Costco goes viral for selling emergency food kits dubbed “apocalypse buckets”

After the global IT outage and the wild weather parts of Canada have been experiencing, you may feel ill-prepared for any major catastrophe. Apparently, a simple trip to Costco can remedy that.

The big box retailer has gone viral in the past few weeks for selling Readywise Emergency Food Supply, a bucket of freeze-dried meals that have a 25-year shelf life.

The kit has been aptly dubbed “apocalypse buckets” by shoppers.

In the US, doomsday preppers can get a Readywise bucket with 150 servings of food. According to the Costco site, that includes 80 servings of entrees and sides, 30 servings of breakfasts, and an additional 40 drink servings. You can get all of that (over 25,000 total calories) for just USD$79.99 (C$110.04).

Costco

“By simply adding water, these carefully crafted meals transform into satisfying dishes within minutes,” reads the description. “This convenience isn’t just about simplicity; it’s about maintaining a sense of normalcy when the world around you might feel anything but normal.”

Canadians might be a little less equipped for a long-lasting apocalypse as only the Readywise bucket with 60 servings is available at Costco here. It’s selling for C$259.99.

Here’s a look at its freeze-dried emergency menu:

  • 8 x Creamy Pasta & Vegetable Rotini
  • 8 x Savory Stroganoff
  • 4 x Tomato basil soup with pasta
  • 4 x Southwest beans and rice
  • 4 x Cheesy Lasagna
  • 4 x Cheesy Macaroni
  • 4 x Hearty Tortilla Soup
  • 4 x Potatoes and chicken flavoured pot pie
  • 4 x Pasta Alfredo
  • 4 x Chili Macaroni
  • 4 x Teriyaki and rice
  • 4 x Loaded baked potato casserole
  • 4 x Chicken flavoured noodle soup

Readywise food buckets have been around since 2008, but they recently went viral after cookbook author Jeffrey Eisner shared a video of them on Instagram.

“I guess this is for when the apocalypse hits? Which is for anytime now, who knows?” he says in the video before listing off what’s included.

“When the world collapses and caves in, as long as you have your Readywise emergency food supply, all is right with the world.”

The reel received thousands of comments.

“I mean with this inflation I just may go buy those for regular life while finishing school,” one person joked.

“I like that someone thought to consider our desire for variety during the apocalypse,” added another.

One commenter is asking the real question: “Does Costco know something?”

And another person made a very realistic point.

“Everyday, people experience natural disasters and their power is shut off for days. If you haven’t lived through such an event, you would be surprised to see this item. You don’t have to be a dooms day prepper to stash food and water,” reads the comment.

What do you think about this “apocalypse bucket”? Would you buy one? Let us know in the comments.

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