Actor Josh Duhamel says he is 70 percent ready to survive a potential apocalypse at his “doomsday cabin” in Minnesota.
Duhamel, who is living off the grid with his family in his self-described “doomsday cabin” in Minnesota, told People that he is
“Well, I have enough,” the Transformers star said, adding, “Not 100 percent, probably 70 percent.”
The 52-year-old father of two added that he knows there are still things he still needs to get better at in order to turn his property into a self-sustaining ecosystem in the event an end-of-the-world scenario were to transpire.
“I could be a better hunter,” he said. “I could be a better fisherman. I could stockpile a little more food supply.”
More than ten years ago, Duhamel reportedly purchased an empty half-parcel of land in Minnesota — located roughly an hour and a half drive from Fargo, North Dakota — and slowly built a cabin there himself.
“I make movies and TV shows, and I love it, I truly do love it, but I had this calling,” the Ransom Canyon actor told the magazine of why he bought the land.
Duhamel, who went on to expand the property with more land in the following years, lives along a lake, where it took a while before he acquired electricity, running water, and other amenities.
His calling also involved being able “to go and really do things with my hands again — fix things, make things, and just do the basic things that we take for granted,” the Off the Grid actor explained.
In addition to giving himself those experiences, Duhamel added that another reason why the lifestyle piqued his interest is because it offers a “respite” from “this world of massive technology,” noting that artificial intelligence (AI) “scares” him.
“But the truth is, yes, people want to call it a doomsday prepper thing, but it’s really not that,” he said. “I’m really more of a guy who wants to stay true to my roots, get back to the basics, hone whatever basic skills I need.”
“I don’t think that we’re in any dire situation that we have to worry about prepping for doomsday, but it is good to have some of those skills,” Duhamel told People.
“I was getting so far away from it for so long, that I felt like I wanted to get back to some of that,” the actor added.
Earlier this year, Duhamel told Parade that “Part of the reason I built my place out in Minnesota, deep in the woods, is it’s removed from everything,” adding, “The closest store is 40 miles away.”
“You really get a chance to get back to the basics. You’re not consumed by all these other distractions,” he added. “When you’re out there, it’s really about having fun, making sure everybody’s warm, everybody’s got food and water.”
The Safe Haven star also told Fox News, “I think it’s really about the memories that we make as a family, my parents love coming out here to hang out, my wife’s parents love hanging out here.”
Duhamel lives in the cabin with his wife, Audra Mari, and their one-year-old son Shepherd. The actor’s 11-year-old son, Axl, whom he shares with his ex-wife Fergie, also spends time on the property.
The actor also told Fox News, “There’s a lot of good things about L.A., but it’s good for [Axl] to get his hands dirty and come out into the woods and help dad.”
“Today we were out there, we had a tree that fell over, so we had to go out there and cut it up — and go stack the wood. He’s not doing that in Los Angeles,” Duhamel said.
The Turistas star added that he believes “these little lessons” are good for his children.
“These kids need to learn how to do this stuff, and they’re not going to get to do that in L.A.,” he said. “So, for that reason alone, I think it’s great. Plus, they just love it.”
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
