ReadyWise Review (2026): Is This Emergency Food Supply Worth It? We Did the Calorie Math

How we reviewed this: this is a research-based review. We did not buy or test the product ourselves. We checked the official website, policies and independent customer feedback, and every fact below links to its source. Facts checked 2026-10-31. How we review · Affiliate disclosure: we may earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you.

Quick verdict

ReadyWise’s bigger kits are one of the cheapest ways to store real calories for an emergency. Its 1 Month Emergency Food Supply ($289.99) holds 62,540 calories, about 2,085 a day for 30 days, which works out to $9.27 per 2,000 calories. That beat every other brand we priced except one: Augason Farms is about the same per calorie but gives only 1,290 calories a day in its “30-day” kit. Mountain House costs about $36 to $38 per 2,000 calories.

The honest part: ReadyWise, formerly the Wise Company, settled a class action (Miller v. Wise Company) claiming its kits gave less than half the calories an adult needs. Its month-plus kits now meet a 2,000-calorie day, but some smaller buckets are still sold by “servings” that average only about 150 to 217 calories. Returns are unopened-only with a $15 restocking fee and you pay return shipping, and taste reviews are mixed and often salty.

Our picks: the 1 Month kit for most households, the 72 Hour Kit ($49.99) for a go-bag, and the 3 Month kit ($839.97, $8.95 per 2,000 calories) if you want a deeper pantry. Skip the “60 Serving” and “120 Serving” buckets: they cost about $27 per 2,000 calories.

Pros

✓ 1 Month kit: about 2,085 calories a day for $289.99 ($9.27 per 2,000 calories)
✓ 3 Month and 1 Year kits are even cheaper per calorie ($8.95 and $8.39)
✓ Up to 25-year shelf life claimed; most meals are just-add-water
✓ 72 Hour Kit was Outdoor Life’s “Best All-Around” survival food pick
✓ Free shipping on larger orders; Trustpilot 4.4 from 7,073 reviews; BBB A-

Cons

✗ Old Wise Company settled a class action over misleading calorie claims
✗ Some buckets still count small “servings”: a 60-serving bucket is about 6 days of food
✗ Returns: unopened only, $15 restocking fee, you pay return shipping
✗ Many meals are salty (most entrees over 600 mg sodium per serving in one test)
✗ Big kits pad servings with white rice and drink mix
✗ October 2024 recall of a Costco protein bucket over possible Listeria
✗ Orders placed now were estimated to ship in late November

See the 1 Month kit on ReadyWise →

The calorie math: what each ReadyWise kit really gives you

Emergency food is sold by “servings,” which tells you almost nothing. What keeps you going is calories. We divided each kit’s total calories (from ReadyWise’s own product data) by 2,000, a common adult daily reference, to get how many real days of food you get and what each day costs.

Kit	Price	Total calories	Days at 2,000 cal/day	Cost per 2,000 cal
72 Hour Kit	$49.99	6,780	3.4	$14.75
60 Serving Entree Bucket	$169.99	12,720	6.4	$26.73
84 Serving Breakfast & Entree Bucket	$209.99	18,240	9.1	$23.03
120 Serving Emergency Food Supply	$329.99	24,540	12.3	$26.89
2 Week Emergency Food Supply	$149.99	25,580	12.8	$11.73
170 Serving “Apocalypse” Bucket	$299.99	30,820	15.4	$19.47
1 Month Emergency Food Supply	$289.99	62,540	31.3	$9.27
3 Month Emergency Food Supply	$839.97	187,620	93.8	$8.95
1 Year Emergency Food Supply	$3,119.88	743,280	371.6	$8.39

Prices are from readywise.com on October 31, 2026. Notice the “2 Week” bucket is really about 12.8 days at 2,000 calories, because ReadyWise plans those smaller kits around 1,800 calories a day. Its own 1 Month page warns that “326 servings” does not mean 326 meals. Primal Survivor put it plainly: “Do not rely on any manufacturer’s definition of serving size when planning your supplies.”

The Wise Company class action

In Miller v. Wise Company (Central District of California, ED CV17-00616), buyers alleged Wise’s kits provided less than half the daily calories an adult needs while being sold as multi-day supplies. The settlement got final approval on February 11, 2020: California buyers from 2013 to 2017 could claim 20% cash back (3,430 claims, $522,387.66 paid), and the company agreed not to make “X Day” supply claims unless a kit provides 2,000 calories a day or a figure consistent with USDA guidelines.

Back in 2019, The Prepared’s testers worked out an old Wise “1 month” bucket at only 660 to 700 calories a day. Today’s 1 Month and larger kits fix that, which is why they’re the ones we recommend.

How does it taste?

Outdoor Life picked the ReadyWise 72 Hour kit as its “Best All-Around Survival Food Kit” and said it “truly tastes like real food.” Its con: multiple servings per sealed pouch make single servings hard to measure.
Primal Survivor (July 2023) called the taste “middle-of-the-road” and found many meals very salty, with most entrees over 600 mg sodium per serving (Savory Stroganoff 750 mg) and low protein.
The Prepared (2019, old Wise packaging) said “our taste testers rated Wise the lowest on flavor” and “Wise noodles came out mushy every time,” but liked how easy the meals are to make. That test is 7 years old.

If taste matters most, Mountain House is the usual benchmark, but you’ll pay about four times as much per calorie.

ReadyWise vs other emergency food brands

Brand and kit	Price	Calories per day	Cost per 2,000 cal
ReadyWise 1 Month	$289.99	about 2,085	$9.27
Augason Farms 30-Day (194 servings)	$182.99	1,290	$9.46
4Patriots 3-Month kit	$799	1,551	$11.45
Valley Food Storage 28-Day (350 servings)	$448	about 1,930	$16.59
Mountain House 30-Day kit	$939.99	1,732	$36.18

Prices from each brand’s official site on October 31, 2026. Augason Farms is about as cheap per calorie, but its “30-day” kit gives far fewer calories a day, so you’d need more of it. Mountain House leads on taste and protein; ReadyWise and Augason lead on price.

The 72 Hour Kit: a cheap go-bag starter

For $49.99 the 72 Hour Kit gives 6,780 calories, about 2,260 a day for three days, in a compact pack. It’s the easiest way to start an emergency kit or stock a car or go-bag, and it’s the one Outdoor Life liked best.

See the 72 Hour Kit →

Returns, shipping and recalls

Returns: “You may return any unopened, unused merchandise, no questions asked, within 30 days of purchase.” But you pay return shipping, and “There will be charged a $15 restocking fee” on ReadyWise-brand products. The FAQ’s “full refund, no questions asked” line isn’t the whole story.
Shipping: in our check on October 31, 2026, carts up to $119.99 paid $12.95 shipping and carts of $149.97 or more shipped free. New orders showed an estimated ship date in late November, so don’t wait for a storm to order.
Recall: in October 2024 ReadyWise voluntarily recalled its 110 Serving Protein Bucket sold at Costco because supplier chicken might contain Listeria.
Company: based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and owned by private equity firms since 2012. BBB A- (not accredited); Trustpilot 4.4 from 7,073 reviews, though few are recent.

Who should buy ReadyWise

Good fit: you want a month or more of shelf-stable calories at the lowest price, with long shelf life and easy add-water meals.
Skip it if: taste and protein matter most (look at Mountain House), you’re on a low-sodium diet, or you’d buy the small “serving” buckets. Always compare by calories, not servings.

See the 3 Month kit →

FAQ

Is ReadyWise good emergency food?

Its larger kits are good value: the 1 Month kit gives about 2,085 calories a day for $289.99, or $9.27 per 2,000 calories. Taste reviews are mixed and many meals are salty, and some smaller buckets give far fewer calories than their serving counts suggest.

Is ReadyWise the same as Wise Food Storage?

Yes. ReadyWise is the current name of the Wise Company, which sold Wise Food Storage kits. Some products on readywise.com still carry WFS names.

How many calories a day does a ReadyWise kit give?

It depends on the kit. The 1 Month kit gives about 2,085 a day, the 72 Hour Kit about 2,260, and smaller buckets are planned around 1,800. A 60-serving bucket holds 12,720 calories, about 6.4 days at 2,000 a day.

What was the Wise Company lawsuit about?

In Miller v. Wise Company, buyers alleged the kits provided less than half the daily calories an adult needs. The settlement, approved in February 2020, paid California buyers 20% cash back and bars “X Day” claims unless a kit provides 2,000 calories a day or a USDA-consistent figure.

How long does ReadyWise food last?

ReadyWise claims a shelf life of up to 25 years under proper storage conditions, which generally means cool, dry and out of direct sunlight.

Can I return ReadyWise food?

Only unopened, unused items within 30 days. You pay return shipping and a $15 restocking fee is deducted for ReadyWise-brand products.

Is ReadyWise better than Mountain House?

ReadyWise is far cheaper per calorie ($9.27 per 2,000 calories for its 1 Month kit versus about $36 for Mountain House’s 30-Day kit). Mountain House is generally rated better for taste and protein.

Has ReadyWise had a recall?

Yes. In October 2024 ReadyWise voluntarily recalled the 110 Serving Protein Bucket sold at Costco over possible Listeria in supplier chicken.