Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Anyone can order the group specials. However, to take advantage of the special pricing, the minimum quantity of the product must be ordered.

Whether you order through the mail, phone, or Internet, you can use a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover), Apple Pay or PayPal to pay for your order.

Your credit card will be charged when your order is placed. In the rare event that we have backordered items that did not ship with the original order, those items will be shipped as soon as they are available. Shipments of backordered items incur no additional shipping charges.

Please see our full satisfaction guarantee by clicking here.

We offer a one-year warranty from the day of delivery against defects in material and workmanship on all non-food products. Many products contain a manufacturer’s warranty to cover them. Please call us to determine how to take advantage of these warranties when needed. If you need to return a product, please call us for a return authorization number.

"Our mission is to help people prepare. We endeavor to serve our customers, our business associates, and each other in the same way we hope to be served. It is our duty to use the resources that we have been given to serve, build, and inspire the preparedness community."

For questions specific to the principles of preparation, shelf life, checklists, or information specific to your area, we invite you to check out our RESOURCES section of our website. You can also tweet or post questions on our Facebook page. And don’t forget to call our friendly customer service staff at 1-888-579-6849, available Monday through Friday 8:00am-5:00 PM (Mountain Time).

When shipping to the contiguous 48 states, the shipping charges for your entire order are as follows:

• $0.00 to $60.00 - $9.99
• $60.01 to $120.00 - $12.99
• $120.01 to $148.99 - $15.99
• $149.00 or More - FREE

We currently only ship to locations within the contiguous United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. We do not ship to Puerto Rico.

If an order does not ship in its entirety due to some items being backordered, there is no additional shipping charge when the backordered items are shipped.

The majority of orders ship out from our warehouse within 2-4 business days based on product availability. However, there may be extenuating circumstances that cause an order to ship outside that time period. If you have any questions or concerns about getting your order within a specific time frame, please call us at 1-888-579-6849 and we will do our best to help.

The majority of orders are shipped through UPS. Exceptionally large orders may be shipped through a freight carrier. The US Postal Service is also used on occasion.

Once you have added all of the items to your cart, click on the shopping cart link, then click 'View Cart'. Below your list of products, you’ll see an orange bar containing 'Coupon Code', click the '+' on the right side of the bar. Enter the coupon/promo code, and click ‘Apply Coupon’. A message will appear to confirm that the code is valid. You can also apply your coupon code during Step 6 of the checkout process.

Note: Coupon codes are case sensitive so make sure to use CAPS or lowercase as shown in the advertisement. Also, if a coupon code does not work, please call us during our business hours at 1-888-579-6849 before completing the checkout process.

Orders placed before 12:00 pm MT typically ship from our facility within 2-4 business days. Exceptions are rare but may happen during busy periods.

You should have received an email from us that includes a tracking number. If you did not received an email, or the number is no longer available to you, please contact us during our business hours at 1-888-579-6849.

In most cases, returns are accepted when we are notified within 30 days of receiving your order. Please call us during business hours at 1-888-579-6849.

If you use a PO Box for your shipping or billing address your order must be placed through our call center. Please call us during business hours at 1-888-579-6849 to place your order.

We currently ship to locations within the contiguous United States. We do not ship to Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

If your transaction is declined, please contact your bank or financial institution to troubleshoot the declined payment. The products in your shopping cart will remain there until you return to complete the checkout process.

Upon placing an order through our website, you will automatically be redirected to an order confirmation page. The order confirmation page will contain your order id. You will also receive an automated email containing order information and your order id.

If you have further questions regarding your order, please call us during business hours at 1-888-579-6849 or submit a request via email to [email protected].  Please be sure to include your order number as well as the first and last name that the order was placed under.

Yes we do! We currently offer financing through Affirm financing on purchases over $250.

If an item or order does arrive damaged, please notify us as quickly as possible. We're happy to send you a replacement. Please review our damage policy page for full details. 

In some instances, slight damage to the product does not mean a return is necessary. Below are examples of damaged products that will not compromise the product’s quality and shelf life: 

• Collapsed Pails: Because of elevation changes during shipping, airtight pails occasionally arrive “collapsed”. This is unavoidable. If the pail remains collapsed, this is actually a good thing. A collapsed pail indicates that the pail remains airtight and perfectly sealed. 
• Dented Cans: If a can is dented, the food quality is not compromised unless a dent is along the top or bottom seals of the can or a dent has exposed the product to air. If this type of damage occurs, do not consume the product. Otherwise, dents and scratches will not compromise the product. 
• Shipping Boxes: Boxes that are damaged during shipping do not typically compromise the product inside. Upon receipt of a damaged box, please open the box right away to make sure the product(s) remain sealed and airtight. If they are sealed and airtight, the product is perfectly good.

If you are uncomfortable with the damaged product of any kind we are happy to replace it. As mentioned above, please call us during our business hours at 1-888-579-6849.

As part of our product development process we strive to achieve a balance of sodium that will ensure optimal flavor, shelf life and nutrition. Because sodium plays an important role in each of these emergency food attributes, we do not offer low sodium products. 

Sodium plays an important role in the formulation and production of emergency food. From an overall health perspective, sodium provides an essential source of electrolytes which is critical to the stability of vital body functions. In disaster and survival situations, activity levels substantially increase which means the body uses electrolytes at a much faster rate and must be replaced more frequently. Survival food is an important source for that electrolyte replacement.

We offer several complete meals solutions that include 100% real freeze-dried chicken or beef that is precooked. 

For optimal flexibility when preparing meals for your family, we have excluded meats from many of our complete meal solutions. This allows you the option to add real meat or soy-based meat substitutes as you desire.

Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) is a vegetarian meat substitute made from defatted soy flour. Many restaurants and food manufacturers use TVP on a regular basis to provide not only meat free solutions for vegetarian diets, but also for added texture, food stability, protein, and more. 

Unopened vegetarian meat substitutes (“TVP”) have a shelf life of up to 10 years based on storage conditions.

We offer precooked 100% real freeze dried chicken and beef as well as vegetarian meat substitutes (TVP) in a variety of savory flavors.

Yes, we do offer water storage and filtration products. View our water storage solutions page for more details.

The best way to open a large, #10 can is with a heavy duty or commercial grade can opener. Everyday kitchen openers will work however they are not quite as easy to use as the larger openers.

There are countless ways to prepare our foods which makes it easy for you to tailor your food storage choices with your cooking preferences. Here are a few examples:

Complete Meal Solutions

These are meals that simply require adding water to the mix and heating, for example soups, entrees, breakfast items. Some meals are best when simmered until ingredients such as rice or noodles reach desired tenderness, typically for 10 to 15 minutes. View this page for more details.

Individual Food Products

This includes products such as freeze dried fruits and vegetables may be enjoyed straight from the can as a quick grab-and-go snack. Others may be used in recipes or added to complete meal solutions to extend their number of servings. 

Where to Find Food Prep Instructions

To see preparation directions for a specific product go to the product page and click on the Nutrition Facts and Ingredients link located at the bottom of the product description.

Opened products will last up to one year when stored in a cool, dry and dark place. When product is opened it is exposed to oxygen and light which begins the deterioration process (microorganisms need oxygen and air to grow). Please remember that for optimal shelf life, product is best when stored in a cool and dry location at temperatures between 55°F and 70°F. 

Pails, totes, or cans that contain individual pouches: The shelf life of unopened pouches that are packaged within another container retain their full shelf life even after the container has been opened. 

Avoid Excessive Temperatures

Food is best stored in an environment that is not subject to extreme hot and cold temperatures. Over time, excessive temperatures will compromise the flavor of some products and will result in the breakdown of proteins and vitamins. Optimal room temperature is between 55°F and 70°F.

Avoid Moisture

This is critical when it comes to food storage. Food grade pails and cans are waterproof. However, cans will begin to rust if they are exposed to water for an extended period of time. The good news is, cans and pails will float in flood situations. Just remember to dry them well and check for damage when they are recovered.

Because we've been making long-term food since 1987, Emergency Essentials products have been on shelves for decades and are proven in the field to last through real-world conditions. Many emergency food companies have only been around a few years, and are still figuring out shelf life through trial and error.

The famous durability of our food products comes from our multi-layer approach to preparation and packaging. Our foods are:

1. Freeze-dried or dehydrated—a preparation process that removes moisture to keep food from spoiling
2. Sealed airtight with iron-based oxygen absorbers
3. Stored in special heavy-duty containers that protect against pests, water, and the elements
4. Many are kitted in four-layer zipper packs

You will find the shelf life of individual products on our website within each product description. 

Note about the shelf life of products included in a kit: Kits that include a variety of product types will indicate a shelf life “range” which presents the lowest shelf life (for example products that include eggs or oil) up to the longest shelf life (products that are egg or oil free). 

If you are interested in becoming a Group Leader please call our friendly customer service representatives at 1-888-579-6849 to sign up. We will be happy to explain the Group Program to you and answer any questions you may have.

Customer Support & Distribution Center 

• Open: Monday - Friday
• Hours of Operation: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm MT (Mountain Time)

You may view our Terms & Conditions by clicking here.

No, Emergency Essentials does not have any retail stores in operation.