Food Storage · Pierce County, WAEmergency food storage for Pierce County households
How much food to keep on hand, which kinds last, how to rotate it, and how to eat safely when the power is out for days. Start with a few days of food, then work toward two weeks.
This page is a companion to our Preparedness Guide. It follows the same approach: plain steps, backed by official sources such as Ready.gov, Washington Emergency Management, USDA, and CDC, with a sources line under each section.
Why Pierce County households should store two weeks of food
Most of the time a grocery run is easy. The problem is the few days or weeks when it isn’t. In Pierce County and the rest of Cascadia country, three things can keep you home or keep the stores closed:
Multi-day power outages. Wind, ice, and snow bring down trees and lines. Six days after the November 19, 2024 windstorm, Puget Sound Energy still had about 21,000 customers without power in hard-hit parts of neighboring King County, and some were told to expect power back on November 26, a full week after the storm.
Winter storms that close roads. Snow, ice, and fallen trees can make driving unsafe or impossible, even when your power stays on.
A Cascadia earthquake. Washington Emergency Management warns that a large earthquake could cause long-term outages of electricity, water, and wastewater, and that after a large disaster it may take a while for emergency help and resources to arrive. Plan for your household and neighborhood to rely on yourselves until help arrives.
Ready.gov’s baseline is to store at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food. Washington Emergency Management goes further and asks residents to be 2 Weeks Ready: two weeks of food, water, pet food, warm clothes, medical supplies, and sanitation supplies. You don’t have to do it all at once. WA EMD suggests adding one can of food to your cart each time you shop.
Plan by calories, not by the number of meals or “servings” on a package. The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 say the calories you need depend on your age, sex, height, weight, and how active you are, and they use a 2,000-calorie eating pattern as their reference example. The previous edition (2020–2025) put numbers on it:
Adult women: about 1,600 to 2,400 calories a day
Adult men: about 2,000 to 3,000 calories a day
Children ages 5 to 8: about 1,200 to 1,800 (girls) and 1,200 to 2,000 (boys)
Teens ages 14 to 18: about 1,800 to 2,400 (girls) and 2,000 to 3,200 (boys)
The low end is for people who sit most of the day, the high end for active people. After an earthquake or storm you may be clearing debris, hauling water, or keeping warm in a cold house, so don’t plan at the bottom of the range.
Worked example: a family of four for 14 days
Simple version: 4 people × 2,000 calories × 14 days = 112,000 calories.
Tailored version: two adults at 2,000 each, plus two kids ages 5 to 8 at 1,600 each (our assumption, near the middle of the Dietary Guidelines range for that age) = 7,200 calories a day × 14 days = 100,800 calories.
Check it against labels: calories per serving × servings per container = calories in that package. Add up your shelf until you reach your total.
Why “servings” can mislead. A kit sold as a “one-month supply” may count small servings. Calorie counts on long-term food kits have drawn a class action and an industry advertising review (details in the brands section). Look for calories per person per day on the product page or label and do the math yourself.
FEMA’s Food and Water in an Emergency booklet adds a few points that still hold up: familiar foods lift morale in a stressful time; choose foods that are high in calories and nutrition and need no refrigeration, water, special preparation, or cooking; and plan for babies, older adults, special diets, allergies, and pets. FEMA also notes that healthy adults can get by on less food for a while if activity is reduced, but children and pregnant women should not have their food rationed. Water is different: never ration water.
Each type has a job. Most households end up with a mix: everyday canned and pantry food as the core, and some long-shelf-life food that can sit untouched in a closet or go-bag.
Shelf-life figures from USDA FSIS unless marked as a manufacturer’s claim. The cost row is a rough rule of thumb, not a price survey; actual prices vary by brand, package size, and sale.
Freeze-dried kits
Canned goods
MREs
Pantry staples (rice, beans, oats, peanut butter)
Shelf life
Up to 25 years, per manufacturers’ claims (ReadyWise, My Patriot Supply), and only if stored as directed. USDA confirms freeze-dried food is shelf stable when packed in moisture-proof, sealed containers.
Best quality: high-acid foods (tomatoes, fruit, juice) 12–18 months; low-acid foods (meat, soups, vegetables, beans) 2–5 years.
Depends heavily on heat. USDA chart: about 7 years at 60°F, 4½ years at 70°F, 4 years at 80°F, 1½ years at 100°F, 1 month at 120°F.
White rice and dried pasta: 2 years (USDA). Peanut butter: use within a year or by the label date (FEMA). Dried beans and oats: check the package date.
Cost per calorie (rough rule of thumb)
Higher
Low to moderate
Highest
Usually lowest
Water needed
Yes. ReadyWise says its entrées take about 1 cup of water each, on average. Store it on top of your drinking water.
None. Canned food can be eaten straight from the can.
None to eat. Some MREs include a flameless heater that uses a little water; check the package.
Rice, beans, and oats need water and cooking; dried beans need the most. Peanut butter needs none.
Weight
Lightest (the water is removed)
Heaviest
Moderate. Retort pouches weigh less than cans.
Dense and compact
Prep
Add water and wait. ReadyWise says 5–15 minutes; hot water is faster, and many items work with cold water.
Open and eat, or heat
Ready to eat; can be heated
Needs a stove and fuel (except peanut butter)
Taste & variety
Varies a lot by brand. Try a sample first.
Familiar, because it’s what you already eat
Varied menus; best for short stretches
Familiar; better with spices and add-ins
Best use
Long-term backup that can sit untouched; go-bags
The core of a 2-week home supply
Car kit, go-bag, the first few days
Stretching your supply; everyday rotation
Store what you eat
Ready.gov’s first rule for emergency food is simple: choose foods your family will eat, and remember any special diets. The cheapest, easiest emergency supply is a deeper pantry of the canned goods, rice, beans, oats, peanut butter, cereal, dried fruit, and shelf-stable milk you already buy. You use it, replace it, and it never expires in the back of a closet. Ready.gov’s suggested list also includes ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, and vegetables; protein or fruit bars; canned juice; high-energy foods; food for infants; and comfort foods. Don’t forget a manual can opener.
FEMA’s rule: date new items with a marker, put them at the back, and move older items to the front. Eat the oldest first and replace what you use.
Put food on the same twice-a-year schedule the Preparedness Guide uses for stored water. When you swap your water, check every food date too. USDA also suggests checking the pantry every few weeks and using canned goods you’ve had for a while.
Cool, dry, dark
Keep food in a cool, dry spot, and dark if possible (FEMA). USDA says temperatures below 85°F are best, and above 100°F is harmful to canned goods. The risk of spoilage jumps as storage temperatures rise.
USDA says not to store food above or beside the stove, under the sink, in a damp garage or basement, or anywhere with temperature extremes. Put opened crackers, sugar, dried fruit, and nuts in sealed jars or canisters to keep pests out.
Dented, bulging, or rusted cans
Small dent, can otherwise fine: the food should be safe (USDA).
Deep dent (one you can lay a finger in), or any sharp dent on a seam: throw it out.
Swollen or bulging, leaking, or heavily rusted: throw it out. Surface rust that wipes off is not serious.
Spurts or hisses loudly when opened, smells off, or has rust inside: don’t taste it. Double-bag it and put it in the outside trash.
What “best by” means
A “Best if Used By” date is about quality, not safety. USDA says food past that date should still be safe if it was stored properly and shows no signs of spoilage. The exception is infant formula: don’t buy or use it after its “Use-By” date.
The letters and numbers stamped on cans are packing codes, not expiration dates.
Ready.gov suggests stocking foods that need no refrigeration, cooking, water, or special preparation. Commercially canned food can be eaten straight from the can. Good no-cook picks: canned meats, fish, beans, fruit, and vegetables; peanut butter; crackers; cereal and granola; dried fruit; protein bars; and shelf-stable milk.
To heat food in its can, Ready.gov says to remove the label, wash and disinfect the can, and open it before heating.
Camp stoves and grills: outdoors only
Camp stoves, charcoal grills, and generators go outdoors only, at least 20 feet from windows, doors, and vents (Ready.gov, CDC). Never use them in the house, garage, or basement, even with the door open.
Never heat your home with a gas oven or stovetop. Ready.gov lists candle warmers, chafing dishes, and fondue pots for keeping food warm indoors. Never leave an open flame unattended.
Carbon monoxide kills without warning
CDC says carbon monoxide (CO) is odorless and colorless and kills more than 400 Americans a year in poisonings not linked to fires. Symptoms are flu-like: headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. People who are asleep can die before they notice anything.
Install battery-powered or battery-backup CO alarms on every level of your home and near every sleeping area. If the alarm sounds, don’t hunt for the source: get everyone outside to fresh air, call 911, and don’t go back in until responders say it’s safe (CPSC).
Fuel storage basics
Store propane cylinders outdoors, upright, out of the sun, away from heat and flame, and never in the house or a crawl space. (These are NC LP-gas rules based on the national propane code, NFPA 58.)
Use only the fuel your stove is designed for, and follow the maker’s instructions.
Test the stove before you need it, so you know how much fuel a pot of boiling water takes.
Check your local fire code for limits on how much propane or liquid fuel you can store at home.
Water for freeze-dried food
Freeze-dried and dehydrated meals need water. ReadyWise says its entrées take about a cup each, on average. That water comes on top of the 1 gallon per person per day you store for drinking and sanitation. See how much water to store in the Preparedness Guide.
If water is tight, FEMA advises skipping salty foods, which make you thirsty, and choosing canned foods with a high liquid content.
Fridge and freezer during an outage
Refrigerator: keeps food safe for up to 4 hours if you keep it closed.
Freezer: about 48 hours full, or 24 hours half full, with the door shut.
Throw out perishable food (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, leftovers) that has been above 40°F for more than 2 hours. Food that still has ice crystals or is at 40°F or below can be refrozen.
Keep an appliance thermometer in the fridge and freezer. Never taste food to decide if it’s safe. When in doubt, throw it out.
Eat in this order: the fridge first, then the freezer, then your pantry (FEMA).
Ready.gov says 25 pounds of dry ice keeps a 10-cubic-foot freezer below freezing for 3–4 days. Handle it with heavy gloves, and don’t let it touch food.
If you want food that can sit for years, these are three companies we’re looking at (see our disclosure). Shelf-life figures below are each company’s own claims. Prices change often, so check them on each site.
ReadyWise
A Salt Lake City company that says it was founded in 2008. It sells freeze-dried and dehydrated emergency food, from 72-hour kits to multi-month and 1-year supplies in buckets and boxes, plus #10 cans, freeze-dried meat, fruit and vegetable buckets, camping meals, and some water filtration and survival gear.
Company claims
Shelf life of “up to 25 years, depending on storage conditions and product type”
Recommends storage at 50–70°F, away from sunlight and humidity, and not directly on concrete
Meals portioned for 2,000 calories per person per day; gluten-free, vegetarian, and organic options
Sells sample packs
Worth knowing
In October 2024 ReadyWise voluntarily recalled its 110 Serving Emergency Protein Bucket, sold online by Costco, because chicken from a supplier might have been contaminated with Listeria.
ReadyWise lists Wise Food Storage among its brands. In 2017 a California class action (Miller v. Wise Company) alleged that Wise’s food kits didn’t provide enough calories for the time periods advertised. Wise denied the allegations. The settlement, approved in 2020, required time-based supply claims to be backed by at least 2,000 calories a day (or the USDA-recommended intake).
An emergency supply company that says it launched in 2008. It sells long-term food, including its own Ready Hour brand (food kits, #10 cans, and pouches), cook-in-pouch meals and MREs, along with water filtration, solar generators, heating and cooking gear, first aid, and heirloom seeds.
Company claims
Shelf life of “up to 25 years when stored properly”; the company notes that shelf life depends on storage conditions
Opened pouches are resealable and keep for up to 1 year
Many kits are labeled 2,000+ calories per day; most meals need hot water or a heat source
A free “Disaster Replacement Warranty” that you must activate. It replaces supplies destroyed in a natural disaster, with exclusions.
Sells a 72-hour food kit sample pack
Worth knowing
In 2023, BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division, acting on a competitor’s challenge, recommended that My Patriot Supply change or stop some Ready Hour claims, including “fresh fruit,” “home-cooked,” “Made in the U.S.A.,” and “2,000+ calories per day” for long-term kits. The company said it stood behind the claims but would comply.
On hold. 1800Prepare’s website was unavailable when we checked on September 25, 2026, so we aren’t linking to it or describing its products here yet.
We’ll update this card after we can confirm, from the company itself, what it sells and what it claims about shelf life. Until then, the comparison table and the buying tips below apply to any long-term food brand.
Before you buy a big kit: Store what your household will actually eat. Buy a sample or a 72-hour kit first, cook it the way you would in an outage, and make sure everyone will eat it, including kids and anyone on a special diet. Compare calories per person per day, not servings. Check how much water the meals need, and write the storage temperature on your calendar along with the dates.
Tick boxes as you go. Checks aren’t saved, so print the page for a paper copy. Sized for 14 days; multiply by the number of people in your home, and see the worked example for calories.
The kits, lights, radios, water filters, and dry bags we recommend, matched to the hazards we plan for here. See the gear.
Tools Catalog
Higher Vantages is also the distributor for a catalog of professional hand tools, available unbranded or with your company’s logo. Browse the Tools Catalog.
Local first: In a real emergency, follow instructions from local officials. Sign up for Pierce County ALERT. This page is general preparedness information. It isn’t medical or nutrition advice and doesn’t replace official guidance.
About these links
Higher Vantages is independent and isn’t owned by ReadyWise, My Patriot Supply, or 1800Prepare. Some links on this site may be affiliate links, and Higher Vantages may earn a commission on purchases at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we’d use ourselves. Each company sets its own prices, stock, shipping, and returns. Product claims on this page, including shelf life, are the companies’ own. All trademarks belong to their owners.
