Ready.gov asks households to keep at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food, and two weeks is a common goal. Freeze-dried and dehydrated emergency food is the easiest way to store a lot of it: it lasts many years, needs only water and heat, and packs into a bucket that sits in a closet.
We compared the kits on what matters when you actually have to live on them: calories per day (not “servings”), what the meals are, the shelf life and how much water they need.
Best tastingMountain House Emergency Meal Assortment BucketCheck price
Best for go-bagsS.O.S. Rations 3,600-Calorie Food Bars (2 pack)Check price
Best value bucketReadyWise Emergency Food Supply Sample Bucket (120 servings)Check price
Best for familiesReady Hour 120-Serving Entrée BucketCheck price
Mountain House Emergency Meal Assortment Bucket
For: meals your family will actually want to eat
- Pouches12 (24 servings)
- Shelf life30-year taste guarantee
- PrepAdd water, under 10 min
- Made inUSA
Mountain House has made freeze-dried meals since 1969, and these are the pouches backpackers choose for taste: twelve full meals, such as beef stew and breakfast skillet, that you eat from the pouch after adding hot water, with no cleanup. The maker backs them with a 30-year taste guarantee.
Twelve pouches are a few days of real meals for one person, not a month: buy two buckets for a family, and check each pouch's calories on the label.
What we like
- Real meals, widely liked
- 30-year guarantee
- Eat from the pouch
Watch out for
- Fewer servings for the money
- Needs boiling water
S.O.S. Rations 3,600-Calorie Food Bars (2 pack)
For: go-bags and car kits: no water or cooking needed
- Calories3,682 per packet
- Bars9 per packet
- Shelf life5 years
- ApprovedUS Coast Guard
Dense, fortified ration bars that need no water and no heat, Coast Guard approved for a five-year shelf life in any climate. One 3,682-calorie packet is about two days of food for one adult at 1,800 calories a day, so two packs cover a 72-hour bag for one with some to spare. They taste like a mild shortbread: food for getting through, not for living on.
What we like
- No water or cooking
- Calorie-dense
- Survives a hot car
Watch out for
- Monotonous
- Not a long-term supply
ReadyWise Emergency Food Supply Sample Bucket (120 servings)
For: building a pantry backstop at a low cost per meal
- Servings120
- Shelf lifeUp to 25 years
- MealsMac and cheese, lasagna, teriyaki rice, soup
- LidSplit, doubles as tray
A widely reviewed starter bucket of just-add-water entrées such as cheesy macaroni, lasagna and teriyaki rice, stacked in a bucket that ReadyWise rates for up to 25 years. The listing counts servings rather than calories, and emergency-food servings are small: check the calories on the label and plan on more than one serving per meal.
What we like
- Low cost per serving
- Long shelf life
- Stackable bucket
Watch out for
- Calories per serving are low
- Mostly pasta and rice
Ready Hour 120-Serving Entrée Bucket
For: a family who will open pouches a bit at a time
- ServingsUp to 120
- Pouches22, resealable
- Shelf lifeUp to 25 years
- Made inUtah
Twenty-two resealable pouches, so you can cook what you need and keep the rest for up to a year after opening, per Ready Hour, in a flood-safe bucket with a handle. As with any bucket sold by servings, check the calorie total on the label.
What we like
- Resealable pouches
- Flood-safe bucket
- Made in the USA
Watch out for
- Pricier than ReadyWise
- Servings, not calories, on the listing
MRE Meals Ready to Eat (case of 12)
For: complete meals with no water to spare
- Meals12 per case
- CaloriesAbout 1,250 per meal
- MakersWornick, Sopakco, Ameriqual
- PrepEat cold or heat
Military-style complete meals of about 1,250 calories each, edible cold, so they need none of your stored water. The date on the case is an inspection date, not an expiry; shelf life depends heavily on storage temperature, so keep them cool.
What we like
- Full meals, no water needed
- High calories per meal
- Varied menu
Watch out for
- Heavy and bulky
- Shorter shelf life than freeze-dried food, especially in heat
ReadyWise 14-Day Emergency Food Bucket (150 servings)
For: the most servings in one bucket
- Servings150
- Shelf lifeUp to 25 years
- PrepJust add water
Labelled a 14-day supply, with 150 servings including breakfasts and drinks. Read that as 14 days for one person at modest calories, not for a family: check the calorie total on the label against about 2,000 a day per adult.
What we like
- Lots of servings
- Long shelf life
Watch out for
- '14 days' is generous
- Low calories per serving
What to look for
- Calories per day: the single most important number. Many kits list servings of a few hundred calories each.
- Shelf life: freeze-dried meals are typically rated for up to 25 or 30 years by their makers when stored cool. Heat shortens it.
- Water to cook: most meals need boiling water. Include it in your water storage plans and keep a way to heat it, such as a camping stove used outdoors.
- Diet: check for allergens, and try a few meals first. A kit no one in the family will eat is not a food supply.
Build a pantry too
Emergency buckets are a backstop. Most experts suggest a rotating pantry first: canned and dry foods you eat anyway, bought a little extra and used oldest first. Our guides to long-term food storage and the best canned foods cover the basics.
How we rate
We score every pick out of 10 on four things, weighted for what matters when the power is out or the trail is long: whether it does the job when you need it (40%), meaning a filter's rated capacity and what it removes, a radio's reception and charging options, a kit's contents rather than its piece count; build and reliability (25%), including seals, batteries and shelf life and what owners report after months in a closet or a pack; ease of use under stress (20%), whether it can be set up in the dark, with cold hands, by someone who has never used it; and value (15%).
We have not tested these products ourselves. We read the manufacturer's specifications, certifications and instructions and look for the patterns in verified owners' reviews, both the praise and the recurring complaints. No brand pays for placement, and a commission cannot buy a higher rating. When a pick changes, we will say so on this page.
Frequently asked questions
How much emergency food do I need?
At least three days for every person, and ideally two weeks, at about 2,000 calories a day for an adult.
How long does freeze-dried food last?
Makers rate many freeze-dried meals for up to 25 to 30 years unopened in cool storage. Once opened, a pouch should be eaten within days.
Is emergency food worth it?
As a backstop for a long outage, yes. It stores for decades and needs only water. Keep a rotating pantry of foods you eat anyway for everyday resilience.
