Costco is selling the Readywise Emergency Food Bucket for $80, a 150-serving meal kit that promises “readiness in the face of uncertainty.” The aptly-nicknamed “apocalypse bucket” includes 80 servings of entrees and sides, 30 breakfast servings, and 40 drinks— just add water. The food bucket has a 25-year shelf life. The item’s description seems to play on customers’ fear of the future, reading, “In a world where unpredictability has become a constant, our assortment takes on a vital role in emergency preparedness.”
The description cites possible upcoming “severe weather” and “food shortages,” saying their bucket is a “game-changer” for securing your “well-being.” The brand calls the bucket an “expression of your dedication” to protecting loved ones, explaining, “It's about maintaining a sense of normalcy when the world around you might feel anything but normal.” The food kit includes meals like cheesy macaroni, pasta alfredo, and potato and chicken-flavored pot pie.
Several people have reacted to the emergency food bucket online, saying they’re “losing it” at the item description’s “manifesto,” and wondering if future water shortages will make the buckets obsolete. On the other hand, one buyer wrote: “I just bought one for each of my [family members]. Don’t get caught without food in a disaster.”
ABC spoke about the bucket with a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) representative, who said the agency is happy to see more “people are taking steps to prepare ahead of disasters." On Reddit, some users say the food bucket is not just for impending apocalypses, but can also work for camping.