Emergency Food Supply for Family of Four

• 72 hoursThe first three days with no shopping.72-hour kit
• 1 weekOne 4-week kit covers a family of four for about a week.How much food
• 1 monthAbout four 4-week kits for four people.30-day supply
• 1 yearFour 1-year kits; most families stop well short.1-year supply

What to buy for one week, one month or three months

Prices below are My Patriot Supply's published prices, read 2026-10-14. The kits are sized per person, so a household of four needs several of them. The arithmetic for each row is shown in the next section.

One more option sits outside the table: the Family of 4 Starter Pack, below, is the 1-week row with extra gear added.

See the 4-week kit

The Family of 4 Starter Pack (1 week)

The pack is priced at $499.99 now, against a regular price of $576.51, as read on 2026-10-14. It includes one 4-week kit, which sells alone for $277.95. Subtracting, the rest of the bundle is about $222 on top of the food, which buys four survival straws, a 20,000mAh solar power bank, a folding stove, 12 cans of Canned Heat+ and waterproof matches.

Well suited for: a first purchase that covers about a week of food for four plus basic cooking and charging gear, in one order.

May not be ideal for: a household that already owns a stove and a way to charge a phone, because the extras then add cost without adding food. The pack is also one week only; the 30-day guide covers what a month takes.

My Patriot Supply states its food keeps for up to 25 years when stored properly and unopened. See the shelf life guide for what that statement does and does not mean.

How the numbers work

Three steps, with the working shown.

1. Daily need. Four people at 2,000 calories each is 8,000 calories a day. That figure is a general reference, not a prescription; FDA says needs rise or fall with age, sex, height, weight and activity.
2. Kit calories. My Patriot Supply publishes calories for each kit. The 4-week kit holds 56,460 calories, the 3-month 181,960 and the 1-year 727,840.
3. Days for four. Divide kit calories by 8,000. The 4-week kit gives 56,460 / 8,000, about 7 days. The 1-year kit gives 727,840 / 8,000, about 91 days, which matches the company's own "3 months" for a family of four.

Needs vary. As a sample, the Dietary Guidelines table puts a household of a 33-year-old man, a 33-year-old woman and children aged 6 and 10 at roughly 7,000 calories a day if sedentary and 8,000 if moderately active. Teenagers can need up to 3,200, and pregnancy and breastfeeding add to an adult's figure. The how much food a family of four needs guide goes through the whole table.

For price per calorie, the same published figures give $4.92 per 1,000 calories for the 4-week kit and $4.39 for the 3-month and 1-year kits. On published calories, Be Prepared's 3-month kit comes to $3.35 per 1,000 calories, which is lower; the comparison of My Patriot Supply, Mountain House and Augason Farms sets that out.

Four planning tiers

Pick the tier that matches the time you want to cover. Each links to a guide with the full numbers.

• 72 hours. About 24,000 calories for four. The 72-hour food kit guide covers no-cook items and how a three-day kit differs from a week.
• 1 week. About 56,000 calories, and the point where one 4-week kit fits. Start with how much food a family of four needs.
• 1 month. About 240,000 calories. The 30-day supply guide compares grocery, kit and mixed routes.
• 1 year. About 2.9 million calories. The 1-year supply guide covers cost, storage space and a staged way to get there.

What a kit does not include

Food is one part of the plan. A kit leaves out:

• Water. Ready.gov gives one gallon per person per day for drinking and sanitation, which is 4 gallons a day for four. Freeze-dried food needs separate water to prepare: 9.14 gallons for the 4-week kit. See emergency water for a family of four.
• A way to cook and eat. A stove or heat source, fuel, utensils and a manual can opener, which Ready.gov lists. The emergency food list has the full packing list.
• Medications and medical supplies. Prescriptions, over-the-counter items and glasses.
• Infant and pet food. Formula and pet food are not part of an adult-sized kit. Ready.gov lists ready-to-feed formula for infants.
• Foods your family eats. Ready.gov advises choosing food your family will eat and remembering special dietary needs.

When a kit is the wrong tool

A kit is not the right answer for every household. If anyone has a food allergy, a medical diet or a texture need, read the ingredient lists first or build from groceries you know are safe. If the budget is tight, a shelf of canned goods, rice, beans, peanut butter and oats covers days of calories for far less per day, and the survival food kit buying guide lists what to check before paying kit prices. Kits make most sense when you want a long shelf life, little preparation and one order.

FAQ

How much emergency food does a family of four need?

About 8,000 calories a day, or 24,000 for three days, 56,000 for a week and 240,000 for a month, based on 2,000 calories per person. Real needs depend on ages and activity, so treat the figure as a starting point.

How many days does a 4-week kit feed four people?

Its 56,460 calories divided by 8,000 is about 7 days. My Patriot Supply says the kit is one person for four weeks, or a family of four for one week.

Is a 1-year kit enough for a family of four for a year?

No. It holds 727,840 calories, about 91 family days. A year for four would take four of them at $12,767.20 in total.

How long does the food last?

My Patriot Supply states up to 25 years when stored properly and unopened. Storage temperature and opening the pouches change that. See the shelf life guide.

Do I need water on top of the food?

Yes. Ready.gov's figure is one gallon per person per day for drinking and sanitation, and freeze-dried food needs more water to prepare. The 3-month kit needs 36.12 gallons.

Does buying through this site change the price?

No. The site earns a commission on My Patriot Supply purchases made through its links, at no extra cost to you. See the affiliate disclosure.

All guides

The guides page lists every article by planning stage. For brand detail, read the My Patriot Supply review, and for a short, medical-safety read before buying, the nutrition note.

Sources

• Ready.gov, Build a kit, read 2026-10-14
• Ready.gov, Food, read 2026-10-14
• Ready.gov, Water, read 2026-10-14
• FDA, Calories on the Nutrition Facts label, read 2026-10-14
• USDA and HHS, Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, Appendix 2, read 2026-10-14
• My Patriot Supply product and policy pages, https://www.mypatriotsupply.com, read 2026-10-14
• Be Prepared 3-month kit page, https://www.beprepared.com/products/emergency-essentials%C2%AE-3-month-1-person-emergency-food-kit, read 2026-10-14

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