Emergency Food Supply List: What to Store for 3 Days and 2 Weeks
Store one gallon of water per person per day: 3 gallons for a 3-day evacuation kit and 14 gallons for two weeks at home, as Ready.gov and the American Red Cross recommend. Below is a checklist plus per-person food amounts adapted from Germany's federal 10-day stockpile table.
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Ready.gov recommends at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food and one gallon of water per person per day. The American Red Cross uses two tiers: a 3-day supply for evacuation and a 2-week supply for home.
US guidance lists what to store but not how much. For concrete amounts, this page uses the stockpile table of Germany's Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE), which covers about 2,200 calories per adult per day, scaled to 3 and 14 days.
Emergency Supply per Person (Chart for 3 Days and 2 Weeks)
Water per Ready.gov and the Red Cross; food groups scaled from the BLE 10-day table (mixed diet, adults).
| Item | 1 person, 3 days | 1 person, 2 weeks | 4 people, 2 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water (drinking and sanitation) | 3 gal | 14 gal | 56 gal |
| Grain products, bread, potatoes | 2.2 lb | 10.2 lb | 40.7 lb |
| Vegetables and legumes | 2.6 lb | 12.3 lb | 49.4 lb |
| Fruit and nuts | 1.7 lb | 7.7 lb | 30.9 lb |
| Milk and dairy (shelf-stable) | 1.7 lb | 7.7 lb | 30.9 lb |
| Eggs, meat, fish | 0.8 lb | 3.7 lb | 14.8 lb |
| Fats and oils | 3.5 oz | 1 lb | 4.1 lb |
The BLE table assumes about 2,200 calories per adult per day; adjust for kids and special diets. Canned vegetables are already cooked; dried beans need extra water.
Emergency Food Supply Checklist
Based on the Ready.gov food list. Choose foods your household already eats and swap within a group.
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Water 0/2
Ready-to-eat protein 0/4
Grains 0/5
Fruit and vegetables 0/5
Dairy 0/3
Fats and extras 0/4
Special needs 0/3
Tools 0/5
Your checked items are saved only in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere.
How Much Water per Person?
Store one gallon of water per person per day for drinking and sanitation. For a 3-day evacuation kit that's 3 gallons per person; for a 2-week home supply, 14 gallons. A family of four needs 56 gallons for two weeks, so plan the storage space early.
How Much Food Should You Store per Person?
Ready.gov says to store at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food, and the Red Cross recommends two weeks at home. Germany's federal food agency publishes concrete amounts: for ten days, about 30 lb of food per adult across seven food groups. The chart above scales those amounts to 3 days and 2 weeks.
What to Store: The Emergency Food List
Ready.gov lists ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables with a manual can opener, protein or fruit bars, dry cereal or granola, peanut butter, dried fruit, canned juices, non-perishable pasteurized milk, high-energy foods, food for infants and comfort foods. Choose foods your household already eats, and remember special diets.
Foods That Need No Fridge or Stove
In a power outage the fridge and stove may be out. Keep part of the supply ready to eat cold, and add a camp stove with fuel if you want to cook. An unopened fridge keeps food cold for about four hours; throw out perishable food that has been above 40°F for two hours or more.
Rotate Your Supply
Check expiration dates regularly, for example once a year, and replace items in time. A living supply is easier: buy one or two extra of what you already use, eat the oldest first and restock on your next trip.
Infants, Pets and Medications
Plan for everyone in the household: formula and baby food for infants, food and water for pets, and medications. The Red Cross recommends a 7-day supply of medications in your kit.
Build It Step by Step
You don't have to buy everything at once. Start with three days and add a few items on each grocery run until you reach two weeks.
In the Pauly app, add supply items to your shopping list and they're sorted by store section. A separate list just for your emergency supply needs Pauly Pro, which allows unlimited lists; the free version gives you one list.
Sources for these amounts
- Ready.gov: Build a kit: One gallon of water per person per day, several-day food supply
- Ready.gov: Food: Recommended foods and food safety in an outage
- American Red Cross: Survival kit supplies: 3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home
- BLE (Germany): Stockpile table, mixed diet: Food amounts per adult for 10 days
Emergency Food Supply FAQ
How much water do I need for 2 weeks?
14 gallons per person, at one gallon per person per day. A family of four needs 56 gallons.
What food should I store for emergencies?
Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables, protein bars, cereal, peanut butter, dried fruit, canned juices, shelf-stable milk, food for infants and some comfort food, plus a manual can opener.
Should I store 3 days or 2 weeks?
The Red Cross recommends a 3-day supply for evacuation and a 2-week supply for home. Start with three days and build up.
How much food per person for 2 weeks?
About 43 lb per adult, using the German federal table scaled to 14 days: roughly 10 lb of grains, 12 lb of vegetables, 7.7 lb each of fruit and dairy, 3.7 lb of protein foods and 1 lb of fats.
How often should I rotate emergency food?
Check dates at least once a year, or keep a living supply that you eat and restock as you go.
Can I print this list?
Yes. Use the “Print checklist” button, or save the list as a PDF from your browser's print dialog.
Your supply list on your phone in 10 seconds
Dictate your supply items into the free Pauly app. It sorts everything by store section and works offline. For iPhone and Android.