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Emergency food kits: read the calories, then the days

By the Plain Prepper editors. Updated 2026-10-15.

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Quick answer

Emergency food kits are labeled by servings and days, but calories tell you how long they really last. ReadyWise's 72 Hour Food Kit lists 5,460 calories, or 1,820 a day for three days, and needs about 30 cups of water. Its 60 Serving Entree Bucket lists 12,540 calories, about 209 per serving. Mountain House's 30-Day kit lists about 1,732 calories a day. Buy by calories per person per day, then plan the water too.

Kits compared by the makers' own numbers

Kit	Servings	Total calories	Calories per serving	Maker's per-day figure
ReadyWise 72 Hour Food Kit (RW10-142)	30	5,460	182	1,820 for 3 days
ReadyWise 60 Serving Entree Bucket	60	12,540	209	Not stated
Mountain House Classic Bucket	24	6,140	about 256	Not stated
Mountain House 30-Day kit	90 pouches of 2 servings	Not stated as a total	Not stated	About 1,732

Calories per serving is plain division of each maker's total by its servings.

Why servings mislead

• Small servings: a ReadyWise 72-hour serving averages 182 calories; a Mountain House Classic serving about 256.
• Drinks count as servings: 12 of the 30 servings in the ReadyWise 72 Hour kit are whey milk.
• Days are per person: the 72 Hour kit is three days for one person at 1,820 calories a day; a family of four needs four kits.
• Stretch math: at that same 1,820 calories a day, the 60 Serving Entree Bucket's 12,540 calories would last one person about 6.9 days.
• Ask for the total: if a kit does not list total calories, compare it cautiously.

What is inside, and sizing for a family of four

• ReadyWise 72 Hour Food Kit: Cheesy Macaroni and Teriyaki Rice entrees, a Brown Sugar and Maple Multi-Grain Cereal and Whey Milk, each in a 6 or 12 serving pouch.
• ReadyWise 60 Serving Entree Bucket: ten 6-serving pouches, including Cheesy Lasagna, two Creamy Pasta, Pasta Alfredo, Chicken Noodle Soup, Savory Stroganoff, Hearty Tortilla Soup, Teriyaki and Rice, Tomato Basil Soup and Cheesy Macaroni.
• Mountain House Classic Bucket: 12 two-serving pouches of Beef Stew, Beef Stroganoff, Granola with Milk and Blueberries, Spaghetti with Beef and Chicken Fried Rice.

For four people for three days at ReadyWise's 1,820 calories a day: four 72 Hour kits give 21,840 calories, need about 120 cups (7.5 gallons) of water and weigh about 12 lb. The same family would eat the 60 Serving Entree Bucket's 12,540 calories in about 1.7 days at that rate.

Plan the water before the food

• ReadyWise 72 Hour Food Kit: about 30 cups of water, nearly 2 gallons.
• Mountain House 30-Day kit: about 117 cups, which Mountain House rounds to 7.5 gallons.
• Mountain House Classic Bucket: 18 cups for all 12 pouches.
• Hot or cold: ReadyWise says its entrees are ready with hot or cold water; Mountain House says room-temperature water doubles the wait.

That water is on top of drinking water. Ready.gov suggests stocking foods that need no water or cooking as well, so pair a kit with ready-to-eat staples; see our emergency water storage guide.

Shelf life and storage

• Maker claims: ReadyWise lists up to 25 years for its Metallyte pouches; Mountain House backs its meals with a 30-Year Taste Guarantee.
• Weight: ReadyWise lists 3 lb for the 72 Hour kit; Mountain House lists 5.52 lb for the Classic Bucket and 33.85 lb for the 30-Day kit.
• Stacking: both makers sell stackable buckets or boxes with handles.
• Where: keep kits cool and dry, label the purchase date and rotate into camping trips.

Choosing the right kit

1. Go-bag or car: a light 72-hour box per person.
2. Home stockpile: entree buckets, then add breakfast and fruit; see our prepper supplies checklist.
3. Longer outages: a 30-day kit per person, with the water to match.
4. Diets: check allergens on every pouch; Ready.gov reminds you to plan for special dietary needs and foods your family will eat.

For meal formats such as No. 10 cans and single pouches, see our freeze dried food guide.

What to look for when you buy

Questions people ask

Are emergency food kits worth it?

They store for years and need only water; judge them by calories per person per day rather than serving counts.

How many calories are in a 72-hour emergency food kit?

ReadyWise's 30-serving kit lists 5,460 calories, 1,820 per day for three days.

How much water do emergency food kits need?

ReadyWise lists about 30 cups for its 72 Hour kit; Mountain House about 7.5 gallons for its 30-Day kit.

How long do emergency food kits last?

Makers claim up to 25 years (ReadyWise) and a 30-Year Taste Guarantee (Mountain House) for sealed packages.

Sources

• 72 Hour Food Kit, ReadyWise
• 60 Serving Entree Bucket, ReadyWise
• Classic Meal Assortment Bucket, Mountain House
• 30-Day Emergency Food Supply Kit, Mountain House
• Food, Ready.gov

Sources checked 2026-10-15.