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How much food do you really need for 3 days vs 3 months?

The most common mistake beginners make is buying random cans of food without doing the math.
Survival is a calorie game. An average adult needs 2,000 calories per day just to maintain weight during stressful activity.

This guide breaks down exactly what 2,000 calories looks like for different timeframes, and which storage method is most cost-effective for each stage.


3 Days = 6,000 calories per person.

3 Months = 180,000 calories per person.

Do not count “servings”; count “calories.”

Phase 1: The 72-Hour Kit (6,000 Calories)

For a short-term power outage or storm, you don’t need bulk ingredients. You need “open and eat” convenience.

The Goal: 3 days x 2,000 calories = 6,000 total.

The Solution: One pre-packaged 72-Hour Food Kit (Mountain House) or 2-3 Emergency Ration Bars per person. Cost is higher per meal, but the convenience is mandatory for high-stress evacuations.

Phase 2: The 2-Week Supply (28,000 Calories)

At this stage, you are sheltering in place. You have a stove and water.

The Goal: 14 days x 2,000 calories = 28,000 total.

The Solution: A mix of “pantry staples” (canned chili, rice, pasta) and #10 Cans of Freeze-Dried Meals. You can easily fit two weeks of food in a standard kitchen cupboard if you organize it well.

Phase 3: The 3-Month Supply (180,000 Calories)

This is where the math gets scary. To feed a family of four for three months, you need 720,000 calories. You cannot afford to do this with Mountain House meals (it would cost over $10,000).

The Solution: You must switch to Deep Larder storage. This means buying 50-lb bags of rice, beans, and flour, and sealing them in Mylar Bags with Oxygen Absorbers inside 5-gallon buckets. This drops the cost from $15/day to ~$1/day.

Gear to solve the volume problem

For Phase 1: 72-Hour Kits

The “Done For You” box. Buy one for every family member and keep it under the bed.

For Phase 2: #10 Cans

Augason Farms bulk ingredients are the bridge between expensive meals and cheap rice.

For Phase 3: DIY Mylar Buckets

The only affordable way to store 1 million calories. Requires manual labor but saves thousands of dollars.

Related pages

Buckets & Gamma Lids

If you go for the 3-month supply, you need buckets to protect the bags.

Indoor Emergency Cooking

You have the food, but how will you cook it if the gas is off?

How much water to store?

Dried beans and rice are useless without water to cook them.

Back to Food Hub
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