Last Updated on November 20, 2022 by admin_hunter
If there is a disaster where you live, or if you just want to go on a long camping trip, you would be wise to stock up on some survival food kits.
With that being said, there are lots of options out there, and they definitely do not all have the same quality. Let’s get right to it and help you find the best survival food kits out there right now.
Best Survival Food Kits: Reviews
1. Mountain House Essential Bucket
The first option on our list today is the Mountain House Essential Bucket. It comes in at a relatively affordable price, especially considering that it does include a whole lot of servings. It all comes stored in a solid bucket, all of the foods contain essential nutrients and calories for survival, and the food servings are easy to make as well.
Product Highlights
For one, all of the food here comes in a really nice bucket. The bucket comes with a carrying handle for easy transportation. Moreover, the bucket is made to be very durable, so it won’t crack and expose the food pouches. It also comes with a really secure lid so animals and oxygen alike cannot get to the food pouches and potentially spoil them.
What is amazing here is that the Mountain House Essential Bucket has a 30 year shelf life, which is more than with most other options available today.
The Mountain House Essential Bucket comes with a total of 32 servings. So, it should last a single person about 10 days, which is not too bad. Here you get tasty foods such as Mountain House Chili Mac with Beef, Mountain house Rice and Chicken, and Mountain House Spaghetti with Meat Sauce. You also get beef stew, beef stroganoff, chicken teriyaki with rice, noodles and chicken, granola bars with blueberries, and a couple of other things too.
All of the foods here are very easy to prepare. All you have to do is add water to the pouches, wait 10 minutes, and you are good to go. It really does not get any easier than that. With that being said, it is recommended that you use hot water to make the servings, but if needed, cold water is OK to use as well, it just won’t taste very good.
What’s to like about the Mountain House Essential Bucket
The good part about the Mountain House Essential Bucket is that it lasts for a whopping 30 years, which is a long time indeed. Moreover, it does come with quite the assortment of foods and should last a single person for about 10 days. All of the food is easy to make, plus it comes in a secure bucket that keeps it safe from intruders.
What’s not to like about the Mountain House Essential Bucket
One of the bad parts about the Mountain House Essential Bucket is that it really does not contain too many vitamins. Yes, it has calories and other essentials to keep you alive, but in terms of veggies and greens, it is a bit lacking. Also, it might not be the best option for multiple people.
PROS
- Food actually tastes alright
- Enough for 10 days
- Quite some variety
- Easy to make
- Long shelf life
- Secure container
CONS
- Won’t taste good with cold water
- Not ideal for more than 2 people
2. Augason Farms 30-Day Emergency Food Storage Supply
Now, if you need a really big emergency food supply for multiple people, to last a heck of a long time, the Augason Farms 30-Day Emergency Food Storage Supply is a great way to go. Yes, it costs a little more than $100, but it comes with a whole lot of food included, it has a ridiculously long shelf life, and most of the foods actually taste OK too.
Product Highlights
One of the best features of the Augason Farms 30-Day Emergency Food Storage Supply is that it has an awesome 20 year shelf life. All of the packages of foods are designed in such a way that air and moisture cannot get to them. Moreover, it all comes complete in a large, thick and solid bucket, one with a nice lid that nothing and nobody except for you is going to get into.
The Augason Farms 30-Day Emergency Food Storage Supply comes with a total of 307 servings of food, with a total of over 50,000 calories. This is enough to last a single person for over one month, or can last two people for a little over two weeks.
Like we said, this is a really big emergency food kit and it comes with more than enough food to last for quite some time. To make the foods, simply mix them with water and they are good to go. Hot water is preferable hot water, but if that is unavailable, cold water will do as well.
The Augason Farms 30-Day Emergency Food Storage Supply comes with foods such as maple brown sugar oatmeal, instant potatoes, cheesy broccoli rice, creamy potato soup, macaroni and cheese, hearty veggie chicken soup, creamy chicken rice, banana chips, milk alternative, and more.
We do like that there is quite the selection of foods here. They are all high in calories to sustain you, but just don’t expect them to provide you with too many vitamins.
What’s to like about the Augason Farms 30-Day Emergency Food Storage Supply
The good part about the Augason Farms 30-Day Emergency Food Storage Supply is that it lasts for over 20 years. The fact that it comes with so much variety is a big bonus too, not to mention that it comes in a solid bucket to keep it safe.
What’s not to like about the Augason Farms 30-Day Emergency Food Storage Supply
For one, keep in mind that the banana chips only last for 10 years, for some odd reason. Moreover, there are not many veggies included here, nor many breakfast foods. Also, some of the foods are said to be less than appetizing, at least when cold.
PROS
- Lasts a very long time
- Quite some variety
- Enough to last 1 person 30 days
- More than enough calories
CONS
- Some of the foods don’t taste the best
- The banana chips only last 10 years
3. NorthWest Fork Gluten-Free 30 Day Emergency Food Supply
If you need a 30 day food supply to keep you kicking, or a 2 week supply for you and one other, the NorthWest Fork Gluten-Free 30 Day Emergency Food Supply. This product is vegan and kosher, plus it is dairy, gluten, nut, and GMO free.
Yes, it should actually be quite healthy, and will last for many years to come when unopened, but obviously there is not much meat protein included here, nor dairy, which for some people might be a bit too much too handle, or too little in other words.
Product Highlights
So, first and foremost, if you have allergies or certain eating restrictions, the NorthWest Fork Gluten-Free 30 Day Emergency Food Supply is a good option for you. It does not have any meat or animal based products, no dairy, no nuts, and is totally kosher.
Yes, this might be good for some people, but it also means that if you don’t have any eating restrictions, it’s probably not something you will want to eat. Sure, the foods taste good enough, but if you are used to eating a certain way, you might not be a huge fan of this stuff, or at least not enjoy it too much.
It is also a good option to go with because everything is ensured for maximum freshness by only being packed once you place your order. It all comes completed with oxygen and moisture absorbers to ensure that the foods stay as good as possible for years to come.
The NorthWest Fork Gluten-Free 30 Day Emergency Food Supply has a 10 year shelf life, which is admittedly not as long as some of the other options out there, but also still quite long when all things are considered.
When you buy the NorthWest Fork Gluten-Free 30 Day Emergency Food Supply, you get foods such as strawberry banana oatmeal, topical triple trio oatmeal, black bean chipotle stew, pinto bean stew, black bean stew, and green pea soup.
As you can see, there is definitely a lot of stew included here, but not much else, which is fine if you like soup and stew. All in all, this is a good option to go with if you need an emergency food supply and have certain dietary restrictions.
What’s to like about the NorthWest Fork Gluten-Free 30 Day Emergency Food Supply
One of the good parts about the NorthWest Fork Gluten-Free 30 Day Emergency Food Supply is that it is an ideal emergency food supply kit for anybody with various eating restrictions, something which really does not come along all that often. Moreover, everything is packed to order, and it does come with a lot of pretty good tasting stews.
What’s not to like about the NorthWest Fork Gluten-Free 30 Day Emergency Food Supply
One of the bad parts about the NorthWest Fork Gluten-Free 30 Day Emergency Food Supply is also exactly what makes it good: the fact that it is designed for people with eating restrictions.
Anybody who does not have any special eating restrictions probably will not like this product very much. Also, although 10 years does seem like a long shelf life, when compared to other MRES, it really isn’t.
PROS
- GMO free
- Great for people with dietary restrictions
- Quite a bit of fruits, veggies, and vitamins
- Is packed to order
CONS
- Not ideal for anybody without eating restrictions
- Limited shelf life when compared to other MRES
4. S.O.S. Rations Survival Emergency Food Kit
This is a pretty unique option to keep in mind, as the S.O.S. Rations Survival Emergency Food Kit comes with purified drinking water, something which you do not see with too many emergency food kits.
Now, it does have some good food in it, but the shelf life is not too long, plus it won’t last all that long either. It could last a single person for maybe 1 week at the most, but nobody is stopping you from purchasing multiple kits.
Product Highlights
For one, perhaps the biggest highlight here is that the S.O.S. Rations Survival Emergency Food Kit comes with 12 servings of purified survival water, which is important because safe drinking water can be really hard to find at times, especially in emergency situations.
Here you also get a total of 8 energy bars, each with 400 calories per bar, for a total of 3600 calories, which when stretched out should be enough to last a single person for two to three days. They come in various fruit flavors such as raspberry, blueberry, coconut, orange, lemon, cherry, and more. Surprisingly enough, these bars actually taste pretty decent.
Moreover, the S.O.S. Rations Survival Emergency Food Kit also comes with 8 S.O.S. food ration servings. The meals themselves are not anything super special or delicious, but they are easy to make with water. Moreover, the meals included here should last you for at least a few days, maybe a whole week if you stretch them out.
Now, one thing that needs to be mentioned here is that the food pouches can withstand all kinds of weather and are designed to keep the meals fresh for up to 5 years. 5 years may not be a very long time, but at least extreme heat or cold won’t cause the foods to spoil, at least not for 5 years. From what we can tell, the food rations included here actually taste pretty decent, which is honestly fairly surprising.
What’s to like about the S.O.S. Rations Survival Emergency Food Kit
The good part about the S.O.S. Rations Survival Emergency Food Kit is that it can stand up to extreme temperatures and weather for up to 5 years. Moreover, the foods included here are actually quite healthy and tasty, plus you get purified water as well.
What’s not to like about the S.O.S. Rations Survival Emergency Food Kit
The bad part about the S.O.S. Rations Survival Emergency Food Kit is that the food only lasts for 5 years, which is decidedly less than other MRES. Moreover, there just is not very much food included here. It might last a single person for 1 week if stretched out.
PROS
- Quite tasty foods
- Comes with water
- Comes with a survival guide
- Stands up to weather and temperature
CONS
- There is just not much food included
- Only lasts for 5 years
5. Emergency Food Rations Case
If you need a long lasting emergency food that will stay good for years to come, and you need something that is going to feed a whole family for several weeks, this Emergency Food Rations Case is a good option to go with.
Keep in mind that here you just get energy and calorie rich bars, and there is really absolutely no selection involved. The taste is not the best, but there is enough to keep a few people kicking for quite some time.
Product Highlights
The best part about the Emergency Food Rations Case is that it can last a single person for up to 1 whole month. This is important in the event that an emergency is long lasting. There are 10 pouches included here, each of which contains around 3,600 calories.
If it is more than just yourself, if rationed properly, it could probably last a family of three for up to 3 weeks, but that is cutting it pretty tight. Although to last a family for a few weeks, it does need to be rationed, it will keep people alive.
The Emergency Food Rations Case features these energy and calorie high bars that are also packed with all the vitamins and nutrients you need to keep you alive. They come in various fruit flavors. Keep in mind that a whole Emergency Food Rations Case only comes with a single flavor, so don’t even bother thinking about variety.
Moreover, we do have it on good authority that these bars really just don’t taste very appetizing. With that being said, they do not require any water or heating, and they have enough nutrients to sustain life, which makes taste relatively unimportant when all things are considered.
The Emergency Food Rations Case does have a 5 year shelf life, which is alright, but definitely not the best when compared to other emergency food kits. What is nice here is that these bars can withstand temperatures of -40° F to 300°F (-40°C to 149°C).
What’s to like about the Emergency Food Rations Case
The good part about the Emergency Food Rations Case is that you do not have to cook anything or heat it up, plus you don’t need water to prepare this stuff either.
Even better is that these bars are designed to not provoke thirst, which can be quite an issue in emergencies. They do contain everything needed to sustain life, plus they can support quite a few people for a number of weeks.
What’s not to like about the Emergency Food Rations Case
The bars included in the Emergency Food Rations Case do not taste very nice, plus you don’t get any variety either. They also only last for 5 years, which is comparatively bad when looking at other MRES.
PROS
- Lots of nutrients
- Can sustain 3 people for 3 weeks
- No cooking or heating required
- Will not provoke thirst
- Can withstand some pretty brutal temperatures
CONS
- Fairly limited shelf life
- Taste is mediocre at best
- No variety
Survival Food Kits Buyer’s Guide
Before you go out and buy any kind of survival food kit, there are some things that you want to keep in mind first. These are important points to consider as they can have a direct effect on how long these kits can keep you alive for.
Total Servings
The first thing to watch out for here is the number of servings which each kit contains. Simply put, are you buying these items for yourself or for multiple people? How long are you planning to have a kit last you for?
One grown man needs around 2,000 calories per day, but can survive on a whole lot less. You will want something that can provide you with at least 1,000 calories per day for the foreseeable future.
Shelf Life
Another important factor to keep in mind here is what the shelf life of the survival food kit in question is like. Some last for only 5 years whereas others can last for 30 or even 40 years. Obviously, the longer the kit stays good for, the better off and more well-prepared you will be.
Preparation
Some emergency food kits require heating, some of which come with heating tabs. Others require you to mix either hot or cold water with them. Some emergency survival kits do not require anything else but for you to eat them.
We would recommend getting ones that either do not need water to prepare, or at least come with water. The less preparation that is needed, the better off you are.
Ingredients
Another thing to look out for here is what kind of ingredients are included. Do you want more breakfast or dinner foods? Do you want more meat proteins or veggies? Do you have any dietary restrictions that need to be accounted for? As long as the meals have enough nutrients and vitamins to keep you alive, it’s all that really matters.
Packaging
The packaging which the MRES come in should be able to withstand extreme temperatures. They should be specially made so that no oxygen or moisture gets to the food. The packaging needs to be designed to keep the food in top quality for as long as possible.
F.A.Q.
What food to store for an emergency?
You want to store foods that are high in calories, as well as ones that are nutritionally complete. When it comes to these things, taste is really the last thing you should be looking out for. As long as the foods have enough nutrients to keep you alive, it’s all that really matters in emergency situations.
How long does freeze dried food last?
Freeze dried foods will usually last for anywhere from 5 to 10 years, with some lasting for 15 years. How long the emergency foods stay good for does also depend on the packaging, some of which can push 30 or even 40 years.
How to make survival food?
When it comes down to it, we would not recommend making survival foods on your own. It’s actually pretty hard. However, with that being said, canned foods and freeze dried foods are always go to options.
How to stockpile food for survival?
The most important thing to keep in mind here is that you want the stockpile of food to be in a very dry place that will not expose it to moisture. Also, you want to ensure that everything is airtight and has oxygen absorbers so that the food does not spoil.
What is the longest lasting non-perishable food?
Generally speaking, the longest lasting non-perishable foods include granola bars, dried fruit, and canned meat and vegetables.
FINAL VERDICT
When it comes down to it, we would personally recommend the Mountain House Essential Bucket for a single person, or if you are multiple people, we would recommend the Augason Farms 30-Day Emergency Food Storage Supply. No, none of these foods are gourmet meals, but they will keep you alive, which is after all the whole point of them.