Best emergency ration bars and MREs: food that needs no cooking (2026)
Ration bars and MREs are the emergency food you can eat with no stove and no water to prepare, which is what a go-bag, a car kit or a few days without power needs. Here they are compared on calories, shelf life and what each is really for.
By PreparedStates editors · Updated October 22, 2026 · 9 products, 2 of 9 price-tracked
Our picks
Datrex 3600
The standard 3-day ration pack
My Patriot Supply MRE Case (12)
Real meals you can eat hot with no stove
All 9 compared
| Product | Shelf life | Servings | Calories | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
5 yrs · 18 servings · 3,600 kcal The standard 3-day ration pack | 5 yrs | 18 servings | 3,600 kcal | |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched 18 pre-portioned 200-kcal bars, 3,600 kcal in all: about 1.8 adult-days at 2,000 kcal, or the 3-day ration these packs are designed around at 1,200 kcal a day. No cooking, no water to prepare, five-year life. Best for The standard 3-day ration pack Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you want real meals: these are dense, sweet-ish bars. | ||||
5 yrs · 3,600 kcal A popular alternative to Datrex | 5 yrs | — | 3,600 kcal | |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched Another 3,600-kcal, five-year ration pack built for a 72-hour kit. Pick on taste and price; the job is the same. Best for A popular alternative to Datrex Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you want meals rather than rations. | ||||
5 yrs · 36,000 kcal Ten 3,600-kcal packs for a family kit | 5 yrs | — | 36,000 kcal | |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched Ten packs, 36,000 kcal: about 18 adult-days. A simple way to put no-cook food in every family member's bag at once. Best for Ten 3,600-kcal packs for a family kit Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you only need one kit. | ||||
3 yrs · 12 servings · 13,200 kcal Real meals you can eat hot with no stove | 3 yrs | 12 servings | 13,200 kcal | $179.99 at My Patriot Supply Checked Oct 22In stockCheck price → |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched Twelve complete meals of 1,100 to 1,300 kcal each, with flameless heaters: hot food with no stove, fuel or water to prepare. About 6.6 adult-days at the low end. Best for Real meals you can eat hot with no stove Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you want a 25-year store: MREs need replacing far sooner. | ||||
5 yrs · 12 servings · 2,400 kcal A smaller pack to spread across bags | 5 yrs | 12 servings | 2,400 kcal | $7.99 at My Patriot Supply Checked Oct 22In stockCheck price → |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched 2,400 kcal in 12 bars, priced per pack at the brand store. Smaller packs are handy for car and work kits. Best for A smaller pack to spread across bags Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you're stocking a home supply: buy bigger packs or meals. | ||||
3.5 | 5 yrs | — | 72,000 kcal | |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched Twenty 3,600-kcal packs, 72,000 kcal: about 36 adult-days of no-cook food. Only sensible if you're kitting out several bags or a workplace. Best for Bulk ration bars Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if it's for one household's 72-hour kit. | ||||
3.5 | — | — | 72,000 kcal | |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched Twenty 3,600-kcal packs whose rations are wrapped one by one, which helps once a pack is open. The seller notes they crumble easily. Best for Individually wrapped portions Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you want a single 72-hour pack. | ||||
3.5 | — | 12 servings | — | |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched Twelve civilian-made MREs with heaters, sold for preparedness rather than as military surplus. The listing doesn't state calories, so we can't compare its duration. Best for A civilian MRE case with heaters Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you need to plan by calories. | ||||
3.5 | — | 12 servings | — | |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched Twelve complete MRE kits with entrée, snacks and candy. Calories per meal aren't stated, described only as medium. Best for Complete meals with snacks and sweets Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you need to plan by calories. | ||||
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Before you buy
A 3,600-kcal pack is built as a three-day ration at about 1,200 kcal a day.
At 2,000 kcal a day, the FDA's general guide, it's under two days of food for an adult, so plan two packs a person for a 72-hour bag.
Bars last about five years; MREs have shorter lives (My Patriot Supply says up to three years for its case), and heat shortens them further.
Don't store either in a hot car trunk all summer if you can help it.
MRE flameless heaters work by a chemical reaction that gives off hydrogen gas, so use them in a well-ventilated space, away from flames.
We list civilian MREs only.
Genuine military-issue MREs are government property and are marked as not for commercial resale.
How long each pack lasts
We divide each product's total calories by 2,000 kcal, the daily figure the FDA uses as a general guide, to get adult-days. Ration packs are designed around fewer calories a day, so their own labels claim more days than this.
| Product | Total calories | Adult-days | Price | Cost per adult-day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Datrex 3600 Calorie Emergency Food Bar (single pack) | 3,600 kcal | 1.8 | — | — |
| S.O.S. Rations 3600 Calorie Emergency Food Bar (3-day package) | 3,600 kcal | 1.8 | — | — |
| Mainstay 3600 Calorie Emergency Food Ration (pack of 10) | 36,000 kcal | 18 | — | — |
| MRE Case Pack with Heaters (12 meals), My Patriot Supply | 13,200 kcal | 6.6 | $179.99Checked Oct 22 | $27.27 |
| Ready Hour 2,400 Calorie Emergency Ration Bars (1 pack) | 2,400 kcal | 1.2 | $7.99Checked Oct 22 | $6.66 |
| Mayday 3600 Calorie Emergency Food Bars (20 pack) | 72,000 kcal | 36 | — | — |
| ER Emergency Ration 3600 Calorie Food Bar (case of 20) | 72,000 kcal | 36 | — | — |
| XMRE 1300XT MRE (12-case with heaters) | calories not published | — | — | — |
| MRE Star MRE Kits (case of 12) | calories not published | — | — | — |
A dash means we can't show a current store price: the retailer's page has today's price. Amazon rows show no price or cost: Amazon's rules don't let us work one out from its prices.
We verify every product's specifications against at least two independent sources, re-check its US price and stock on a schedule where we can track it automatically, and cross-check safety-relevant claims against official guidance. Every review is labelled Researched or Used and reviewed by us: where we've bought a product, or been sent it free, and used it ourselves, its review says which; where we haven't, our verdict is a considered spec-and-evidence comparison, not a hands-on test — and commissions never change a ranking either way. Read our full methodology →
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Common questions
How many ration bars do I need for 72 hours?
At 2,000 kcal a day, about two 3,600-kcal packs per adult for three days. The packs themselves are designed around 1,200 kcal a day, which is a survival minimum, not a normal diet.
Do emergency food bars make you thirsty?
They're designed not to: bars like Datrex and Mainstay are made for lifeboats and survival kits. You still need drinking water: Ready.gov says a gallon a person a day.
How long do MREs last?
Shorter than bars or freeze-dried buckets: My Patriot Supply says up to three years for its MRE case, and MRE Star's listing says three to five. Storing them somewhere cool helps.
Are MREs or ration bars better for a go-bag?
Ration bars: lighter, longer-lasting and no heater. MREs are better for a few days at home or in a car when you want a proper hot meal.