Best Emergency Food Companies Short List
Who are the best emergency food companies? Regarding emergency foods and the companies who sell them, I suggest companies that have been around for more than just a year or two. I will list a few of my favorites.
I could have made a much longer emergency food companies list. However I chose those which I’ve known for years, those which I have purchased, and have stood the test of time.
The longevity of a company within the emergency food marketplace is a reflection of good product and good management.
I have been a consumer in this space for approx. 15 years, and I have learned many lessons during this time! I would like to provide a few useful tips for those jumping in to buying emergency foods, and list some of the companies that I would consider among the better or best..
You can buy these emergency foods in various ways. I’ll list a few of these ways..
- Foods packaged in #10 cans. They are basically 6″ in diameter and 7″ tall. Typically freeze dried or dehydrated. Shelf life may vary from 5 years to decades depending on the type of food. The manufacturer or distributor should include this information.
- Foods packaged in containers such as sealed pails or buckets. These may contain all of one type of food, or may contain a quantity of individually sealed ‘meals’. The packaging usually contains oxygen absorbers which will help with a long shelf life. Depends on the food inside.
TIP: Most companies list “number of servings” in their emergency food kits. The key here is to understand Calories when determining how long that food will really sustain you.
If they say a particular container of food has 30 servings inside, and if the servings are 400 calories each, well that translates to 12,000 calories. And that translates to approx. 6 “survival days” at 2,000 calories per day. So be aware of that.
Note that we need approx. 60,000 calories per person per month to stay alive.
TIP: I have observed that a typical number of calories per serving when it comes to emergency food companies, is often between 300 and 400 calories.
TIP: I have made this mistake. When choosing a company and/or emergency food, buy a smaller quantity at first. Make sure that you are happy with it! Eat a meal. Does it taste okay? Or is it not what you expected..
TIP: Read the ingredients label. It’s fairly easy to stuff a lot of carbohydrates in there. But what about protein? I’ll link an article about how much protein you need at the end of this one..
Company List
Best Emergency Food Companies
Okay, you wondered about companies who sell this. The thing is, there are lots of them. Rather than clutter the page with a long list, I will list just a few to keep it simple.
Several who have been around for a good while and which I have purchased from (and would buy again). Those with good reviews among the preparedness community and established within the industry. There are more than this that are good too, but these stand out in my mind among the better or best ones, in my opinion.
Augason Farms is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. In business since 1998.
ReadyWise is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. In business since 2009.
Peak Refuel is located in American Fork, Utah. In business since 2018.
Mountain House is located in Albany, Oregon. In business since 1969.
Augason Farms
Though she has since passed away, I recall email correspondence with Jacqueline Augason when I first started my blog more than a decade ago. Great company, and they are greatly flourishing today – Augason Farms under the umbrella of ‘Blue Chip Group’.
I do have a good bit of Augason Farms product in #10 cans. We especially like their milk powder choices better than any other (view on amzn).
They sell LOTS of various emergency food products including bulk grains, freeze dried foods in #10 cans, and buckets of individually packaged meals. They have a well reviewed variety of emergency food kits (their e-food-kits on amzn)
I highly recommend Augason Farms as one of your best choices for emergency food.
ReadyWise
ReadyWise is a VERY popular emergency food company. Their best sellers are primarily various variety pack food buckets (examples on amzn).
They have quite a significant presence on amzn online, with an exceptional number of great reviews. I’ve had their product, and have been happy with them.
There are also gluten-free emergency food choices (example).
Note the following.. To determine number of ‘survival days’ worth of food, multiply #servings times #calories per serving. Figure 2,000 calories needed per survival day.
Peak Refuel
Peak Refuel is focused on single pack freeze dried meals (similar to Mountain House). They’re fairly new. Expensive (like Mountain House products). However I’ve sampled quite a number of their meals and they are excellent!
I believe their freeze dried meals contain the highest protein content among all of them (e.g. more meat).
I highly recommend purchasing Peak Refuel through ReadyMadeResources (authorized dealer in business for decades). Mention you came from Modern Survival Blog :-) They even have a 1-year food supply kit of Peak Refuel.
Again, it’s not cheap. However I can attest to its high quality ingredients.
Mountain House
Mountain House has been in the industry of freeze dried foods the longest. Nearly everyone knows their name and reputation.
Mountain House Meals and Kits on amzn
Well known for their individual freeze dried sealed meals (e.g. camping & backpacking), the quality is superb. And expensive (just saying).
They also sell their foods in bulk such as #10 cans of freeze dried, and they also have some food pails/bucket kits too. You won’t go wrong here.
Diversify Your Emergency Food Storage Sources
What is it that I do? Diversify! I do have quantities of emergency food that I purchased from companies such as those listed above. This is just part of my overall emergency food storage.
I also have quantities of various dry foods that I’ve purchased in bulk and stored/packaged myself. This includes dry goods such as wheat, rice, oats, beans, sugar, salt, etc..
Also, over time, I’ve purchased a quantity of various grocery store canned foods, with a focus on proteins and calories (e.g. canned meats).
I store a lot of protein and calories in my chest freezers filled with vacuum-sealed meats (beef, chicken, pork).
Bulk quantities of spices, oils (freeze oils for longevity), and complimentary foods.
In essence, a diversified portfolio of foods. Search my blog ‘survival kitchen’ category for more ideas.
Having said that, it is certainly quick and easy to purchase foods from companies such as those listed above. Pay attention to calorie-count so that you know how many ‘survival days’ you are purchasing.
Buying food ‘kits’ and emergency food from companies — it does tend to cost more, but it is quicker, and does have its place in anyone’s emergency food storage plan.
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