anything below this line can be used without permission.

The pitch in one sentence

Ruck Mode is the Apple Watch Ultra field command app for outdoor athletes and ruckers - readiness, trail battery, loaded-ruck pace context, climb budget, route tools, field-style PT, and coach cues for people who want outdoor decisions in an Apple-native experience.

Quick facts

Company: Deer Track Design LLC (Illinois)
Founder: Joshua Frost
Based: Bloomington, IL
Product: Ruck Mode - iOS + watchOS app
Minimum device: Apple Watch Ultra 2 (watchOS 11+)
Launch: Ruck Mode is live on the App Store as version 1.0.3
App Store: Download Ruck Mode
Pricing: Free tier · 7-day trial · $9.99/mo Pro Monthly · $14.99/mo Family Sharing (up to 6) · $79/yr Pro Annual
Website: ruckmode.app
Press contact: press@ruckmode.app

Press release

Launch update

Ruck Mode brings field training command to Apple Watch athletes

BLOOMINGTON, IL

Deer Track Design LLC has released the iOS build of Ruck Mode (ruckmode.app) on the App Store. Ruck Mode is an Apple Watch Ultra field-training companion for outdoor athletes, ruckers, and field-training users who want clearer training and route decisions from the watch they already wear.

Ruck Mode combines readiness trends, Trail Battery, loaded-ruck pace context, climb budget, GPX routes, waypoints, workout recording, Action Button-aware watch flow, field-style PT, and coach cues in one Apple-native experience for trail runners, hikers, ruckers, riders, skiers, and endurance athletes.

"I loved Apple Watch Ultra hardware and loved Garmin endurance depth, but neither gave me the exact field-command experience I wanted," said founder Joshua Frost. "Ruck Mode is the bridge: Apple-native, outdoor-first, and built around decisions instead of dashboard sprawl."

Key product differentiators:

Summit Readiness command - a daily Send / Hold / Recover verdict based on readiness and recent load
Trail Battery - an outdoor energy readout with distance and climb context
Ruck Mode - loaded ruck, Murph prep, and branch-style PT templates with unofficial training boundaries
Watch-first controls - Apple Watch Ultra shortcuts for faster starts, waypoints, and field actions
Route tools - GPX routes, waypoints, breadcrumbs, and back-to-start workflow
Coach cues - Kai, Luna, and Jax styles for workout cues, PR call-outs, and debriefs

Ruck Mode is free to install. Pro Monthly is $9.99/month, Pro Annual $79/year (saves 34% vs monthly), and Family Sharing $14.99/month for up to 6 people. All Pro tiers include a 7-day free trial.

Press, reviewers, podcasters, rucking communities, Apple Watch creators, military fitness creators, and qualified affiliates can request evaluation access at ruckmode.app/demo. Free evaluation access is available for qualified review, podcast, newsletter, and creator coverage; affiliate partners may also request commission-tracked links once Apple campaign links and offer codes are assigned.

Ruck Mode is independent fitness software. Military-style and branch-inspired workouts are unofficial training templates only; Ruck Mode is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a replacement for any military branch, testing authority, coach, clinician, or official standard.

Press inquiries: press@ruckmode.app

Founder quotes

"Garmin's moat is 30 years of outdoor firmware. Apple's moat is a platform millions of athletes already wear. Ruck Mode is my bet that outdoor athletes want the Apple-native decision layer." - Joshua Frost, founder, on the Apple vs. Garmin platform bet

"I bought a Fenix 8 for the 20-day battery. Sold it in three weeks. The UX, the case, the app - I couldn't. So I started building what I wanted to use." - Joshua Frost on why he built Ruck Mode

"We are not trying to out-Strava Strava. Ruck Mode is the decision layer before and during the session: readiness, trail battery, climb context, and the next smart move." - Joshua Frost on positioning

Brand assets

All assets are owned by Deer Track Design LLC. Usage in editorial coverage is permitted without additional permission. Do not alter logo colors or proportions.

Primary logo (SVG)

Vector · on-brand orange

Social OG image (PNG)

1200 x 630

Boilerplate

Ruck Mode is an Apple Watch Ultra training and adventure app built by Deer Track Design LLC, an Illinois-based independent software studio. The app combines readiness trends, Trail Battery, loaded-ruck pace context, climb budget, route tools, workout recording, Action Button-aware watch flow, field-style PT, and coach cues in a single Apple-native experience for Ultra owners. The iOS build is live on the App Store; subscription pricing is $9.99/month, $79/year, and $14.99/month for Family Sharing after a 7-day free trial where available.

Founder bio - Joshua Frost

Joshua Frost is the founder of Deer Track Design LLC. Based in Bloomington, Illinois, he builds consumer software at the intersection of fitness, outdoors, and Apple's hardware platform. Ruck Mode is his direct answer to the Fenix 8 he bought in early 2026 and returned three weeks later, and Ruck Mode is the field-training lane for loaded rucks, Murph prep, and branch-style PT templates without implying official military affiliation.