Chip Hailstone is a reality TV star, known for surviving the harsh climate of Alaska with his family. Their story was told in the popular series ‘Life Below Zero’, which premiered in 2013 and is still running into its 11^th season, closely followed by millions of fans. In the show, people have got to know Chip, his wife Agnes and their children. They showed how they could survive, and even flourish in the icy weather, by hunting and fishing.

Chip currently lives with his family on the Kobuk River, located in the north-western area of Alaska.

He is a skilled hunter and is proficient with a bow and arrow as well as a rifle, and when the need arises, Chip is able to use his bare hands too. Let’s take a closer look at this hardy man and his tough family.

Early life and family

On the 8th of May 1969, Chip Hailstone was born in Montana, in the US to parents Mary Lois and Daniel Franklin Hailstone. He was raised in Kalispell where he learnt to fish and hunt.

Chip was always fascinated by the life of a hunter, and wanted to become one himself. When he first arrived in Noorvik, Alaska back in 1988 when he was 19 years old, he didn’t think he would be sticking around for too long. However, fate played its part and Chip is still there, living the life of a hunter as he wanted to as a child.

Educational background and Career

It’s not clear if Chip studied anything after finishing school.

His career is basically just him living in the (to many) difficult landscape of his current home. He became famous when he and his family were chosen to be part of ‘Life Below Zero’. Other than this fame, he does not pursue a life in the limelight. The show itself has won many awards, such as the 68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award.

Hobbies, favourite things and interesting facts

Chip enjoys what he does for a living – hunting and fishing. He also likes to spend time with his children and wife. Other than that, he doesn’t appear to have any hobbies.

Relationship with Agnes Hailstone

Chip and his wife Agnes have been married for more than 25 years. She is native-born form an Alaskan tribe, Inupiaq. She was raised to know how to hunt and fish, and is a very good hunter, and a good match to Chip when it comes to surviving in Alaska. They met in Noovrik in 1990, became friends, apparently soon fell in love, and married in 1992. Although Agnes is a tribal member, Chip did not become one when they married, so he doesn’t enjoy the benefits of the tribe such as hunting of marine animals; he is her husband and nothing more.

They have five daughters together – Qutan, Caroline, Mary, Iriqtaq and Tinmiaq, the eldest; she was home-schooled at first, but eventually went to a local school. The family also comprises of two sons who were born from Agnes’ first marriage, Jon and Douglas. The family migrate seasonally, meaning that they have a very busy life. In 2015, Iriqtaq graduated from Noovrik High School where she was the captain of the basketball team in her freshman year.

Chip enjoys teaching survival skills to his youngest girls, Qutan and Caroline.

Trouble With The Law

Chip ran into some trouble which saw him missing from the show in 2017; he carried out 10 months of a 15-month sentence, having been found guilty on two counts of making false statements, and two counts of perjury. It started in 2011 when his stepson Jonathan Carter was in an altercation with another family. Chip then claimed that someone had pointed a gun (a rifle) at his daughter, Tinmiaq, who was then 17 years old.

Then Chip said Christopher Bit, a state Trooper, physically assaulted Tinmiaq. During an interview, he said she was held in a submissive hold and added that his family was living in fear. He was subsequently imprisoned at the Anchorage Correctional Complex.

Chip was prohibited from using modern guns, and Agnes had to do the shooting during the next hunting season. In December 2017, Chip was cleared of all the convictions against him, and he may now use firearms. This is something he looked forward to because he missed being able to hunt.

Physical characteristics

• Hair colour: Dark Brown
• Eye colour: Dark Brown
• Height: 5 feet 9 inches (1.76 m)
• Weight: Not disclosed
• Birth sign: Pisces

Net worth

It is estimated that Chip and his wife have a combined net worth of about $250 000 – most of this comes from the sale of animal parts. They hunt and sell fish and animals such as wolves, foxes, whale and bears. Chip on his own is believed to have a net worth of $200,000.