The 7 Best Long Term Survival Food: A Prepper’s Guide

When a major disaster hits, chaos follows. During this time, food shortages are a common scenario. Thus, it’s always wise to be prepared. Storing long term food has already been a necessity and not just for the military and doomsday preppers. Everyone should be ready in times of disasters or national crisis. But the big question is, how? Let’s start with the basics first- food. In this article, we’ll share with you the 7 best long term survival food to stack up in your pantry.
What are the Best Survival Emergency Foods?
Disasters hit at the most unlikely circumstances. A hurricane that can wipe out an entire shoreline and devastate communities, or a super-typhoon that can strike an island nation, and turn life upside down for cities overnight. These natural disasters can shut down power across a country, and interrupt transportation and shipping for several weeks, even months, resulting in widespread food shortages.
Calamities in recent years struck anytime and anywhere without warning. Whether it's a human-made calamity or an unprecedented natural disaster, it's time to start preparing by filling your cupboard with the best survival foods, so you're ready for anything that might threaten your life or your family's welfare.
Non-perishable Foods are the Way to Go
Instinctively, or several weeks prior to a disaster warning, you’re going to want foods that can help you meet your daily nutritional needs or those that can give a high-calorie count. However, they are the foods most likely to disappear first off store shelves. So your next option is to find non-perishable items. There are actually several non-perishable foods that can give the same nutrients you would find in meat and other produce.
Comparison Chart

The Survival Tabs SHTF Bug Out Food
The Survival Tabs contain 15 essential vitamins & minerals needed by the body to endure days without solid food. It is manufactured with the highest quality protein vital in survival. The Survival Tabs contain a highly concentrated formula allowing the body to absorb 99 % of their calorie content, with 97% being available to repair or rebuild muscles, nerves, etc.

Readywise Emergency Food Supply
This 120 Serving Freeze Dried Fruit Bucket is an excellent addition to your emergency food supply. These great-tasting freeze-dried and dehydrated fruits are ready in minutes when you add water. They also come in stackable buckets, and comfortable Grab-N-Go handles, so they're convenient to store and transport.
Augason Farms 30-Day Emergency Food supply
This emergency food supply from Augason Farms is probably the best long term survival food in terms of value. It has enough servings to cover for up to 30 days. This emergency food supply bucket has a capacity of 307 servings. That’s more than enough to secure a family, especially weather emergencies.
Mainstay 3600 Food Ration
The ready to eat packets of the Mainstay Emergency Food Rations contain nine pre-measured 400 calorie meals. They can last for up to 6 years and are made with a non-thirst provoking technology. Individualized servings eliminate messy breaking-up and allow on-land emergency consumption even in a high-stress situation.
Mountain House Just In Case 14-Day Emergency Food Supply
The Mountain House Just In Case 14-Day Emergency Food Supply Kit is packed with a variety of breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals. It offers a 30-Year Taste Guarantee to provide to not only a satisfied belly but also peace of mind if ever you find yourself in an emergency situation.
Detailed Reviews on the Top 7 Best Long Term Survival Food
The Survival Tabs SHTF Bug Out Food

The Survival Tabs contain 15 essential vitamins & minerals needed by the body to endure days without solid food. It is manufactured with the highest quality protein vital in survival. The Survival Tabs contain a highly concentrated formula allowing the body to absorb 99 % of their calorie content, with 97% being available to repair or rebuild muscles, nerves, etc.
Product Highlights
This easy-to-eat Survival Tabs are a good backup for situations such as natural calamities. A complete nutrient option packed in the smallest possible volume. This product is created to supply the body with all the necessary nutrients when faced with uncertainty. The compact design allows convenient storage and is perfect for individual emergency kits. This top-notch product is one of the best long term survival food available in the industry.
The Good
The Survival Tabs contain 100% of 15 essential vitamins & minerals. Since the body does not absorb most of the food we eat as calories, they mostly turn into fat. Our bodies use calories, just like a car uses fuel. And we need the energy to endure difficult situations like disasters and calamities. Because The Survival Tabs are 100% absorbable and digested into your system, they utilize all of the calories to fuel your body. The Survival Tabs are combined with high-quality protein, fatty acids, and carbohydrates, which are efficient means to nourish your body. So you have everything you need in just one bite. One major advantage of this product is its size. This very convenient to store and consume.
The Bad
In order to get the daily body requirement of 240 calories, you need to consume at least 12 tabs per day. So you need to purchase more if you’re planning to stack up for longer periods of time. That can also mean that you have to spend more if you have a large family.
PROs
CONs
Readywise Emergency Food Supply

This 120 Serving Freeze Dried Fruit Bucket is an excellent addition to your emergency food supply. These great-tasting freeze-dried and dehydrated fruits are ready in minutes when you add water. They also come in stackable buckets, and comfortable Grab-N-Go handles, so they're convenient to store and transport.
Product Highlights
The READYWISE EMERGENCY FOOD SUPPLY is a multi-use ready to eat camp, and survival food can be stored easily at home or in your car for emergency preparedness. The individually wrapped pouches are convenient to take along on hiking trips, backpacking, and even camping. Its 20-year shelf life makes it the best survival food for long term storage and guarantees to withstand the test of time, reducing food waste and worry when sustaining disaster preparedness kits.
The Good
Fruits can be a scarce resource during disasters. If you have kids with you, you might worry about their nutritional intake, especially when you only have limited options. The Readywise Emergency Food Supply ensures that you have everything that you need, particularly in dire times. It adds variety, making it a great addition to your survival emergency food collection.
The Bad
The Readywise Emergency Food fruit bucket should just be an addition to your emergency food preparedness kit. Since the servings are purely fruits, you might not survive in a fruit diet alone. So if you don’t have an extra budget to spend, then this might not be a good option for you.
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CONs
Puravai Emergency Drinking Water

The Puravai Emergency Drinking Water is the purest water storage available in the market today. It is 100% bacteria-free, purified drinking water. It is contained in 1 liter, sturdy and reusable canteen bottles.
Product Highlights
Another addition to the best foods for long term storage survival list is the Puravai Emergency Drinking Water is filtered, purified, and triple-sealed with the highest standards to ensure a bacteria-free and safe drinking water. The Puravai brand is the only Certified 100% Bacteria Free emergency drinking water in the survival preparedness industry. Making it a popular option for preppers in the US. It guarantees a 20-year shelf life and is packaged in 6 packs of HDPE #2 and BPA Free bottles. The 1-liter bottles are also fully recyclable and reusable.
The Good
Water bottles tend to affect the quality of the water when stored for a long time. However, it’s not the case for the Puravai Emergency Drinking Water. It is triple sealed with induction coils to guarantee no seams. The high-density Puravai bottles are also built for emergency situations. You can drop, bump, or scrape them all you want, but your water will stay protected. Bottles are waterproof and will float. It also contains enough water to sustain you for up to 24 hours. It's definitely a great investment to add to your survival kit.
The Bad
One noticeable setback of the Puravai Emergency Drinking Water is the over-all taste. Some reviews mentioned that it tasted a bit chalky. However, the brand guarantees that the product is 100% safe and bacteria-free.
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Mountain House Classic Bucket

This bucket has a total of 12 meals, which is enough to feed a single person for up to 3 days. Every pouch in the Mountain House 'Just In Case' bucket assortments has up to 30 years of shelf life backed with a 30-year Taste Guarantee.
Product Highlights
Mountain House serves up a compact, great-tasting combo of standard entrees, including breakfast, in a super lightweight, reusable bucket. It can be efficiently stocked and organized in your emergency food kit or long-term food storage. Each Classic Bucket includes two of each meal including, Beef Stroganoff with Noodles, Chicken Teriyaki with Rice, Beef Stew, Lasagna with Meat Sauce, Noodle & Chicken and even Granola with Milk and Blueberries.
The Good
The 50 food servings of the Mountain House bucket will keep you going through an emergency. What makes this product stand out is its variety of flavors, with something different for every mealtime. This product is also straightforward to prepare, just add water, and within 10 minutes you’ll have your meal ready to go. Most impressively, it offers 30 years of shelf life with refrigeration required.
The Bad
The Mountain House Classic Bucket packets require hot water for best preparation. However, heaters are not always accessible, especially during disasters. In addition, this bucket is also quite expensive to purchase.
PROs
CONs
Augason Farms 30-Day Emergency Food supply
This emergency food supply from Augason Farms is probably the best long term survival food in terms of value. It has enough servings to cover for up to 30 days. This emergency food supply bucket has a capacity of 307 servings. That’s more than enough to secure a family, especially weather emergencies.
Product Highlights
With a wide array of flavors, you won’t get bored with this food bucket. Augason Farms produces its freeze-dried and dehydrated foods in-house, which means they don’t outsource the job and focus solely on maintaining excellent standards in terms of quality.
The Good
During emergencies, it is essential to be well-nourished, and Augason Farms Emergency Food Supply promises just that. This bucket is not only packed with the nutrients you need, but you will also enjoy satisfying meals that are filling and great to eat. In terms of security, you won't have to worry since this survival food is secured in a watertight, easily transportable pail that's perfect for home storage. This emergency food supply provides a total of 1, 854 calories and 47 grams of protein per person per day. With nourishment like this, you're sure to survive and thrive during a crisis.
The Bad
There are a few advantages that come with the Augason Farms Emergency Food Supply. One of which is sealing it close after opening. An envelope has 6-8 servings and does not come with a resealable pack. So you need to secure it if you won’t consume everything in one seating. Another downside is shipping. There were a few complaints about how couriers handled shipping.
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CONs
Mainstay 3600 Food Ration
The ready to eat packets of the Mainstay Emergency Food Rations contain nine pre-measured 400 calorie meals. They can last for up to 6 years and are made with a non-thirst provoking technology. Individualized servings eliminate messy breaking-up and allow on-land emergency consumption even in a high-stress situation.
Product Highlights
The Mainstay Emergency Food Ration is a US-made product that guarantees top-of-the-line quality. It has a 5-year shelf life, and the non-thirst provoking technology enables you to survive even with limited water supply. These ready to eat food bars contain 400 calorie sections with vitamins and minerals that exceed RDA daily intake requirements.
The Good
What we like about the Mainstay Emergency Food Ration is the option to buy them either by the case or the individual bar. The packaging of the food bar also seems very strong and durable. The brand claims that these emergency food rations meet the DOD/Coast Guard standards and can resist temperatures from -40 degrees F to 300 degrees F. Offering great quality, this product is a great addition to your emergency food supply or bug out bag.
The Bad
The Mainstay Emergency Food Ration is a bit expensive compared to its other counterparts. However, it’s still a good investment that can give you peace of mind even when enduring emergencies.
PROs
CONs
Mountain House Just In Case 14-Day Emergency Food Supply
The Mountain House Just In Case 14-Day Emergency Food Supply Kit is packed with a variety of breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals. It offers a 30-Year Taste Guarantee to provide to not only a satisfied belly but also peace of mind if ever you find yourself in an emergency situation.
Product Highlights
This two-week food supply bucket includes a total of 42 meals you can enjoy directly out of the pouch. You just need to add water, and you're good to go. Enjoy satisfying meals such as biscuits and gravy, Beef Stroganoff, Pasta Primavera, and so much more. This kit is lightweight and compact, making it convenient for storage. These 14-day meals are one of the best long term survival food to take with you or to keep tucked away for emergencies.
The Good
The Mountain House Just In Case food supply kit will help you get through any emergencies with minimal efforts. This product is ideal for a 2-week stint and can be stored for up to 30 years. The different meals are appetizing and of premium quality, making them ideal for bringing along hiking or camping, as well as a good backup supply for your household. Its compact design won’t take up too much space in your storage. This product is also incredibly easy to prepare, just add boiling water, and you’ll have a tasty meal ready in no time.
The Bad
The Mountain House Just In Case food supply kit, requires hot water to re-hydrate food packets. However, hot water may not be available, especially in emergencies that may disrupt power.
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Wrap Up
When it comes to prepping, the most important thing to prepare is a good supply of the basics to keep us alive. Our basic needs are food, water, security, and shelter. But the biggest challenge for many is finding the best foods to store for long term survival.
With so my options available in the market, it’s necessary to make an educated decision and choose the best survival food that can satisfy your needs. We hope that this article has been useful and informative in your decision on which best long term survival food to add to your preparedness kit. Get more tips on emergency food.