FORMER PRICE COUNTY RESIDENT COMPETES IN REALITY TV SHOW

[My Northern Wisconsin]

   
©️2025, A&E Television Networks, LLC photo: Rose Marie Cromwell

Imagine being alone in the arid land of the Great Karoo Desert in South Africa, completely alone, for an unknown number of days, weeks, or months.  There are nine others who are also alone, trying to survive, and trying to last the longest to win $500,000.  Every season on the TV show, "Alone," ten people have tried to survive in the frigid temperatures of the Arctic, all alone.  In Season 12, ten people will try to survive in the dry heat of the South African desert, all alone.  Eight men.  Two women.  One of those women, Kelsey (Revak) Loper, was raised in Phillips, Wisconsin.

Born to Larry and Linda Revak, Kelsey has two sisters, Katie Canfield and Angie Revak.  She grew up on Musser Lake and graduated from Phillips High School in 2007.  "Swimming, fishing, tubing, playing by the dam, etc. is what we did every summer.  Since Phillips is a small town, lots of kids will take some time off school for hunting season.  I grew up with almost all guy cousins and didn't want to be left out of anything, so I always went hunting with family. Growing up in the country of the northwoods of Wisconsin shaped me into the outdoorsman that I am.  We were always outside," Kelsey said of her early life that inevitably helped prepare her for the reality TV show.

As an adult, she moved to Cody, Wyoming to work as a guide for horseback trail rides at a dude ranch.  She learned archery and trapping, which would also prove helpful in her "Alone" endeavor.

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Phillips Public Library, located at 286 Cherry Street in Phillips, has lots of activities and events planned for this month.  Visit the library's website for more information.

She then moved to Montana.  She met Brady Burdick through a mutual friend, and they have been together for eight years.  Together, they have Long Acres Rescue, which was handed down to them from a friend.  Kelsey shared, "My favorite thing about training wild mustangs and burros is that they are a clean slate.  Nobody has messed them up and given them bad habits.  The progress you see even in just three days is incredible.  They go from never being touched in their life to being halter broke, leading, loading, grooming, and picking up their feet.  We love seeing animals find the right home and be loved."  Of course, while Kelsey was in competition, Brady took care of the rescue.  Kelsey gave credit to Brady and the other contestants' support people back home.  "They stay back and hold down everyone's lives while we go out in the wilderness on our crazy journey.  They are the real heroes of the show."

The show doesn't happen for any contestant, however, until they apply.  For Kelsey, she was approached by a casting producer, via Instagram, in March 2022, being told that she looked like a great candidate for the show.  However, to compete at that time, each contestant needed the COVID-19 vaccine.  "I said, 'Call me back when that requirement changes,'" and they called back in March 2023.  The next hurdle was that Kelsey needed to know how to make Paiute Deadfall and Figure 4 Deadfall Traps, plus shoot archery with a traditional bow.  "I had never made those traps, and I only shot a Hoyt compound bow.  They wanted me to thrive and be successful, so we both decided to wait until the next season so I could prepare with more primitive skills.

"About 6 months later, they called again while I was guiding elk hunters in Montana.  I still hadn't bought a recurve bow but said I'll get on it and apply.  I needed to send in videos of everything from shelter making, setting traps to water filtration and hunting.  I had about two months to get in hours of video and learn some new skills.  They engage with a lot of people, narrow it down to about 50 or so people, and pick 24 to go to boot camp.  I was shocked when they called and said I made it to boot camp.  Then, after a two-week boot camp, they chose the ten participants, which I was one of them.  So, they found me, and I said, 'Heck yeah, let's go!'"  Watch part of Kelsey's application footage in the video at the top of this page.

With the application process complete, and Kelsey selected for the show, she started the competition on May 22, 2024.  Since winter was just beginning there, the daytime Fahrenheit temperatures were in the 80s but nighttime could get into the 20s or 30s.

To survive in that climate, she was allowed to select ten items to bring on her "Alone" journey.  Kelsey explained, "We were allowed to bring as many items to location as we wanted.  We could take 15 or 20 items for our two-week orientation on location.  Then we choose ten the day before we launched.  We got to get a lay of the land and weather before choosing.  I wanted things to help me get big game and fish and a ration of some sorts.  I tried not to think about taking any comfort items.  If it didn't have more than one purpose, I probably didn't want it."  Kelsey brought a tarp; wool blanket; saw; multi-tool with knife; cooking pot; Ferro rod (fire starter); paracord; 30- and 14-pound fishing line and lures; a ration of 1/3 rice, 1/3 salt, and 1/3 sugar; and a bow.  Kelsey explains her reason for taking each item in this video.

   
©️2025, A&E Television Networks, LLC photo: Rose Marie Cromwell

Once the items were selected, it was time to start the journey of surviving alone.  "My emotions were pure excitement, like a kid going in the woods to build a fort but not needing to be called in for bedtime.  I literally had no obligations and could do anything I wanted.  It was freeing to know I just needed to find food and shelter but could do whatever I wanted when I wanted."

Kelsey had no idea how long she would be surviving on her own and doing whatever she wanted when she wanted.  In Season 1, the final contestant lasted 56 days, but, in another season, someone lasted 100 days.  "There is no telling how long someone will last, especially in a new location where they have never filmed before," Kelsey explained.  Given it is unknown how long the final person would last, when a contestant decides they are done with the show or gets pulled for a medical reason, they go through a re-feeding process due to weight loss, an exit interview, and then the person can go home.

Home is something Kelsey said she tried not to think about.  "I hiked a lot and was constantly trying to find big game to harvest and eat.  I did not think about Brady or home, because it made me emotional, so I kept busy with scouting and lots of sun naps.  The things I missed most were my books, because I read 24/7, and my watch, because I love to time everything, and it's a habit to look at my watch every now and then.  It was hard not to read my book before bed or watch a movie to 'wind down' after a long day.  It really was great to get away from the everyday creature comforts."

Kelsey said she found the competition to be more mental than physical.  "Your mind will tap out before your body usually," she noted.  "It was very hard.  If anyone says it's easy, they are lying.  It was hard not bouncing ideas off anyone, it was hard not to think of home, it was hard when I had multiple family members have birthdays while I was out there and not talk to them, it was hard to keep encouraging myself to continue on days I wanted to quit, it was hard with no food, it was hard when things didn't go right and I had no creature comforts.  I had a blast and stayed positive, but it took work."

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All the work was truly done all alone, including the filming.  Kelsey explained, "Alone means you are truly alone.  We had camera classes we took at orientation to learn all the gear we needed to film ourselves. We have one big main camera and two Go Pros, as well as a couple trail cameras.  The camera crew films the helicopter ride that takes you to your individual spot; then, when you get off the helicopter, they leave and all the filming is on me.  I had tripods and Go Pro attachments to get multiple angles and views.  The camera crew only comes to check on you when the medics come to do medical checks or if you tap out.  Medical checks are every three weeks in the beginning and slowly get closer together as you lose more and more weight.  They make sure you don't get in a danger zone of weight loss.  They can pull you from the game at any time if they feel you are not fit to continue health-wise.  Illnesses like Giardia, constipation, and injury can also cost you the game."

A person can also tap out on their own volition.  "You can tap out a few different ways," Kelsey said.  "You have an emergency red button on your yellow brick which is a GPS device.  If you break a leg hiking, slice your hand, etc., this is what you push.  If you're not in any danger, you use a satellite phone to tap out, and they will come get you.  If that dies or doesn't have great connection, there is a last and final source of communication and that is a radio."

The one thing Kelsey would like to communicate with the youth of Price County is about not being afraid to go on crazy adventures like this one.  She said, "Even though Phillips is one of the best small towns to grow up in, there is a whole other world of adventure out there; do not be afraid to jump and go on crazy adventures.  You can always make money; you can't always make memories.  If you are questioning doing something, always do it.  Because, if you succeed, you are one step closer to your goals, and, if you don't, it will shape you into the strongest person you know and make you smarter and more resilient."

   
©️2025, A&E Television Networks, LLC photo: Rose Marie Cromwell

To find out how far this "force to be reckoned with" made it on her crazy adventure, watch "Before the Drop" at 7 p.m. CST and then Episode 1 at 8 p.m. CST on Thursday, June 12, 2025 on The HISTORY Channel.  The show will also stream for free on The HISTORY Channel the following day.

You can follow Kelsey on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kelsey.revak.5 or Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mtn_huntress


Article written by:  Lynne Bohn


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