How much water and food to store for two weeks

Last checked against the sources below: November 3, 2026. Written by Bloomsteader LLC. General information only.

Several days or two weeks?

Ready.gov's basic kit calls for water and non-perishable food for several days. An older FEMA, Red Cross and USDA brochure, and Washington State's 2 Weeks Ready program, go further and suggest two weeks at home. Start with several days, then keep going as your budget and space allow.

Water for two weeks

People	Gallons for 14 days	Approximate weight
1	14	117 lb
2	28	234 lb
3	42	350 lb
4	56	467 lb
6	84	701 lb

• The gallon covers drinking, cooking and sanitation. A normally active person needs at least 2 quarts a day just to drink.
• Store more for hot weather, children, nursing mothers and anyone who is ill. Heat or hard work can double what a person needs to drink.
• Add water for pets, based on their size.
• Water is heavy, at about 8.34 pounds a gallon. Check that your shelf or floor can take the weight.
• If supplies run low, don't ration. Drink what you need today and look for more tomorrow. Limit activity and stay cool to need less.

Storing water

• Use thoroughly washed plastic soft drink bottles, or food-grade plastic buckets or drums.
• Never use a container that has held anything toxic. Avoid milk cartons, which break down over time.
• Seal containers tightly, label them with the date, and keep them somewhere cool and dark.
• Change or rotate water you stored yourself every six months.
• Know how to make more: see how to boil or disinfect water. Use those current EPA steps rather than the older ones in the brochure listed below.

Food for two weeks

• Choose food that needs no refrigeration and little or no cooking or water: ready-to-eat canned meat, fruit and vegetables, canned juice, peanut butter, dried fruit, energy bars, crackers and whole-grain cereal.
• Buy what your household already eats. Familiar food helps morale.
• If water may be short, go easy on salty, high-protein and high-fat food. Choose canned food with a lot of liquid.
• Keep a manual can opener with the food.
• Include infant food, special diets, comfort food and pet food if you need them.

Keep it fresh and affordable

• Date everything. Put new items at the back and use the oldest first.
• Check and replace stored food about every six months, following the dates on the packages.
• Add a few items on each shopping trip rather than buying it all at once.

Sources

• Ready.gov: Build a Kit
• FEMA, American Red Cross and USDA: Food and Water in an Emergency, US Coast Guard-hosted copy
• Washington Emergency Management: Build Kits, 2 Weeks Ready, county-hosted copy

These agencies don't endorse Ready Homestead. Local officials may give different instructions for your area: follow theirs.