Field & Stream Ranks Seven Survival Foods After Classroom Testing

Field & Stream contributor Craig Caudill, a disaster readiness and survival instructor, ranked seven emergency food options after testing them with students in his courses.

Key points

• Best overall: The 4Patriots Survival Food Kit won for its variety, triple-layer Mylar packaging and kit sizes from 72 hours to a year, though Caudill notes it is hard to cook in quick-boil systems.
• Short and long term: The MRE Star Kit took the short-term spot for its complete meals and built-in heater, while the Mountain House Classic Bucket won long term, with a 30-year taste guarantee and nearly 30 meal choices.
• Bars and cans: Kirkland Protein Bars, at 21 grams of protein each, were the top bar, and Augason Farms won the canned category with #10 cans rated for up to 25 years.
• Freeze-dried and budget: Peak Refuel, at 40 to 50 grams of protein per serving, was the freeze-dried pick, and ReadyWise, with 132 servings in a compact package, was the budget choice.
• How picks were judged: Caudill weighed shelf life, calories, nutritional balance, taste and cost, using instructor and student feedback.

Quick take

Caudill argues that taste matters more than many buyers expect, since stockpiling food you dislike wastes money. He also cautions, citing students with military experience, that MREs are heavy and can cause digestive trouble over long stretches. He recommends storing food somewhere dark, cool and dry and keeping at least a month of food for each person.

Read the full story at Field & Stream.