The Best Survival Food Kits Of 2022
Mikhailov Studio/Shutterstock By Maria Scinto/Aug. 24, 2022 2:14 pm EST
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. It used to be that the idea of emergency preparedness was considered somewhat of a niche hobby, carried out by those who were readying themselves for something along the lines of a zombie apocalypse. Well, as recent events such as the great grocery shortages of 2020 have demonstrated quite clearly, the old Boy Scout motto to “Be Prepared” is one we’d all do well to follow.
One of the ways to make sure you are ready for any emergency, ranging from the acts of a wrathful deity (or extreme weather patterns, if you prefer a secular POV) to political unrest or hitches in the supermarket supply chain — and yes, even a rising of the undead — is to stock up on shelf-stable foods. The American Red Cross recommends that you keep a two-week supply of food on hand in case you’ll be sheltering in place, along with a three-day supply if you’re forced to evacuate. Keep in mind as you peruse the following list, that any product designated as a 30-day food supply, for example, will usually mean that it’s enough to supply a single person for the specified amount of time. If you’re sharing the provisions among four people, then your 30-day supply will only last one week. You will also need to stock up on plenty of bottled water. Not only will you need it for drinking, but many of these foods require water to prepare.
The Best Survival Food Kits Of 2022
Mikhailov Studio/Shutterstock
By Maria Scinto/Aug. 24, 2022 2:14 pm EST
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. It used to be that the idea of emergency preparedness was considered somewhat of a niche hobby, carried out by those who were readying themselves for something along the lines of a zombie apocalypse. Well, as recent events such as the great grocery shortages of 2020 have demonstrated quite clearly, the old Boy Scout motto to “Be Prepared” is one we’d all do well to follow.
One of the ways to make sure you are ready for any emergency, ranging from the acts of a wrathful deity (or extreme weather patterns, if you prefer a secular POV) to political unrest or hitches in the supermarket supply chain — and yes, even a rising of the undead — is to stock up on shelf-stable foods. The American Red Cross recommends that you keep a two-week supply of food on hand in case you’ll be sheltering in place, along with a three-day supply if you’re forced to evacuate. Keep in mind as you peruse the following list, that any product designated as a 30-day food supply, for example, will usually mean that it’s enough to supply a single person for the specified amount of time. If you’re sharing the provisions among four people, then your 30-day supply will only last one week. You will also need to stock up on plenty of bottled water. Not only will you need it for drinking, but many of these foods require water to prepare.
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
One of the ways to make sure you are ready for any emergency, ranging from the acts of a wrathful deity (or extreme weather patterns, if you prefer a secular POV) to political unrest or hitches in the supermarket supply chain — and yes, even a rising of the undead — is to stock up on shelf-stable foods. The American Red Cross recommends that you keep a two-week supply of food on hand in case you’ll be sheltering in place, along with a three-day supply if you’re forced to evacuate.
Keep in mind as you peruse the following list, that any product designated as a 30-day food supply, for example, will usually mean that it’s enough to supply a single person for the specified amount of time. If you’re sharing the provisions among four people, then your 30-day supply will only last one week. You will also need to stock up on plenty of bottled water. Not only will you need it for drinking, but many of these foods require water to prepare.
How we chose these survival food kits
David Pereiras/Shutterstock
Our list has kits that range in size from a three-day supply for one to a whopping 876-serving selection that could feed one person for three months or three people for one month. We also have lightweight selections for backpackers as well as foods for people keeping kosher or halal. Need gluten-free or vegan food? We’ve got you covered. We’ve even got options for the vegetable-averse. One category you won’t find, however, is survival food for weight watchers. Calories provide sustenance and it’s only when they’re consumed in excess that they cause problems. In an emergency situation where you may not know how long you will have to stretch your food supplies, you’ll want every last calorie you can get.
Best overall
Augason Farms
What you get in the lunch and dinner pail are 10 different entrees, including pasta with marinara sauce, fettuccine Alfredo, cheesy broccoli rice, macaroni and cheese, corn chowder, potato soup, chicken noodle soup, vegetable chicken soup, chicken-flavored rice (we’re beginning to get the feeling there’s not a lot of actual chicken in these meals), and stroganoff (of what type it doesn’t say, other than “creamy”). You’ll also get chocolate pudding for dessert.
Not gourmet fare by any means, but reviewers who’ve tried the meals say they’re pretty decent for freeze-dried food. While the items in the pail have shelf lives ranging from 10 to 30 years, you should probably open up the meal kit just to check that none of the packets have torn open or spilled. After doing so, simply stick the bucket in the basement and forget about it for the next decade as you go about your hopefully emergency-free life.
Best on a budget
ReadyWise
The ultimate preparedness pack comes with seven different entrees: pasta with vegetables, pasta Alfredo, Southwest rice and beans, stroganoff (again of unspecified type), macaroni and cheese, tomato-basil pasta soup, and chicken-flavored noodle soup (come the apocalypse, it seems real chicken may be scarcer than hen’s teeth). You’ll also get two breakfast cereals: apple cinnamon and brown sugar maple. To drink, you’ll have your choice of orange drink or a whey milk alternative (just add water), while for dessert you can enjoy (relatively speaking) vanilla pudding, freeze-dried peaches, and a “creamy yogurt-style” dessert.
Best for feeding the whole bunker
Patriot Pantry
While we doubt Patriot Pantry’s claim that the food is as “good as homemade,” the variety is not bad. There’s mac and cheese, of course, along with our old pal unspecified stroganoff. There’s something called traveler’s stew, too, plus chili mac, pasta Alfredo, spaghetti, mushroom rice pilaf, potato soup, broccoli cheese soup with rice, black bean soup, Southwest rice, and, yes, our favorite chicken-flavored rice. You also get plain white rice and mashed potatoes for sides, plus a breakfast choice of maple-flavored oatmeal, strawberry cream of wheat, and buttermilk pancakes. Powdered beverage mixes include milk and an orange energy drink, while banana chips and chocolate pudding make up the snacks. In keeping with the company’s name, all of these items are said to be both grown and packaged in the U.S.
Best to keep in your car
Life Gear
The emergency rations in the Life Gear Life Essentials car kit aren’t likely to tempt a bored driver. They consist of three energy bars securely wrapped in foil packaging that is designed to keep them fresh(ish) for five years. Reviews describe the bars as gritty, yet sweet, so possibly similar to what you’d get if you crossed a sugar cookie with a brick. The best aspect about this car kit is that you’ll not only get three days’ worth of sustenance but also six pouches of drinking water and a thermal blanket.
Best for backpackers
Mountain House
If you’re carrying your food supply on your back, then weight — or rather a lack thereof — is of paramount importance. Pity the poor soldiers who had to schlep around their meals back in the days of tin-can rations! Currently, even the military makes use of freeze-dried foods, but the Mountain House line has been specially engineered to pack as light as possible.
The 13-pouch, 3.3-pound adventure meal kit also offers a pretty good selection: chili mac, lasagna, chicken teriyaki, and beef stroganoff (finally identified!), in addition to granola and biscuits with gravy for breakfast. Reviewers say these meals are all quite tasty and they praise Mountain House’s inclusion of real meat. What’s more, all items are guaranteed to be edible for a full 30 years just in case your hike turns into a whole Rip Van Winkle ordeal.
Best option for minimalists
The Survival Tabs
While The Survival Tabs currently has a 5-star rating (admittedly from a very small number of customers), no-one has written a review about how they taste so we’ll just have to take the manufacturer’s word for it that these chewable chunks are meant to be vanilla-flavored. While the claim is that 12 of them will provide an entire day’s worth of nutrients, you should be aware that 12 tabs only have 240 calories. It seems unlikely that you could really thrive on that amount alone for the 60 days this supply is said to last. If you consume even a bare minimum of 1200 calories per day, the 720 tabs here would only last for 12 days.
Best gluten-free
NuManna
Best for vegetarians and vegans
Northwest Fork
Best for hardcore carnivores
Valley Food Storage
What you’re getting in this kit are 12 bags of assorted meats: four each of beef, chicken, and sausage. Valley Food Storage says this comes out to 92 servings, although this equates to 7 ⅔ servings per bag which is kind of weird. If you leave that partial portion out of your calculations, that would mean there are 84 servings in all. To cook the meat you need to boil some water, then pour in the dried chunks and wait until they warm up and rehydrate. While that doesn’t sound like much of a meal on its own, even if you keep the water and call it soup, this big bucket of protein could also be a great way to supplement one of those less-meaty meal kits.
Best kosher meals
XMRE
