Food shopping. Some people love it, some people hate it. If you are looking for survival food kits it’s likely you are looking to stock up your pantry with a range of foodstuffs that will last you through the emergency if/when things go south.
As you might already know there are essentially two different types of emergencies.
- Short-term emergencies – last under 3 days (think power outage, stranded, some forms of natural disasters like sever weather, fires, floods)
- Long-term emergencies range from 3 -14 days (think complicated man-made disasters likeor natural disasters).
Long-term emergencies can easily turn into a full-blown crisis if after 2 weeks the local supply chains don’t start working and the power grid does come back up. After 2 weeks the usual modus operandi would be to “bug out” or “bug in” depending on your situation.
The types of food you are going to be looking for will be dependent upon what type of scenario you are planning for and whether you plan to bug in or bug out. This article will mainly focus on goods that you would save for long-term use as a survival preparedness strategy.
List of the Best Survival Food Kits
- Best Survival Food Kit – Sustain Supply Company Emergency Survival Food Kit
- Best for families and stocking up for emergencies – Wise Company Emergency Food Freeze-Dried
- Most popular Survival Food Brands – Mountain House Classic Bucket
- Best Seller for Emergency Supply Food – Augason Farms 30-day Survival Food
- Good For Foodies on a Low-fat or low sodium diet – Legacy Foods 120 Serving Emergency Meals
- Best For Severe Emergencies – Survival Tabs 60-Day Emergency Food Ration
- Best Survival Food Bars – SOS Rations Emergency Food Bar
- Wide Selection of Food Items – S.O.S. Rations Survival Emergency Food Kit
- Best Gluten-Free Food Kit – Northwest Fork Gluten-free 30-Day Emergency Supply
Best Survival Food Kit Money Can Buy
1. Sustain Supply Company Emergency Survival Food Kit
Best Survival Food Kit
Dimensions: 20.4 x 16.8 x 11 inches
Weight: 7.03 kilograms
Material: Nylon fabric
Pros: 12 different meals to cater to your food choices, Essential survival items for comfort, Affordable.
Cons: Not suitable if you plan on spending a longer time, It does not come with batteries.
Description: The Emergency Survival Food Kit By Sustain Supply Company comes in a convenient backpack with several gadgets. There is a cooking stove for heating foods, a mini filtration system that actually works, and a flashlights.
This backpack kit contains all the essentials (not only foodstuff) to last for 72 hours.
It comes with light sources including Cyalume SnapLights, 1 LED lantern, 1 Ferrocerium rod, and 2 InstaFire tinder. The package includes 1 knife,1 portable stove, 2 bowls, 2 blankets, 2 whistles, bath wipes, and a basic First-aid kit.
FOOD: The kit comes with 12 different meals from Mountain House, enough for 72 hours for two people. It has 24 packets of Datrex water with a Sawyer Mini water filtration system.
LIGHT: For lights it comes with an LED lantern and SnapLights. You can also use InstaFire to make a small fire for cooking, even in wet environments.
WATER: There are plenty of water packets plus there is a mini water filtration system to ensure you get clean water.
And to top it all off the food actually does taste good-ish. If you are looking for a food/prep kit combo this will do the job.
2. Wise Company Emergency Food Supply Freeze-Dried Entree Variety, 120 Servings
Best for families and stocking up for emergencies
Dimensions: 16.5 x 12.5 x 10.5 inches
Weight: 9.07kilograms
Material: High-Density Polyethylene, Polyester film
Pros: Incredible meal options, 120 meal servings, Long shelf-life, Easy to prepare with water.
Cons: More Expensive.
Description: Create a disaster preparedness supply kit with Wise Company Freeze Dried Survival Food. Wise Company’s Emergency Food supply has an incredible variety of 13 different types of freeze-dried meal options to ensure that you won’t get bored.
The meals come in mylar resealable bags stacked neatly within easy transportable buckets—not only do they last up to twenty five years but also provide convenient calorie counts per bag at 223 cals/serving (26320 total) with 4 servings per bag.
The emergency food supplies provides up to 120 servings that can be used not only for buggin in but for trekking and camping trips. Whats nice is that with these all you need to do is to add some water which takes about 15 mins, though you will need a pot as they wont fit in the bags.
Some of the flavours include Pasta Primavera, Creamy Potato Soup, Chili Macaron….Anyone up for some Cheesy Lasagna?
3. Mountain House Classic Bucket
Most popular Survival Food Brands
Dimensions: 12.1 x 11 x 11inches.
Weight: 2.72 kilograms.
Material: High-Density Polyethylene, Polyester film.
Pros: It offers a variety of meals, Long shelf-life, Lightweight.
Cons: Expensive, The foods may take a longer time, approximately 20minutes to prepare.
Description: The Mountain House Just-In-Case 12 meal bucket just might become your go to prepper food item. This food kit has up to 30 years’ shelf life and can feed a single person for 3-4 days. It is lightweight at 2.2 lbs so that you can easily carry it around with you if need be or have someone else carry it for you 😉
These meals are great if you don’t want the burden of carrying heavy freeze-dried items around, which saves space in your bag or car while hiking. Meals in this package come as two total servings of six different types.
Meals come in a reusable bucket that can be efficiently stored and organized for your emergency food supply, camping food kit, or long-term food storage.
This brand has sustained a consistent track record of producing emergency food supplies for the United States Special Forces.They are known to have one of the best food quality and shelf life. The emergency food supplies are usually delicious, easy to prepare, and healthy.
The Mountain House brand cuts across different meal categories, having breakfast, entree, the side, and dessert options. The Mountain House stands out for giving consumers the choice of building an a la carte of emergency food supplies.
Each Classic Bucket contains two each Beef Stroganoff with Noodles, Chicken Teriyaki with Rice, Beef Stew, Lasagna with Meat Sauce, Noodle & Chicken and Granola with Milk and Blueberries.
Sounds like fine dining for a prepper 😉
4. Augason Farms 30-day Survival Food Kit
Best Seller for Emergency Supply Food
Dimensions: 18.5 x 13.6 x 12.2 inches
Weight: 16.33 Kilograms
Material: High-Density Polyethylene, Polyester film.
Pros: Wide varieties of food, Long Shelf-life, It can last a person for 30 days, High calories per serving.
Cons: Once opened its hard to fit everything back in.
Description: Augason Farms 30-day Survival Food Kit offers the highest quality freeze dried food with a 25-year shelf life that give one person 1800 calories a day with 207 servings for 30 days coming in at a whopping 55,000 calories a buchet.
There is a variety of 12 meals 46g grams of protein and ready in 10 minutes. The 8.5-gallon watertight pail is easy to transport and store and good for short term emergencies or as part of your long term food storage plan. Each kit contains only US Government Approved ingredients, so you can trust that it will be safe to eat no matter what happens.
It has meals like veggie chicken and soup, maple brown sugar and oatmeal, and macaroni and cheese. It also contains banana and chips, cheesy broccoli rice, milk alternatives, and a couple of others.
Preparation requires mixing the food with water, and it’s ready to eat. Both hot and cold water would prepare the food, although the hot water is better.
5. Legacy Foods 120 Serving Entree Bucket Emergency Survival Meals
Good For Foodies on a Low-fat or low sodium diet
Dimensions: 1.59 cubic feet.
Weight: 14.4 kilograms
Material: High-Density Polyethylene, Polyester film
Pros: Different varieties of meals, Very long shelf-life, High energy foods, High nutrients, Easy to prepare.
Cons: Expensive
Description: The Legacy Fooda Long term food bucket contains 120 freeze-dried servings packaged in 30 mylar pouches. The bucket has a total of 45,720 calories, with an average of 381 calories per serving. It gives you 15 different tasty meals to choose from and have low fat and low sodium content with a 25 years of shelf-life.
The company claims that they offer the lowest Lowest cost per pound of food per day in the emergency food prep industry, though this is unconfirmed, from everything that I have seen it looks like its on track.
They also claim on their marketing that they have the largest serving size in the industry with up to 2 x the size against competitors.
The company is made in the USA and is certified GMO free.
6. Survival Tabs 60-Day 720 tabs Emergency Food Ration
Best For Severe Emergencies
Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 2.75 inches
Weight: 0.81kg
Material: Polyester film
Servings: 180
Pros: Long shelf-life, High-quality protein supplement, Sweet taste, GMO and gluten-free, Very lightweight, easy to carry around.
Cons: Very expensive, You will need other foods as well.
Description: This is not your average everyday food packs for survival. Survival Tabs are formulated supplement carefully produced in a little chewable tablet to provide essential nutrients when you need it most for survival.
The 60-day emergency ration contains sweet tablets that are high in calories with different flavors. Each tablet contains essential vitamins and minerals needed to sustain life and help the body recover from trauma and keep you energized as well as boost immune defense against illness or infection. The high-quality protein content helps to replenish the body tissues and muscles, supplying 20 calories per serving so that one can take up to 12 tabs.
The survival tabs company changed food from recipes and meal plans to sweet tabs with high calories. Their package contains essential vitamins and minerals your body needs for survival.
Although they are not so rich in flavours, be assured that they are produced with high-quality proteins. Also, they do not contain G.M.O. and gluten.They are specially made with a formula that amplifies the absorption rate of the body. The package comes with four bottles, each containing 180 tablets.
Survival Tabs are the perfect solution for all your “just in case” food storage needs. Survival Tabs are a compact, lightweight and convenient way to ensure you’re prepared for any emergency situation. These tablets are made from 100% pure ingredients and have been developed by nutritionists to be nutritionally complete so that they can be used as a daily supplement or as an alternative food source during a survival situation. Each tablet contains 15 essential vitamins and minerals which is equivalent to 1/3 of the recommended daily intake.
7. SOS Rations Emergency Food Bar
Best Survival Food Bars
Dimensions: 6.1×5.2×3.9 inches.
Weight: 1.52 Kilograms
Material: Polyester film
Pros: High energy food bars, Vacuum-sealed, Good flavour, Enough to sustain life for 3days.
Cons: The high sugar content may not be suitable for glucose-intolerant individuals.
Description: SOS Rations are survival food bars that can be taken on the go. These bars contain a complete meal with enough calories to sustain life until rescue or additional food is available. Each 9-bar pack contains 3682 Kcal (15,460 KJ) which will feed one person for one day. A great coconut or cinnamon flavor that’s non-thirst provoking with a 5 year shelf life under all climatic conditions makes this an ideal food supply for your 72 hour kit or bug out bag.
Each packet is sealed air/watertight. The ration bars have a shelf life of 5years due to their vacuum-sealed package. The two food packs with combined calories of more than 7200 can be enough to sustain life for approximately six days when taken 3 bars per day.
8. S.O.S. Rations Survival Emergency Food Kit
Wide Selection of Food Items
Dimensions: N. A.
Weight: N. A.
Servings: 8
Pros: It comes with a survival guide for non-survivalists, It comes with water, The food has a pretty decent taste.
Cons: It has a relatively low shelf life, The food varieties and rations are not much.
Description: The S.O.S. Rations Survival Emergency Food Kit contains 12 servings of pure survival water. In situations of emergencies, safe drinking water is usually difficult to get.
This food kit comes with 8 energy bars with around 400 calories in each bar. It can last a single person for two to three days.
The bars come in a variety of flavours, including coconut, lemon, raspberry, orange, blueberry, etc. They have decent taste. Aside from the bars, it also comes with food rations that can be easily prepared in water. The shelf life of the food is 5 years.
9. Northwest Fork Gluten-free 30-Day Emergency Food Supply
Best Gluten Free Food Kit
Dimensions: 16 x 12 x 8 inches
Weight: 21 pounds.
Servings: 90
Pros: Rich in vitamins, It doesn’t contain G.M.O, It’s the best choice for vegans and people with dietary restrictions, It’s only packed when you make an order.
Cons: Food is not so ideal for persons without food restrictions, The shelf-life is relatively limited.
Description: This is a brand that provides an emergency food supply that has a unique touch. It is Kosher, Non-GMO, and vegan. It is the best choice for people with allergies or is restricted from eating certain foods. It Contains no meat, no dairy or nuts.
The packs come with oxygen and moisture absorbers to ensure the food stays fresh. The food is only when packed when you make an order. The foods have a shelf life of 10 years.
Food varieties include black bean stew, strawberry banana oatmeal, and pinto bean stew. It also contains green pea soup and black bean chipotle stew. It is good if your food preference includes soup and stew.
Survival Food Kits & Emergency Rations
In the modern world, it is easy to forget about the possibility of an emergency or disaster which can literally happen at any time. The difficulty with these scenarios is that they can strike without warning. All of a sudden those crazy preppers look a lot saner when SHTF.
How to Store Survival kit Food?
Generally, you are going to want to store your long-term survival food in a dry, low light, low moisture environment. Luckily all the emergency food kits that you will buy will either come vacuum sealed or will be stored in their own low oxygen plastic tub. Buckets together with vacuum-sealed packing is the best way to store your food especially if you are packing your own bulk goods such as beans, rice or flour.
Ensuring that now oxygen gets into the packaging will ensure that your food will last as long as possible.
Type of Survival Rations
Survival food kits come in all shapes and sizes. There are backpack versions that comes in the form of bars or individual packs (that can be taken from the big tubs) for the rugged outdoorsman, or if you’re looking to store some at home there’s a bucket version for easy storage.
The most important thing is to choose a kit that meets your needs. You will have different requirements depending on the style of emergency you’re preparing for and how far out it may or not be, as well with what kind (short-term/long term).
Some things to consider when buying emergency food are:
- Shelf life
- Calories
- Special diets
- Servings
1. What is the Shelf Life of Food Kits?
For short terms emergencies like a power outage at home there are some limited shelf life options available right now such as MREs which can last up two years if stored in cool temperatures but otherwise last only around six months; food bars might also work here since they’ll store better than canned foods because their less likely leak when opened over time making them more convenient to carry.
If you are looking at super long term, then dehydrated foods or freeze-dried foods are the way to go as they have a very long shelf of 20-25 years. The food kits that we have on this list are not going to last that long because unlike dehydrated foods where water content has been reduced by up to 90% these foods have not gone through any water reduction process. As bacteria thrive easier in wet environments this means that your foods will not last quite as long as straight dehydrated staples.
2. How Many Calories is Enough?
When buying a survival food kit, it’s important to keep in mind that you’ll need foods high in energy. However, as much as calories are necessary for your body they should not be the only thing on this list of needs. You must also have other nutrients like minerals and vitamins so make sure those are included when purchasing packaged meals or by packing some fresh fruits and vegetables with items such as peanut butter (high calorie) which has protein content too!
3. Do Food Kits have Special Diet Options?
Yes. Different brands have special dietary products. If you have specific dietary needs there are both several brands and products that offer low sodium, no sugar, gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options as well as allergy-safe products. Just be sure to find a product that meets your requirements.
4. How many Servings do you Need?
Survival food kits are made for different types of survivalist situations. Some have enough calories to last one person up to ten days, while others can feed an entire family for months at a time. What you want will be depending on if you are looking for bugging in or bugging out, the number of days you are looking to stockpile and any other dietary requirements.
Rather than counting servings, it may be better to count calories as a serving can be different per company which may not reflect a serving for you. Similarly, a serving for you may not be the same for a woman or child.
Conclusion
Food prep is the most fundamental aspect of any preppers stockpile. There are many forms that preparation can take. However, that plays itself out just make sure you have enough food to see you through the storm!