7 Best Survival & Camping Food Brands & Kits

When disaster strikes, shelter and clothes don’t matter that much. The only thing that matters is that you and your family have enough food and water supplies for themselves for the crisis. There are many emergency and survival camping food kits out in the market that can take care of you and your loved one’s needs during emergencies. These food kits are well designed to meet the nutritional requirements of the body. Along with being nutritionally balanced, they are carefully designed compactly so that they are easy to transport and carry. Usually, these kits contain enough food for a month and provide about 2000 calories per serving. It is made sure that they are quick and easy to make. They have a long shelf life of about 20-30 years.

In this article, we are going to feed you with our hands-on experience with 7 of the best survival food kits that are there in the market available for you. Also, we’ll tell you about what to look for in a food kit if you are finding the best product for yourself. Going through our buying guide and FAQs should provide enough information to you so that you can get the most suitable product for your needs.

7 best Survival food kits reviews

1. Valley food storage: 1-year long term survival food.

This complete package contains a massive amount of food, which is enough to keep a grown-up person full for an entire year. It is packed in a 5.3-gallon bucket, which is quite compact. It takes room compared to a dishwasher. This package introduces you to top-quality food. Although it does not contain any drinks or water, you are going to get good servings of just add water emergency food. Other vegetables and meat are included in the pack that can directly be added during the cooking process to increase the serving quantity of food. You can also divide this pack among your friends and family comfortably.

The manufacturer carefully designed the product to create recipes that are healthy to consume. It covers a wide variety of tastes. Food is not that spicy, but some entries are creamy like pasta and cereals. Leaving food for too long in hot water makes it somewhat soggy. The rightly cooked food has the right taste in it.

The pouches are designed specially to increase the life of the food. These high-grade metalized bags protect the food from oxidizing, light, and moisture too. The packing of the product is in zipped bags to keep the opened pack fresh for days. The food contains non-hydrogenated preservatives and natural ingredients.

This premium product has some drawbacks associated with it too. The products are packed randomly, which makes it very difficult to find a specific dish in it. Although it has a complete menu, finding different soups and other dishes is a bit hectic. I also saw that there are about 2.2 meals per day in this package. Quantity claimed is different, but that’s according to the usage by the user. Overall, this is the right product in its price range and can be the gift of assurance for your friends and family.

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2. Mountain House 14 days of Emergency food supply

Planning for emergencies can be difficult. With a long checklist of gears, water, and food, it becomes almost impossible to prepare for anything. The 14 days food supply from Mountain House is an excellent product to make it work from the food section end in that checklist. It is a well-designed solution to simplify your planning and preparation. This product shows an excellent packing technique. It comes in packs that are enough for two, three, four, and five days. Making a total of 14 days, you can pack stuff according to your need.

The compact size of packs makes them easy to stack onto each other. Making a meal with this kit is so simple that even a child can do that. Each pack contains a unique menu of breakfast lunch and dinner. Some of the delicacies are beef, stew, lasagna, etc. each delicious entry is easy to prepare. All you need to do is add hot water and seal the pack again. It cooks quickly, and you’ll get a tummy full of meals under 10 minutes. From a day to thirty years, this packed food can last in your storage for a long time. In any kind of emergency, this product ensures that you sleep without any hunger at night, no matter what the situation.

In terms of taste, this packed food delivers an average taste and is very suitable for hiking and trekking. The food entries are somewhat stale in taste. The bland taste of every dish makes it somewhat boring to eat for a long time. Although the food has a non-interesting taste and lacks a difference in flavors, it can be consumed with the addition of some spices to it.

This package contains 42 different recipes, but they all have a creamy taste to it making it difficult to consume in the long run. A serving of meal provides about 1800 calories to a person. The packaging technique makes it easy to carry for small as well as spacious plans.

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3. Wise Company 60 servings

This bucket packed product provides enough food for a person eating two times a day for a month. It can also be shared among people on a trip or during an emergency. This has a variety of food entries on its menu. One bucket contains Savory Stroganott (8 servings), creamy chicken pasta (8 servings), hearty tortilla soup(4 servings), chicken-flavored noodle soup (4 servings), south-west beans and rice (4 servings), Chilli macaroni (4 servings), Teriyaki and Rice (4 servings), Potato and chicken-flavored pot Pie (4 servings), Pasta Alfredo (4 servings), cheesy lasagna (4 servings), tomato basil soup with pasta (4 servings), Loaded baked potato casserole (4 servings), cheesy macaroni (4 servings). These food packets have a shelve life of 25 years. To prepare, all you need to do is add hot water and wait for some time. This 60 serving food bucket is excellent for easing out things during tough times.

Upon tasting, I found it to have great taste. The soups are very creamy and have a light sweet taste like corn. Chicken is too tight and needs to be cooked for a litter longer than indicated. Pasta servings are ample for a person and have a cheesy taste and also have a herb- like taste to it.

Although it does not taste like home-made food, this brand has a better taste as compared to other brands that charge more. The biggest drawback of this product is that the calorie count per serving is meager. Where an average adult needs about 2000 calories per day, the product delivers about 250-300 calories per serving. To meet up the body requirements, several servings need to be consumed, and that reduces the quantity of this product significantly. Other than that, this product is right for its targeted audience. It is easy to store and carry around. The wide variety of food makes this survival food kit a viable option.

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4. Augason Farms 30 day one person food.

This kit comes with dehydrated food pouches. These pouches are trendy among hikers, trekkers, and survivalists. These food pouches are hot water safe so that you can cook the food in the pouch itself. All you need to do is add some hot water into the food pouch and wait for it to cook for 12-15 minutes. They are tasty and nutritious for the health of the user. They have a great shelf life in the pouch for about 25 years. The best thing about this product is its simplicity to use. All you need to do is take a pouch and tear its top; inside is a silicon pouch to keep the food dehydrated from moisture, remove it, and then you have to add the hot water in it and wait.

This kit provides complete coverage of the emergency. It is a reliable product and is very useful for families. It provides a hot meal for everyone. A hot meal reduces stress and increases efficiency to work. There is a wide variety of food items in the package. Cheese Brocolli Rice, Creamy Chicken Rice, Macaroni, Soups, etc. are some of the items on the list. The package contains enough food to survive a whole month for a single person. You can share it among four people for a week. It comes in an easy-to-carry compact bucket. There are several meal planners available by the manufacturer to manage the food efficiently in case of any emergency.

On tasting, I found this to have a rich flavor and nourishment. The soups are sweet and spicy and have an incredibly rich flavor. The chicken rice smells excellent when the pack is opened. But the taste of entries is repetitive. It provides about 2000 calories for average adults and is very comfortable to cook. Although it would be better if the manufacturer included a portable stove and some water packets for an emergency as clean water is not always available for cooking food.

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5. Survival tabs 60 days of emergency food supply

This product was developed for space programs but is now available for you all in the name of emergency food supplies. This kit provides you with all the nutrition you need in the smallest volume possible. This food product provides you with 100% of the 15 daily allowances of vitamins and minerals. The survival tabs are easily and quickly absorbed by the body with an absorption rate of 99%. Within the first 5 mins, 97% of the proteins get available for repairing the body tissues. Distinct from the regular emergency food, these tablets are compact and are effective during any natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes. They can be proved as a life-sustaining resource. One bottle of tablets provides 15 days of nutrition to the user. These bottles have an unopened shelf life of 25 years.

Most of the food we eat made us discard 30-60% of that valuable nutrition. These tablets have a high rate of absorption, so every bit of the consumption adds towards the health. This can be the first step in preparation for any danger that may come unexpectedly. These tablets can also be used during camping, trekking, and other plans where carrying food can become a hassle. This tablet assures you with all nutrients and minerals necessary to survive out there. It is one of the most compact products in this field out there in the market. On using this product, I felt that it does not provide the primary feel of having a meal. It doesn’t have a taste like food, and its flavors cannot be discussed. Still, the pills are slightly bitter if it needs to be tasted. It doesn’t give the feeling of a full tummy, but it can be the key to survival during tough times. It does not make you feel weak and hungry at times.

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6. Valley food freeze fruit bucket

This product is a bucket filled with frozen-dried fruits. It comes in a 5.3 gallon stackable buckets. Frozen fruits are one of my personal favorites. The bucket is stackable with any other bucket from valley food. The bucket consists of zipping sealed packets filled with frozen, dried fruits. These are light, healthy, airy, and crispy. This is a fantastic product. There are no added flavors or chemical preservatives. It is 100% real food.

You can use these dried fruits in many ways. You can eat them raw, or you can add them to your desserts and meals. I love eating them raw as a snack. They are sweet and crispy and are healthy for consumption. The crunch in it makes it an interesting snack. It can be added in milk to make it a complete meal like cereals. It is an excellent alternative to all sugar-packed stuff out there in the market. You can give this to your kids as a quick bite.

There are different contents in the bucket—packets filled with strawberries, pineapples, bananas, etc. The variety and ready to eat nature of this product makes it a viable option in case of emergencies. During natural disasters, it is tough to find food for survival. Even clean water to consume and cooking is not possible. In such situations, you need an emergency supply that you can consume without any preparation. This product gives you the facility to have an ensured supply of food during extreme situations.

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7. Legacy Premium Food Kit

A legacy is a viable option for those who seek an average supply of food. This kit consists of 60 good size servings of emergency food. I found it to be perfect for a family of 2 or 3 people. With a shelf life of 25 years, it ensures you from frequent renewal of food stock. Although the cost of this product is a bit high, the quality pays off for it. Calorie wise and taste-wise, it is a carefully planned product. The manufacturer has used 100 % GMO-free packing, which means you can use the packet itself for cooking. Legacy premium takes extreme care for quality and customer feedback. This product meets the requirements of a small family perfectly.

On ordering this product, I got it in easy to store bucket. Mylar pouches were filled in the buckets filled with food. It is effortless to prepare; all you need to do is add boiling water to the packet and wait till its cooked. I found that the packets had more food than needed for a single person. We believe two packs of food are suitable for three people. The menu consists of Italian pasta with marinara, pasta alfredo, pasta primavera, pancake mix, strawberry-flavored wheat mix, etc.

Having a broad menu makes it a viable option. The company also provides different sets of the menu as well as gluten-free food for health-conscious people. The taste of this product is mainly sweet. There are not many spicy options in it. Still, if you have a sauce or some spicy herb, mixing it can produce a nice spicy meal. All the sweet dishes in the product has a weird kind of sweetness. It tastes like baby food. The manufacturer needs to introduce some new food entries that are not sweet.

A 120 servings large set is also sold for bigger families.

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Buying Guide for Survival & Camping Food

Variety of food: Consuming the same type of food three times a day is impossible for any normal human being. A change of taste and texture is necessary for food, no matter what the situation. One should go for the product that provides a variety of flavors and consistency of the servings. Getting bored during a challenging situation is the last thing you would want in your life.

Quantity: There is a specific number of servings that need to be stored to prepare for rough times. It depends on the number of members in the family. There must be enough supply to meet at least a month full of the requirement for your family. If you need more, you can get a product that covers more in terms of supply quantity.

Portability: The package must be handy so that you can carry it during the survival time. Lesser pieces of equipment make your kit lightweight as well as less scattered to carry.

Calories: An average adult needs to consume about 2000 calories per day. Most of the food kits offer about 600 calories per serving. But there are products in the market that are calorie deficient and provide less nutrition. Your product may also deplete unexpectedly. Go for any kit that offers three meals a day or at least has a calorie count between 1500 to 3000 calories in 2 meals.

Taste: Nothing matters other than taste in a meal. The food that you eat must have good taste in it. Although this product is meant for survival purposes, even in hard times, a man deserves a tasty meal. Make sure to check the taste of the meal before you buy it. Check for reviews and feedbacks regarding it.

Packaging: Keeping food in light and moisture is terrible for its shelf life. Check for the packaging of the food and make sure it is adequately covered from light and moisture. Silicon sachets in the food pouches can save it from moisture. Having heatproof packaging can also save you from carrying vessels, and you can cook food in the packet itself. Ziplock bags are advisable for such food packages, and you can repack them if they are not consumed.

Shelf Life: You may not face any situation where you’ll have to use your survival food for a long time. And you may not want to replace your stock frequently. In that case, you may consider getting food packages with a shelf life of about 25 to 30 years.

Most Frequently Questions Asked About Camping Food Brands and Kits

What if one of the packets is torn and left in the bucket for months?

That packet is going to be ruined and will not be suitable for consumption. However, you can be assured that the other packs are just fine. As the packaging is moisture and light-proof other packs are just as fine as new ones. You may want to clean the packets and place there in another bucket as the spoiled pack may spread a foul smell in the container.

How much water must be added, and what is the cooking time for food?

The quantity of water needed and cooking time depends on the dish that is being prepared. Mostly one pack that serves four may require 6-8 cups of water. Cooking time is between 8-15 minutes for every dish. However, there may be exceptions, but the cooking method is written on the packet itself.

What is the shelf life of an opened food packet?

Once opened, the food has a typical shelf life, which depends on the climate. In a hot and humid environment, food may get ruined in a day. However, the refrigerator and cold environment may preserve it for up to a week. It is advised to consume an opened pack as soon as possible.

What kind of food supplies should be stored ay home for emergencies?

You do not have any idea about when a disaster is going to strike your area. So you always need food supplies for assurance. You may want to store supplies that stay fresh for years and is enough for at least 15 days of survival of your family. Dried food packs are available in the market that can be stored in your homes to be secured during such problems. Some of the best deals are there on our list. You may want to consider them for yourself.

How will I get clean water for cooking?

There are very few brands that give water pouches along with the food packets, but they are limited in number. Make sure to use them in an extreme emergency only. Boiling water almost purifies it. Other than that, you can check whether the package consists of emergency water pouches or not.

Can I use the same food kits for my pets?

Yes, you can use some of the recipes in the package for your pets. However, it is not advised to do so. Canned food for pets has a good shelf life. You can always keep a good stock of it in your home. Other than that, dried treats are there for pets that have even more shelf life.

Do I need to store additional vitamins and minerals for emergencies?

Most of the food kits contain all the necessary nutrients in it. But it is never wrong to prepare more for any emergency. You can always keep vitamins and minerals for additional preparation. Make sure to consume more water and keep any vitamin tabs with you that are deficit. Having health issues during a challenging situation is the last thing you will want.

How to keep water stored for a long time?

You can easily store water for six months. You need to fill bottles of water and seal their cap. Also, water must be stored in a dark place to avoid contamination. After six months the old water must be replaced with new water. That’s how you can keep water along with food and be fully prepared for any disaster or outbreak.

Conclusion

After using many products, these seven products are the best matches for people who are looking for an emergency food supply for their family and friends. The Value Food Emergency Food Supply is the best product on the list for big families. Its cost can easily spill between friends, and they can share food among them. However, for nuclear families, Wise company 60 servings kit is a wise choice. Every product on this list is best for people. They cover some points effectively and lack on some points. Everyone can find a product according to their needs. People with a large appetite can go for Legacy premium food kit as they provide big meals. Augasons is the best value for money option in this list for people who care for their earnings.