'I'm a Brit prepper, I commute 160 miles for work and won't leave without survival pack' – Daily Star
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A doomsday prepper, who is planning to go off grid, says that when he makes his 160-mile round trip to work he has a 48-hour panic bag.
For Mike, who goes by the handle UKUrbanPrepper said the commute involves travelling across the Pennines. And as a guy who regularly shares videos on his YouTube channel, full of tips to help people become self-reliant, in case of emergencies, he's taking no chances. Although he says he leads a perfectly normal life, in a normal house, paying his bills and using fuel living like everyone else, the 40-year-old admits to diverting 5% of his budget towards prepping.
And this means that he believes he will be ready should things go south, including if his car breaks down on his journey to the office.
Speaking to the Daily Star, the dad-of-five said: "The current job I'm in is hybrid, but my commute is 81 miles across the Pennines.
"So it all falls into prepping. I have a get home bag which goes in my car all the time. Lots of preppers will put these bags together thinking, 'Yeah, I'm just going to put this bag on and go and survive in the wilderness.' But they've never walked 20ft.
Mike confirmed that he has walked 90 miles wearing his full kit, from Burnley to The Stadium of Light in Sunderland last year, raising £2,000 for the British Heart Foundation in the process.
"It was a semi-hobby," he admitted. "And I will be honest with you, the fact that YouTube took off pushed me more."
Mike has gained a significant following on the platform, regularly uploading content helping people become self-reliant, with tips ranging from food preservation and emergency preparedness to sustainable living.
He added: "I'd have probably been less prepared now if I hadn't started the channel, because the need to make content and the comments you get and the community that we've built educates me as well."
He said the reason why he chose to take the kit bag was in the event of the "worst case scenario", an EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) – a burst of electromagnetic energy, often caused by a nuclear explosion in the atmosphere, capable of damaging electronic and electrical systems.
He said: "EMP is always the worst case scenario. And muggins has got an electric car. So if that went out, I had to know that I could get home. And my partner, she's not a prepper, but she knows if anything happens, she locks up and she waits for me and I will get here somehow."
Speaking about what was in the kit bag, Mike shared: "We have 48 hours worth of British Army rations, which all would last 72 if needed to. It's got thermal blankets. I've got spare shoes and trainers in the car as well, but it's basically got all the survival items I'd need to start a fire, to filter water.
He added: "It's also got tradable commodities in there. Recently, I've started getting into stockpiling a little bit of silver. This is financial prepping.
"Because, precious metals always kind of hold their value over anything else that's digital.
"Your bank account, if that's turned off tomorrow, how are you going to get money?
"And then how long in that situation does money hold its value? So, I've got a few bits of silver in there as just in case anyone's wise enough to be able to trade. I also have two people along the route who are part of my network now where I can re resupply and stop if I need to."
Mike says he believes that in a world of uncertainty, being prepared for various scenarios is not just a hobby.
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