14 Dec 2012

Researchers figure out cheapest survival kit

8:04 am on 14 December 2012

Researchers from Otago University have come up with a cheap way of stocking household survival kits with enough food for three days.

The work has been done to encourage people on low incomes to be better prepared for natural disasters.

The cheapest option discovered by associate professor Nick Wilson and his team cost $2.22 per person per day.

It was made up of flour, rice, pasta, vegetable oil, whole grain oats, sugar and peanut butter, and people will need to have access to cooking equipment to make use of the ingredients.

Mr Wilson said a survival kit containing food which does not need cooking, including sultanas, weetbix, and peanuts, could be provided for $3.67 per person per day.