Emergency Survival Food Supply 275 Meal Pack

This is simply a terrific product. In these days of disasters and emergencies, we prepare in many ways, and this product is a perfect way to provide yourself and your family with "food supply insurance". The food comes in a 5 gallon heavy plastic barrel, with a secure lid. It contains 55 packets, and each packet is "5 meals" for a total of (55 X 5) 275 meals. I am a big guy, and each packed actually does provide me with 5 meals (except the blueberry pancakes, which I eat all at once, in ONE meal! They are delicious!). Various types of food are included, such as potato soup, corn chowder, cacciatore, western stew, country noodle, blueberry pancakes, and even more. The packets typically provide 5 servings (meals) of high calorie food which is perfect for survival in emergencies. I tried a few, and they are pretty darn good, and I would have no difficulty eating them during a food shortage. Having a lot of food on hand like this provides a certain comfort level, and once you have it, you know that you've done the right thing for yourself and your family. Another great feature is the 20 year shelf life! Can you imagine that, 20 years! I'm glad I bought the barrel of food, and I think it's a great investment, and think of it as food supply insurance. By the way, a few months after writing this review, I bought a second barrel of survival food (it lasts so long!) and I'm actually considering buying a third one too.

It's a lot of food for the money. Considering it's made to last 20 years you can't expect it to be 5star food.That being said; I have not tasted it but it is sitting in my closet just in case I need it. I really like knowing that I have it to fall back on if something happens.After Hurricane Katrina I was living in Jackson Barracks while running rescue missions in Chalmette and surrounding areas. The food and water shortage was the biggest concern people had. I witnessed people stealing food, water, and other belongings from those that had it. Those that were well stocked on food and water did not want to be rescued along with the rest of the others because they didn't want to go through that ZOO. It was a horrible experience for many families, especially those with small children or the elderly.

First, there is a place for having some emergency food on hand that has a very long shelf life and this is one of the better deals out there that you will find. After my first purchase of this emergency survival food supply bucket I was satisfied enough that I ordered a second one. It was very fast delivery and packaged right. The buckets are stackable and the contents individually sealed. I think it has enough variety to be workable. Yes, you can buy these at costco for the same price but you have to pay costco for membership.Here's my thoughts. As other reviews state, this is not 275 servings sealed in 275 bags. It's actually 55 bags with 5 servings each. This probably isn't the only solution for food storage out there as people's specific food needs can vary. Again, if you are considering this you are probably thinking of only a few scenarios where you would ever use this, and you are probably buying it as an insurance policy thus hoping you don't have to use it. With a 20 year shelf life, if stored properly, it lasts far longer than canned groceries and would work for that.So I think there is a place for a couple of these buckets on hand. Think of them as your long term food solution. Stack it in a dark, cool place in the basement and forget it. But I definitely wouldn't go overboard. You need to consider your short term food storage needs. While these are great and I recommend them, they aren't super cost effective or varied enough for a short term emergency food solution.What I do for my family and what I recommend for you is that you augment these with a good dose of canned goods and other normal groceries and household items that your family already uses. Most canned goods last 2-3 years and can be rotated into your normal stock at any time. For example, you can buy canned corn, green beans, mixed veggies, mixed fruit, pinto beans, soups, diced tomatoes, canned chili, tamales in chili, tomato sauce, dry pasta, rice, peanut butter, power bars, canned chicken, tuna, honey, etc, etc...just look at the date's imprinted on the can or package to determine approximate shelf life. You can also find shelf life guidelines on the web. Then rotate them into your current stock if they gets closer to expiring. Also, don't forget that you need water. A case of 28 16.5 oz bottles of water can be purchased for under $4. Bottled water in proper storage conditions should last a year and a half or so.If you buy a little bit of extra groceries here and there and a bucket or two of these, you will quickly build up a backup food pantry that you can use at any time.

We bought this product about 8 years ago. During the covid pandemic we thought we would sample some of our survival food. The Food for Health stuff was inedible, a strong chemical smell and bitter taste. Even the dog wouldn't eat them. I think the contents had spoiled over the years. We tried some of our other brands and found them to be from just OK to very good. If you have some Food for Health products in your pantry, better test them before you need them!

I just received my bucket of food today. I removed the sealed lid to verify the contents, not sure if that will affect the 20 year life span of the food, and did a quick count. It appears everything is there. I noticed a white powder on all the bags and could smell something like noodle soup. I couldn't find a leaking bag, so maybe it's something leftover during their packing process. I've since washed out the bucket and will wipe down all of the bags.I'll update this review if I find any of the bags have holes. I'm also thinking of trying some of the food to get an idea of the product taste.Jeff