ReadyWise 3-Day Dry-Bag review
ReadyWise 28-Serving 3-Day Dry-Bag
By Tom Calder
A 72-hour pack of breakfasts and mains in a 10-litre dry bag, with the same up-to-25-year shelf life as the buckets. At 5,480 kcal it is nearer 2.7 adult-days than three, and at ReadyWise's own prices on 24 September 2026 it cost more per adult-day than the 60-serving bucket.
- Best for
- A 72-hour kit with breakfasts, for one adult
- Skip it if
- You want three full days at 2,000 kcal
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Researched, not used. We haven't used this product. This review is built from the maker's specifications, owner reports and our own sizing.
What we like
- Breakfasts as well as mains
- 10-litre dry bag included
- Up to 25-year shelf life
Worth knowing
- About 2.7 days at 2,000 kcal a day, 3 at ReadyWise's 1,800
- About 28 cups of water to make
- Made up in a pan, 4 servings a pouch
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Our review
ReadyWise's 3-Day Dry-Bag packs seven freeze-dried pouches, 28 servings and 5,480 calories into a 10-litre roll-top bag, with the brand's up-to-25-year shelf life. It is the grab-and-go version of the ReadyWise buckets: a short, portable store for one adult that needs only hot water and a pan.
What is in the bag
ReadyWise UK lists seven pouches of four servings each, one of every recipe: apple cinnamon cereal, crunchy granola, pasta Alfredo, chicken-flavoured noodle soup, southwest rice and beans, tomato basil soup and savoury stroganoff. That gives two breakfasts and five mains, which is the point of this pack over the lunch-and-dinner buckets. The whole kit weighs 1.49kg and comes in a 10-litre dry bag with a roll-top closure, so it will survive a wet car boot or a flooded cupboard. ReadyWise gives a shelf life of up to 25 years unopened; once a pouch is open, UK retailer Base Camp Food advises using it straight away.
How far it goes
The 5,480 calories is the number that matters. Divided by the 2,000 calories a day an adult typically needs, it covers a little under three days for one person, or a day and a half for two, by our arithmetic. ReadyWise's own serving sizes assume a lower daily intake, which is how 28 servings comes to be called three days. Treat it as three days of hot meals for one adult alongside the snacks, tins and biscuits you already have, not as three complete days of food. Our how much food to store guide sets out the sums for a household.
Making it up
ReadyWise quotes about 28 cups of water for the whole bag, which is roughly 6.5 litres. Each pouch makes four servings at once in a pan: add the contents to boiled water, stir, and leave it covered for a few minutes. That means a camping stove outdoors, a gas hob or a flask of hot water, and it means storing water as well as food; our how to store emergency water guide covers that. Base Camp Food lists wheat, celery, milk and soya among the allergens, with possible traces of egg and nuts, so check the labels if anyone in the house has an allergy. The chicken soup and stroganoff are not vegetarian.
How it compares
On the ReadyWise page the 60-serving lunch and dinner bucket holds about twice the food in a stackable bucket and works out cheaper per day, but it has no breakfasts and is not something you carry. The Expedition Foods 7-day ration pack is UK-made with single-serving pouches that make up in the bag, at a shorter shelf life. The Wayfayrer pouches need no water at all for the first day of a cut. The dry bag's case is portability and the mix of meals.
Our verdict
Buy it as the food layer of a grab bag or a car kit for one adult, or as a first, inexpensive step into a long-life store before committing to a bucket. Skip it if you want three full days of calories from one pack, where the 60-serving bucket plus your own snacks does better, or if you have no way to boil water when the power is off. Our 25-year shelf life food guide explains what that claim rests on.
A researched review, built from the maker's specs, manual and UK listings; facts checked 2 Nov 2026. Sources: ReadyWise UK: freeze-dried emergency food 3-day dry bag, 28 servings; Base Camp Food: ReadyWise dry bag 28 servings (preparation and allergens).
Who shouldn't buy this
Don't buy it if you want three full days at 2,000 kcal: add snacks, or buy the 60-serving bucket.
Key specs
| Shelf life | 25 yrs |
| Servings | 28 |
| Calories | 5,480 kcal |
This is a Researched review: we haven't used this product. We check every specification against at least two independent sources, re-check the UK price on a schedule where we can track it automatically, and say plainly who it isn't for. Commissions never change a rating.
If this isn’t the one
Best for An up-to-25-year store: about six days for one adult
Best for About a week of mixed meals in a bag you can carry
Best for A week of UK-made pouch meals you rotate
in stock when checkedQuestions
How many days does the ReadyWise 3-Day Dry-Bag really last?
It holds 5,480 calories, which is a little under three days for one adult at 2,000 calories a day. ReadyWise's three-day label uses smaller servings, so add snacks or tins for full days.
What meals are in the ReadyWise dry bag?
Seven pouches of four servings: apple cinnamon cereal, crunchy granola, pasta Alfredo, chicken-flavoured noodle soup, southwest rice and beans, tomato basil soup and savoury stroganoff.
How much water does it need?
ReadyWise quotes about 28 cups for the whole bag, roughly 6.5 litres, and each pouch is made up in a pan of boiled water. Store water alongside it.
How long does it keep?
ReadyWise gives up to 25 years unopened when stored cool and dry. Once a pouch is open, use it straight away.
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