Top 7 Emergency Food Kits
Natural disasters can strike at any time, so it's important to always be prepared. Having access to food and water is essential in order to ensure your family's survival. Yes, this sounds incredibly stressful, but it doesn't have to be. There are plenty of emergency food kits you can purchase online. In this article, we look at seven options to help you prepare.
1. Prep SOS
Prep SOS offers both food storage and emergency prep kits. All of their products can be ordered online, and some have a shelf life of up to 30 years, depending on the product. They offer a wide-range of food supplies, including dehydrated, freeze-dried, gluten-free, kosher, organic and vegan options. You can also purchase single servings, set amounts of cans, or pails by the gallon. Unlike other companies, Prep SOS also offers pet food, as well as seeds, solar panels, water filters and more. They offer free shipping for orders over $250.00 within the continental US only.
2. 4Patriots
Another American company, 4Patriots offers 4-week, 3-month and 1-year survival kits online. Prices range depending on the amount of supplies you order, anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. However, you receive a variety of foods in "disaster-resistant" packaging with a shelf life of up to 25 years. If you're looking for specific foods, they do offer items like mac and cheese, powered milk, chocolate shakes and different freeze-dried fruits. They also offer free shipping, so it's relatively easy to place an order and be prepared well in advance of any natural disasters.
3. ReadyWise
ReadyWise is by far the most popular emergency food kit supplier on the market. Their food kits have a variety of nutritional food options, and all their meals can be made by simply adding tap water, which is handy in a case of no power to boil water. With a 25-year shelf life, the ReadyWise Emergency Food Supply bucket offers 120 servings for $319.99. It contains a large variety of meals, including soups and pastas. You can buy it directly from their website or for $189.99 on Amazon, which is a smaller option.
4. Mountain House
For a short-term pack, the Mountain House Emergency Essential Assortment Bucket is a good option. This gluten-free bucket offers 22 home-cooked servings that taste amazing for $121.65. There is a similar bucket available on Amazon for $124.99, containing 13 meal pouches and a 30-year shelf life. This is a great option, as it has breakfast, lunch and dinner that can be prepared in under 10 minutes.
5. Augason Farms
Packed with sufficient proteins and calories to get you by for three days, the 72-Hour 1-Person Emergency Food Supply Kit can be good enough to keep on hand for emergencies. On Amazon it can be purchased for $31.99. Some reviews have mentioned that its low price is unfortunately why the taste of the meals are not rated as highly as other emergency meal kits. On the other hand, some of the top reasons that Augason Farms emergency food kits are popular is that they make nutritious meals, and you can buy variety kits as well as individual meals to make up your collection. With a shelf life of up to 25 years, you can be sure that your emergency food kit will still be consumable when an emergency strikes.
6. Legacy Food Storage
This brand is known for their superior tasting meals, even though they have slightly higher levels of sodium and sugar, which might not be everyone’s first choice. The 183 Serving Mega Sample Pack for $399 is conveniently put together with sample packs of all their available menu options. This allows you to try all their meals so you can ensure that you and your family will enjoy the food that you have stashed away. This packs offers a variety of breakfast meals, entrees, sides and even drinks.
7. Valley Food Storage
If you are health conscious and prefer to eat food that is gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free or contains minimal sodium and sugar, then this is a product just for you. Valley Food storage has a wide variety of food kits, ranging from 175 servings to as much as a 4,200-serving kit. All their meals are made without any artificial ingredients, ensuring that you get the right number of calories that are real and clean. The 175 Serving Long Term Food Kit is only $299.95 on their website.
When to Use an Emergency Food Kit
An emergency food kit should be at your disposal for situations where it is impossible to go to the store to buy food for a period of time. This might be due to any one or more of these situations:
- Natural disasters.
- Floods.
- Power outages.
- Pandemics.
- Hurricanes.
- Earthquakes.
It can also be used for only a few days or an extended period of time. In some areas of the U.S., hurricanes are a seasonal occurrence, and in other areas people can become confined to their homes due to riots or war-like circumstances. Be prepared by stocking up on enough emergency food for everyone in your household, including your pets.
Where Can You Get One?
There is an extensive variety of emergency food kit suppliers, and most of them are available for online purchase. This makes it as easy as clicking a button to order according to your preferences. The suppliers also offer a variety of food kit combinations that cater to your taste and dietary preferences, including snacks, desserts and even drinks. Amazingly, many of these food kits contain foods that taste much better than you would imagine.