With airfare costs on the rise, have you ever wondered whether shipping yourself to your destination would just be cheaper?
Even if that thought has never occurred to you, you're probably wondering about it now. Granted, most people would rather shell out a little extra cash for a real airplane seat than suffer the risk and discomfort of shipping yourself in the cargo hold of a plane.
Yet according to BBC, in the 1960s, a man named Reg Spiers tried to ship himself from London to Australia to make it home in time for his daughter's birthday. His trip turned out to be a success, and the challenge has been replicated many times since.
One such trip was supposedly taken by YouTuber named Kill'em, who claims he shipped himself from the UK to Los Angeles. The best part? He recorded almost the entire thing.
So instead of doing this uncomfortable challenge yourself, just take a look at what happened to Killl'em when he decided to take the human mail challenge.
Kill'em claims to have shipped himself places on not one but three occasions (including this one). However, this attempt is the first time he has done so by airmail.
In order to decide where he's going to go, he bought a map so he could "randomly" decide his destination.
According to the dart, the winner is the United States — Los Angeles to be exact, even though the dart actually fell in the Pacific ocean.
By air, the flight from London to Los Angeles should take around 11 hours and 15 minutes. Anyone who has ever enjoyed air travel will know that there is a lot of added downtime involved, too.
According to a FedEx, the shipping costs from London to Los Angeles for a roughly 180-pound package — by FedEx international priority freight — would range from $1,294 to $1,973.
That being said, Kill'em is not so concerned with the cost as much as he is completing the challenge — part of which involves him making his very own shipping crate and home for what will probably be over 24 hours.
Of course, the crate needed to be properly marked so it would be handled with care throughout its journey.
For reference, Atlas Obscura reports that shipping yourself isn't nearly as dangerous as it maybe once was thanks to improved technology and things like temperature-controlled, pressurized cargo holds.
Still, the practice is strictly forbidden by FedEx and USPS policy. It also raises some immigration concerns.
None of the cons associated with shipping yourself seemed to deter Kill'em, who can be seen here gathering supplies for supposed journey ahead.
Nonperishable foods and water bottles are king in this situation. He also had to be careful to avoid salty foods that would make him too thirsty or his bladder overactive.
The $1 million question is: How does he do his business? Kill'em seemed to think that a potty-training toilet was the answer to his prayers.
Before sealing himself inside the box, Kill'em showed us his setup. He brought enough food and water along with him to last a few days, a blanket, his potty, some forms of entertainment, and equipment so he can film himself.
According to Kill'em, his first night was spent inside a warehouse. He would be loaded onto the plane in the morning, but he had no idea how long it would take.
Spoiler alert: It can be very cold in a cargo hold. The passenger cabin may also seem a little chilly, but take Kill'em's word for how uncomfortable it apparently is to stay folded in a crate for more than a day in the cold.
By the end of the nearly 12-hour plane journey, Kill'em says he had eaten most of his food and only one bottle of water left. He also had to duct-tape his potty shut to seal off the smell.
He admits that his plan didn't work as well as he may have hoped. Can we be surprised?
Despite the bumps and discomfort, Kill'em seemed to have arrived in Los Angeles to the hotel room where his dad was staying to meet and collect his son.
Kill'em got a good old stretch and couldn't wait to shower. If anyone needs to bathe, it's him. Needless to say, he made it in one piece, and it's hard not to be impressed by his determination.
Do you believe he actually did this? Be sure to SHARE this bizarre story with your friends who could use a laugh!
