Douglas S. Meyer
ActingDoug’s journey began in New Albany, Indiana, where he spent his early years before moving to Concord, North Carolina, at the age of 15. Alongside his brothers, Robbie and Ronnie, he cherished weekends at their cabin on Rough River Lake in Kentucky, where they immersed themselves in outdoor adventures, sparking Doug’s lifelong passion for nature and primitive skills.Following his high school years, Doug enlisted in the army as a Combat Engineer before pursuing his academic interests at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he delved into history and anthropology. It was during an anthropology field trip to the Schiele Museum that he encountered Steve Watts, a master of primitive skills, whose demonstrations ignited Doug’s fascination with ancient crafts.Under the mentorship of luminaries like Steve Watts, Errett Callahan, and Charles Worsham, Doug honed his skills in survival, tracking, and craftsmanship. He dedicated himself to mastering the intricacies of primitive living, drawing inspiration from cultures around the world. Doug’s passion for preserving ancient traditions led him to share his expertise with audiences worldwide, conducting demonstrations and workshops, and contributing to the preservation ofindigenous knowledge. He authored books on Native American Blowguns and Stone Age Survival, enriching the understanding of primitive technologies and their cultural significance. Today, Doug resides in Kannapolis, North Carolina, with his wife of over three decades, Jana, and their beloved Shih Tzus, Sassy, and Sadie. Together, they continue to embrace a life filled with gratitude, honoring the timeless wisdom of their ancestors and inspiring future generations to connect with nature and traditional skills.
Baha Mahmutov
ActingBaha was born in Kyrgyzstan when it was still part of the USSR. Growing up in a city but spending summers in rural villages, he developed a strong connection to nature and learned the basics of farming and living off the land. As a child, Baha enjoyed activities like hunting and crafting tools like bows and arrows.After gaining military survival training and witnessing the collapse of the USSR, he and his wife moved to Canada in 1999. Inspired by shows like “ALONE,” Baha decided to embrace a life in the Canadian wilderness. Living on their homestead, Baha and his family farm, raise animals, hunt, fish, and forage for medicinal plants, creating ointments and creams from nature’s bounty.This back-to-basics lifestyle has brought healing to Baha and his family’s bodies, minds, and souls, shunning city life for the tranquility of nature. Their days are now filled with the simple joys and wonders of living harmoniously with the wilderness.
Kelsey Loper
ActingBorn in northern Wisconsin, Kelsey learned to hunt and fish in the Northwoods at an early age. At age 19, she moved to Wyoming to guide at a dude ranch and never looked back. The mountains hooked her and from there she learned archery and trapping. She made money by training horses in the summer, trapping bobcats in the winter, and working at a vet clinic in between.Kelsey also trains wild BLM mustangs and burros. She runs a 5o1c3 non-profit rescue, Long Acres Rescue, where she finds suitable adopters for the horses and burros she trains.In their free time, you can find them going on adventures- from fishing in Costa Rica to bowhunting elk, deer and antelope. Kelsey has almost drowned, been charged by Grizzley’s, and had the mountains test her power. She believes nobody should hold you back and to always say yes to opportunities or adventures no matter what. You can always make money, you can’t always make memories.
Will Lamb
ActingWill grew up in the south Texas border town of Laredo. He spent summers on his grandparents’ ranch in the hill country, kickstarting his lifelong connection with nature on the banks of the river tubing, fishing, catching crawdad, and loving life. His father taught him to hunt and trap feral hogs, chase south Texas white tail, and live a true country life. He quickly picked up modern methods but always had an interest in more primitive and traditional ways.At age 16, he went to live with his father in the hill country and spent his high school years living in a converted bus built by his late Uncle Will, complete with a wood stove.After completing his Associate degree in Aviation Maintenance, Will was inspired by the movie Jeremiah Johnson and embarked on a trek from Laredo, TX to Azalea, OR, with stops in west Texas and California. Along the way, he developed lifelong connections with amazing people. The journey gave him long-lasting confidence in the outdoors. Although the trip’s destination was the Alaskan wilderness, Will never made it to that final frontier as his father fell ill and passed away weeks after his return to Texas.Nowadays, Will is a professional in Texas’ growing exotic game ranching industry. His days are spent capturing, transporting, and raising hoofstock species from Africa, Asia and India. His fabrication company, CatchCo Exotics specializes in custom traps, trailers, and barns to house these majestic animals.When Will moved back to Leakey, he married the love of his life Bergen. He and his wife have just celebrated the first birthday of their only son, William Oliver Lamb, the miracle they had waited seven years for.Though life seems perfect, Will always has one eye on the horizon waiting for his next adventure. Ever since his cross-country journey, he has had a feeling of unfinished business that’s been pushed aside for normal life. Alone is Will’s chance to scratch that itch. He believes life is all about making “boots” – conquering challenges to build a legacy. Through Alone, he hopes he’ll make some big “boots” for his son to one day fill.
Colton Gilman
ActingBorn and raised in Mason County, West Virginia, Colton spent the days of his youth exploring the woods, flipping rocks in the creek, and casting lines in the rivers and ponds around his home. Being raised in a bowhunting family, Colton had a bow in his hands as soon as he was old enough to hold one. The woods are where he felt most at home and never could seem to satisfy his wanderlust and his constant desire to learn something new about the outdoors. After high school, he worked as a deckhand on a riverboat before returning to college to continue his education in wildlife management.After moving to Montana at age 25, Colton and his girlfriend Carey spent much of their time exploring new country and hunting new species with their longbows. Always driven to do things considered to be impossible by most,“ALONE” felt like the perfect challenge to undertake. Heading into this challenge with techniques and lessons learned from a lifetime outdoors Colton has high hopes for taking home the win.