Life Below Zero - General Discussion

[ProfCrash]

1 hour ago, walnutqueen said:

Me three, but he does  denigrate those of us who live and work J.O.B.S. in the "lower 48" to support our families in a different way from his Oh, So Superior World View.  

Let me just say that he is not Universally Lauded in the Eskimo community.

I don't know anyone who is universally lauded in any community. I do find the information useful.

I find Chip as full of himself as I find Sue or Andy. They all have chosen to live a different lifestyle and don't get the idea of living like most other people do. They take a certain pleasure in being different but they don't rub me as being self-righteous. I suspect that continued reinforcement of the "we live differently" theme as something that is prodded by Production. I suspect that most of the participants are aware that most folks want nothing to do with their lifestyle and are fascinated enough to watch them because who really lives that way? I can see how all three of them might rub people the wrong way with what they say but I take everything that we see with a grain of salt.

[pasdetrois]

If you watch the entire series - all seasons - Chip's pattern is to put down people/regions that are not Alaskan. He really emphasized it in the first season, then probably figured out he should back off a bit. It's true that Andy does the same thing. I feel like Sue's statements are more about her being an extreme introvert, and Glenn's comments along these lines are much softer.

As I've stated before, these folks have all of their gizmos thanks to hard-working people in the lower 48 who work in factories. Also, our taxes pay for subsidies for some items that are hard to get in Alaska. These commodities are purchased in the lower 48 and flown at great expense to Alaska. The late Senator Ted Stevens ensured this was taken care of in every appropriations bill. My neighbor, a native Alaskan, who worked for an Alaskan senator, told me all about this.

Luckily, not everyone wants the subsistence lifestyle, because if that were true, these "free" resources would be greatly diminished. There aren't enough to go around to support 100% subsistence for everyone.

Edited September 26, 2018 by pasdetrois

[ProfCrash]

I enjoyed last nights episode. I could have done without the youngest Hailstone being plopped on the ice to ice fish but outside of that it was a good episode. OK, and all the rope talk by Sue was a bit much. We get it, you use the ropes to get around in a bad storm, we don't need the long explanation and re-enactments.

I wonder how Sue insulates her various buildings. The insulation she put down did not look particularly impressive, basically a silver lining. I don't know if there is some type of specialty insulation for floors that is really different then the insulation that goes into walls and the ceiling. But adding it should help, I imagine the rug will help as well. That said, the walls are still canvas. Hopefully she doesn't have to use that tent all that often.  But $57,000 on heating fuel? Did I hear that right? Yikes.

I did laugh at Glenn's stepdaughters comments during the skinning and prepping of the caribou. There were some areas where she was fine but when they got to the intestines she was grossed out. I don't even want to know how two adults, a younger child and a baby fit into that little structure. I suppose the extra body heat helps keep it warm.

Andy is Andy, not much changes there.

3 hours ago, pasdetrois said:

If you watch the entire series - all seasons - Chip's pattern is to put down people/regions that are not Alaskan. He really emphasized it in the first season, then probably figured out he should back off a bit. It's true that Andy does the same thing. I feel like Sue's statements are more about her being an extreme introvert, and Glenn's comments along these lines are much softer.

As I've stated before, these folks have all of their gizmos thanks to hard-working people in the lower 48 who work in factories. Also, our taxes pay for subsidies for some items that are hard to get in Alaska. These commodities are purchased in the lower 48 and flown at great expense to Alaska. The late Senator Ted Stevens ensured this was taken care of in every appropriations bill. My neighbor, a native Alaskan, who worked for an Alaskan senator, told me all about this.

Luckily, not everyone wants the subsistence lifestyle, because if that were true, these "free" resources would be greatly diminished. There aren't enough to go around to support 100% subsistence for everyone.

 

I have watched the entire series. Chip doesn't understand how people live with 9-5 jobs and having to go grocery shopping. Clearly it is not for him and he is thrilled to have married a woman who lives in a very different culture who is happy to live the way they live. I am not offended that he thinks that we are all crazy, I think he is a bit crazy to want to live the way he does. I am not always thrilled with my job and day to day routine but I love my travel, and watching my child play sports, and doing things as a family. I wouldn't want to give up my house, car and every day creature comforts to live the way he does and I am not shy in saying that. I watch this show because I find these people living a different life very interesting and I know I could never live like them. I also watch shows on the military, boot camps, prisons and the like because they are very different worlds that I don't want to live in but I find them fascinating.

I seriously doubt most people look at their gizmo and realize where they come from, regardless of where they live. Subsidies benefit a lot of  industries, farming being one of the biggest.  Hell, I would guess most Americans don't think about these issues. Why would Chip be any different?

Edited September 26, 2018 by ProfCrash

[pasdetrois]

Because Chip emphasizes being entirely self-sufficient.

[b4pjoe]

5 hours ago, pasdetrois said:

Because Chip emphasizes being entirely self-sufficient.

Anyone that has a job and pays their bills are being entirely self-sufficient. Chips job is just self employment and that job entails going out and killing his food where mine entails going to the store and buying it.

 

I agree with ProfCrash about finding a different lifestyle fascinating that I myself would never want to live. I don't like snow, cold weather or hunting animals but I do enjoy watching them live their lifestyle choice.

[Inukun]

On 9/24/2018 at 8:09 AM, walnutqueen said:

 

Let me just say that he is not Universally Lauded in the Eskimo community.

While nobody ever can have 100% approval in a community, I can say Chip and Agnes are fine for who and where they are , in their community.

 

Our Inupiaq peoples are circumpolar, Alaska Inupiaq and Inupiat,, Canadian Inuit and Greenland Inuit, as well as Y'upik, C'upik, Siberian Y'upik and Aleut. Im sure there are some, somewhere around the world that dont like Chip LOL!!

 When your here, walnut, introduce yourself. You are in Northern Alaska, right?

 

 And yes, manufactured products have been making our lives better. It would be stupid not to. No Eskimo want to live 'primitive', and no matter what the changes are in clothes and housing, transportation, the culture remains intact and changes  like it should. The food is the same, and so is the need for heat. The animals havent changed, either, nor has the way they are processed and eaten.........

Trade for goods has been going on since mankind started, and across our Bering straights for thousands of years. Skins, metals and other trappings have been trade items and when money came along, we use that too. Everything is made somewhere and alot is shipped here and we PAY $$$$ to have those items, because they make life easier..  When outboard motors were invented, Eskimo bought them. Guns too, as well as sewwing machines, etc. No culture owns the exclusive rights to use these things, just because somebody with a simular skin color invented them. Nobody, not the state Of Alaska for sure ''Pays' to get things made and shipped here, its America and who ever bought it , payed for it, and we pay Tax's, too.

 How about the fact that America doesnt manufacture nearly what it did before? From across the ocean, 1/2 way around the world, Imported from CHINA , at great expense, and used by Americans..................a  wallmart clerk told me.... LOL!

The Hailstones , like the others, work for money. They take their catch and make arts and crafts, and skip spending money by getting their heat and food from nature. While getting that food and heat they participate in traditional cultural activitys. Prehaps many dont have a culture they can draw 10,000 years of knowledge and heritage from. Where would the Italians be with out Spaghetti and wine, chatting in their language in the hot Mediterranean?

''Free resources''.......... Yes, its ''Free' out there to take, but it takes hard work.

 If theres not enough to go around its because commercial entity's have destroyed it......Wood, Animals, fish, etc.  How do people think commercial fishermen, Timber companys,  and hunting guides, etc, etc. for example, get what they do? Commercial Fisherman catch way more than they, themselfs can eat, lumberjacks kill more trees than they , as a single person, would ever need...... Th efact is, in Northwest Alaska, we do not have many intrusive roads, no fences, no commercial logging of our forests and our ecosystem is intact, so , yes it can and has supported more people than today, as there were more Inupiaq bfore 1880 than today, and they all had dogs to feed.

 These subsistence gathering people just go get it for themselfs and skip the $$, and thats still work.

Edited September 27, 2018 by Inukun

[Calibabydolly]

Sue washes her hair with hot water from her new water heater! Priceless.

[ProfCrash]

I wonder what happened to Glenn's family? They were there for the first episode and then gone. I totally understand it, his cabin does not have room for four people and I am not sure that is the best place to be with a baby but we went from Glenn shooting a caribou and cleaning it with his daughter watching it to Glenn on his own talking about how hard it is to get out to where he is, after we saw a plane bring him and his family in meaning  that it is expensive but not all that hard. And I have to wonder how many animals he is able to kill a year because his sod tent had a good number of hanging heads and I doubt that it is cool enough in the Brooks Range to safely store that many animal heads for an entire year. And Glenn likes to eat the stuff in the head so I doubt that he keeps them for longer then a few weeks to a month. So Glenn is a better hunter then the show has given him credit for or I am really confused. Probably both.

Sue is pretty good at McGyvering stuff. I liked her hot water heater fix. Pretty cool but I do wonder why this was the first time she did that given that it didn't seem to be that hard or expensive and I would imagine hot water is good to have. Or was this something she had done before and for some reason the show wanted us to see her make that? I also wonder about her water gathering, I would think that it would not be that hard to refresh the water at some point so she can have more water or does she melt and boil snow because one gallon a day strikes me as pretty darn minimal.  And melting snow wouldn't be that hard to do with her wood stove.

Jessie has used some of his money to get some new tools, like the snow machine. Good for him. It makes his life easier and that is all well and good.

The Hailstones are the Hailstones. Andy is Andy. Not much changes there.  I do like watching Andy prep his hunt, making sausages, bagging the smaller meat pieces and feeding his dogs.

[iluvobx]

6 hours ago, ProfCrash said:

I wonder what happened to Glenn's family? They were there for the first episode and then gone. I totally understand it, his cabin does not have room for four people and I am not sure that is the best place to be with a baby but we went from Glenn shooting a caribou and cleaning it with his daughter watching it to Glenn on his own talking about how hard it is to get out to where he is, after we saw a plane bring him and his family in meaning  that it is expensive but not all that hard. And I have to wonder how many animals he is able to kill a year because his sod tent had a good number of hanging heads and I doubt that it is cool enough in the Brooks Range to safely store that many animal heads for an entire year. And Glenn likes to eat the stuff in the head so I doubt that he keeps them for longer then a few weeks to a month. So Glenn is a better hunter then the show has given him credit for or I am really confused. Probably both.

Sue is pretty good at McGyvering stuff. I liked her hot water heater fix. Pretty cool but I do wonder why this was the first time she did that given that it didn't seem to be that hard or expensive and I would imagine hot water is good to have. Or was this something she had done before and for some reason the show wanted us to see her make that? I also wonder about her water gathering, I would think that it would not be that hard to refresh the water at some point so she can have more water or does she melt and boil snow because one gallon a day strikes me as pretty darn minimal.  And melting snow wouldn't be that hard to do with her wood stove.

Jessie has used some of his money to get some new tools, like the snow machine. Good for him. It makes his life easier and that is all well and good.

The Hailstones are the Hailstones. Andy is Andy. Not much changes there.  I do like watching Andy prep his hunt, making sausages, bagging the smaller meat pieces and feeding his dogs.

2

The episode shown at 8 was pretty much reruns.  They put together pieces from the past and then call it new.  In that episode, it had Sue and Glenn and all of what they showed had been in previous shows, one part was from around the 1 season or so.  I didn't see Glenn at all in the second show.  Maybe they are in the process of "phasing" Glenn out now that the truth has come out.  Can't wait for the new show with the new family.

[ProfCrash]

So the first hour is always going to be a clip show and the second hour the real show. Cool enough. I like seeing Eric and Martha Mae even though I know that the footage is 2-3 years old.

I love watching the dogs at Andy's place. I saw that he had three puppies in a pen area so I suspect that we will see more puppy training this year. I did wonder why he put Gi (sp) in front of the dog in heat. It would make sense to have him behind her because he was totally going to be chasing her. It is fun watching the dogs. The current lead dog did not seem to be too thrilled to have Gi there and seemed to be doing some corrective nipping and the like. It is nice to see how happy Andy is and how excited the dogs are. I loved how some of the dogs were lying on each other while Andy was loading the wood.

Sue and her toys. That was an ok amount of work for something that is probably not going to be all that effective but it gave her something to do while bored. I am sure she did a whole bunch of stuff that was far more useful during the storm and we just didn't see it. That is fine, it is not like the bolo was that hard to make or that expensive. It was a bit weird that she was able to walk outside to find stones when the storm was so bad that she had to be inside all day. I mean, the rocks were not covered by a ton of snow and she seemed to be perfectly fine while outside gathering them.

I am not sure what to make of Rico. I found him hard to understand, it was like he was mumbling. It is clear that his family doesn't live at the family home, which it totally fine. It seems to be a nice place that has been used by the family for a while although not recently. He made some decisions that made me think that it had been years since they had been there, like starting the fire without clearing the chimney first. His comment about no one living there since his parents died made me think it had been years since his family had been there. Which makes me wonder why he is suddenly there during dark winter. He has five kids who all appeared to be in school, based on the photos we saw, so I doubt his family is coming up with him. He said it had been years since anyone had lived at the house, which makes me think they have been living just fine without hunting and gathering at the house during dark winter. Then you have the whole chimney thing and I have to wonder how they found him and why they are including him. At least it is more clear that this is not a permanent life style choice then it was with Glenn to start with. I'll try and keep an open mind but I am not so sure why he is going to be on the show.

[Inukun]

If the new guy is Koyukon, and hes at a family house, who is to say it is not only used seasonally? Sort stays insted of full time occupency......Dark winter/freeze up is no time to hunt or gather, its time to sit down and make your gear for winter ahead; sew, build/repair sleds, snowmachines dog harness's, tan skins, set traps and fish, etc, ect....that's what you do in dark winter. Perhaps this Rico guy is using the house as a turn around point in a trap line? Often , trappers change routs or leave an area for a number of years so a population can rebound.

 

http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php/110992-A-calander-of-my-life-as-a-Subsistance-Hunter-Fisher-Gather-r

 

 This is a very interesting post made on Alaska Outdoors forums.

I wish I had found it long ago. Chip hunted and trapped, Agnes made clothing and arts for a sizable income.

There is home videos too on page 6 a lot of the small pictures can be clicked on to activate the video.

Edited October 20, 2018 by Inukun

[Inukun]

http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php/110992-A-calander-of-my-life-as-a-Subsistance-Hunter-Fisher-Gather-r

 

 This is a very interesting post made on Alaska Outdoors forums.

There are old home videos too around page 6. Agnes is quite the artist, Chip quite the Hunter. What an excellent combination of wife and husband gathering wild foods and materials , ending up with great health and art works for cash money, all while keeping things as traditional as the seasons and weather allows.

Edited October 20, 2018 by Inukun

[ProfCrash]

9 hours ago, Inukun said:

If the new guy is Koyukon, and hes at a family house, who is to say it is not only used seasonally? Sort stays insted of full time occupency......Dark winter/freeze up is no time to hunt or gather, its time to sit down and make your gear for winter ahead; sew, build/repair sleds, snowmachines dog harness's, tan skins, set traps and fish, etc, ect....that's what you do in dark winter. Perhaps this Rico guy is using the house as a turn around point in a trap line? Often , trappers change routs or leave an area for a number of years so a population can rebound.

 

http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php/110992-A-calander-of-my-life-as-a-Subsistance-Hunter-Fisher-Gather-r

 

 This is a very interesting post made on Alaska Outdoors forums.

I wish I had found it long ago. Chip hunted and trapped, Agnes made clothing and arts for a sizable income.

There is home videos too on page 6 a lot of the small pictures can be clicked on to activate the video.

Rico said they had not been there since his parents died and talked about the chair his Dad used to sit in. Given the snow accumulation and the signs of bear in the house, long after hibernation would have started, I think it is safe to say that was Rico’s first trip to the house in a while. And that is fine but dark winter is a weird time to go and then start talking about living off the land.

[Inukun]

It would be interesting to know how long back his parents died, and if there are15 kids, (his siblings) and no one used the house, they must have several camps, as people often do.

 If he is going to fix it up and use it, then he is there at the perfect time of year. Im sure he brought supplies, and ''living off the land'' happens year round, its the various things we do thats constantly changing.

 If it were me, I would have my husband work up a pile of firewood while I work on weatherizing the house, then move onto putting in a trap line and placing an ice net, maybe have him hunt around and find Beaver lodges, clear trails and find signs of animals.

 While he is busy, I would finish my skin tanning and get to sewing things for us and Christmas gifts, etc.

 

 Theres nothing weird about going to a camp and settling in for the freeze up, you do what you can when you can. Indians do things their own way for their own reasons, but the Arctic is the Arctic.

 

Ive seen Chip and Agnes's daughter Ting on Instagram with Rico. I wonder who else knows who on this show...?

[Inukun]

Wow!

 Chip has a Youtube channel with one home video, only about 30 seconds long, you can understand his court case now.... and what he is up against.

Edited October 25, 2018 by Inukun

[rcc]

7 hours ago, Inukun said:

Wow!

 Chip has a Youtube channel with one home video, only about 30 seconds long, you can understand his court case now.... and what he is up against.

Something about a snow machine. What is going on?

[Inukun]

Do you hear the airplane suddenly overhead? do you hear what happens when the ATV drives by?

   All along Chip has said the Alaska State Troopers both alterd their audios, and, if you listen, you can hear a cut in the recording. A digital recorder would restart with a new recording, not carry on after interruption.

http://www.thearcticsounder.com/article/1249noorviks_hailstone_sentenced_seeks_appeal

  Chip was indicted and convicted with the Troopers audio, which has interruptions. Do you think the Troopers removed audio because Chip did what they said he did? Or did they remove what would have proven his words true? Why would cops need to edit recordings? I think its plain to see, or hear.

Edited October 26, 2018 by Inukun

[SRTouch]

Finally watched this week's episodes.

Is it just me, or has Chip mellowed out a lot this season? There for awhile it seemed like every week we heard about how his conviction and not being able to use firearms was hurting his family - not doubting for a moment that it DID hurt, but didn't need to hear it over and over. It got to the point I fast forwarded through the Hailstone segments, but this season I'm watching and enjoying what I see. Now that he's able to use a rifle again, his attitude seems so much better. Really enjoyed watching his hunt with Carol, building the snowcave, using the spark from the snowmobile to start the fire - nothing really there I didn't know as far as survival skills, just alot more fun to watch than in past seasons. 

As always, enjoyed Andy and Jessie segments - mainly because of their focus on their dogs. We already know that Andy is going to lose his old lead dog, but found it especially poignant when he talks about all the years all the dog wanted was to make him happy. 

Anybody else enjoying watching Sue around the new place more than at Kavic? Not that I dislike her MacGyver fixes at Kavic. I think it's just easier to relate to her at the new place - which still doesn't make alot of sense as I sit here in SW Oklahoma watching her live off the grid in Alaska.

Like the new guy - not missing Glenn

[GFW]

On 8/31/2017 at 11:31 PM, Anioakly said:

The Hailstones are awesome...all of them including Chip....what are you guys looking at? He is a great father and husband...killing too much, really? You haven't a clue...you just don't want to see killing at all...it's a lifestyle you definitely don't understand.  Glenn is awesome...smart...and not dull!!! I have nothing but positive thoughts about all even Sue...wow that is a rare breed of women....so smart I'd give anything to have her knowledge and skills.  These people amaze me and I feel honored to get pieces of their life living in such a harsh environment. ..

Chip is teaching his children selfishness and  disrespect.  He has instructed his family to "take" it all. Killing animals while they try to cross the river is horrible.  Taking all the eggs, because Chip says they can rob the nests again in a few days.  Chip tries to bark out orders to his family and Agnes acts like he can walk on water. He's lazy. Has no concern about raping the land or conservation.  

[GFW]

Glen V. is a weird man . I can't count the number of times he has stripped down naked.  Think he's got some pervert in him.

[iluvobx]

Where is Andy?  This is the third week he hasn’t been on.  I like Andy.

[bosawks]

Puppies!!!!

That’s all I have to say, puppies!!!!

[rcc]

Puppers!

[ProfCrash]

Oh my goodness, the puppies. I was so worried for the mamma. I had no idea she was pregnant and was worried that she was sick. The look of concern on her face when he was removing the pups and then her following him to the kennel area. She hopped right up into the box and got ready for her pups. Too cute.

I suspect that we are getting less Andy because his stuff is almost as repetative as Glenn’s. Pretty much every season is the same thing. Jessie fills the roll of dog sled trainer/runner and Jessie is prepping for the Ideterad, which is more interesting to watch.  Glenn has been replaced by Rico (???) who is far more intersesting and less pretentious. 

The Hailstones and Sue seem to change things up enough each year that seem to stay relevant. Sue leaves Kavik often enough to go check out houses (the one that had squatters), her new place, or for surgery. The Hailstones are teaching a child something or off doing different things. This is the first time I have heard them say that one of the kids is homeschooled. I thought that was different/interesting. 

[Diane M]

Sue didn't do herself a favor when she cut her hair and dyed it red. 

[rcc]

I think she looks better with short hair.

[rcc]

Good win for the show. The beautiful shots are one of the main reasons I watch this show.

[rcc]

Andy loves his dogs. People not so much.

[walnutqueen]

1 hour ago, rcc said:

I think she looks better with short hair.

Much more practical, since long hair gets really tangled when you're wearing hats & hoods & such (even when it's in a braid).

[QuinnInND]

On 11/28/2018 at 11:11 AM, Diane M said:

Sue didn't do herself a favor when she cut her hair and dyed it red. 

She cut it to support a little girl who had cancer. The child subsequently died, I believe.  

[Diane M]

That's sad, but did she have to dye it red?

[QuinnInND]

That's her style though. Lol wild, sassy. Whatever she feels like. It wasn't the best color, I'll agree. 

[Pebble Puppy]

On 5/5/2015 at 3:10 AM, KarmaG said:

Due to work I am a couple episodes behind. Watching the episode from week before last, before she heads to Fairbanks for the foot procedure. Hearing her talk more about having anxiety about socializing makes me wonder if she doesn't have Aspergers. If she was a child and didn't necessarily like socializing and touching (and she said she doesn't like either of those) then she more than likely would be diagnosed. Many Aspy's are high functioning, extremely intelligent and we know she is. She has college degrees and can run that camp like nobody's business.

I don't think so. She doesn't like how mean people can be but she can function in society and understands norms. My daughter has Asperger's and it has never crossed my mind that Sue might have it.

[Pebble Puppy]

On 9/24/2018 at 12:09 PM, walnutqueen said:

Me three, but he does  denigrate those of us who live and work J.O.B.S. in the "lower 48" to support our families in a different way from his Oh, So Superior World View.  

Let me just say that he is not Universally Lauded in the Eskimo community.

I believe Chip was on FB for awhile and probably has read comments on the LBZ FB page the people make that are hateful towards him and his family for their way of life. People cannot handle seeing animals hunted and butchered. We are very removed from this these days and I myself have read comments left that are terribly mean about him and his family. Humans would not be alive today if not for the hunter gatherer lifestyle and the Hailstones take care of the elders and others that need food in their village. It's sad that people think hunting is awful but have no idea what goes on in a farm or slaughterhouse. Chip is just trying to explain clearly how they live without making any apologies. 

[Pebble Puppy]

On 10/25/2018 at 8:31 PM, Inukun said:

Do you hear the airplane suddenly overhead? do you hear what happens when the ATV drives by?

   All along Chip has said the Alaska State Troopers both alterd their audios, and, if you listen, you can hear a cut in the recording. A digital recorder would restart with a new recording, not carry on after interruption.

http://www.thearcticsounder.com/article/1249noorviks_hailstone_sentenced_seeks_appeal

  Chip was indicted and convicted with the Troopers audio, which has interruptions. Do you think the Troopers removed audio because Chip did what they said he did? Or did they remove what would have proven his words true? Why would cops need to edit recordings? I think its plain to see, or hear.

Alaska State Troopers are known as "Nazis". It wouldn't surprise me a bit if Chip is telling the truth. I have a friend that lives outside of Fairbanks in North Pole. He doesn't have nice things to say about Troopers and remember, most villages only have Public Safety Officers that are Natives. Troopers fly in occasionally and when there is trouble. 

On 10/20/2018 at 5:23 PM, Inukun said:

It would be interesting to know how long back his parents died, and if there are15 kids, (his siblings) and no one used the house, they must have several camps, as people often do.

 If he is going to fix it up and use it, then he is there at the perfect time of year. Im sure he brought supplies, and ''living off the land'' happens year round, its the various things we do thats constantly changing.

 If it were me, I would have my husband work up a pile of firewood while I work on weatherizing the house, then move onto putting in a trap line and placing an ice net, maybe have him hunt around and find Beaver lodges, clear trails and find signs of animals.

 While he is busy, I would finish my skin tanning and get to sewing things for us and Christmas gifts, etc.

 

 Theres nothing weird about going to a camp and settling in for the freeze up, you do what you can when you can. Indians do things their own way for their own reasons, but the Arctic is the Arctic.

 

Ive seen Chip and Agnes's daughter Ting on Instagram with Rico. I wonder who else knows who on this show...?

I believe Andy and Jessie knew each other. I've spoken to Kate before and she told me lots of things about the cast. It made me think they all knew each other but it also could have been because they traveled to New York or maybe gossip from the crew.

[Pebble Puppy]

The longer this seriers goes on, the more dramatic and over-the-top Sue has become. Listening to her describe untying a knot in her rope as a "life or death situation" is overkill. The big wigs at Nat Geo may encourage this from her but they end up making her appear more like a social outcast the more descriptive she gets. 

[Pebble Puppy]

On 5/15/2015 at 1:25 PM, OSM Mom said:

I still wonder how Glen supports his children. Except for the show which is recent, how is he supporting them while he's out in the woods playing Grizzly Adams. Knowing he has kids, he comes off as a deadbeat dad.

Glenn owns real estate , he's a pilot, he owns several cabins, a plane. Remember these "reality shows" are extremely edited to show you what they want you to think. He has two children from his first marriage, a step daughter which he adopted and a toddler with his partner Trisha. What you see him hunting and harvesting feeds all his kids including his ex wife.

[Pebble Puppy]

On 11/18/2018 at 3:02 PM, GFW said:

Chip is teaching his children selfishness and  disrespect.  He has instructed his family to "take" it all. Killing animals while they try to cross the river is horrible.  Taking all the eggs, because Chip says they can rob the nests again in a few days.  Chip tries to bark out orders to his family and Agnes acts like he can walk on water. He's lazy. Has no concern about raping the land or conservation.  

Coming from someone that gets everything they need from retail establishments who DONT rape the land I suppose? The Hailstones feed and take care of the elders in their village and those unable to hunt and fish. They use meat and fish and skins to barter with which is something we have become unfamiliar with for the most part. Groceries , if they make it to villages unspoiled, are extremely expensive. Refrain from judgement because the exact same can and has been said about how we live in the lower 48. Have you seen what happens on a farm or in a slaughterhouse? Animals have hormones, steroids and antibiotics and have to be vaccinated against who knows what because they live in close quarters and we are expected to eat that crap. How many cases of lettuce recall have there been lately? Farms are nasty. They aren't raping anything.

[Pebble Puppy]

On 11/18/2018 at 3:07 PM, GFW said:

Glen V. is a weird man . I can't count the number of times he has stripped down naked.  Think he's got some pervert in him.

 

On 2/16/2018 at 1:07 PM, ajhowey said:

Since Chip's conviction has been set aside, is he allowed to use modern firearms now?  I hope so.  The episode I saw, where he was trying to shoot ducks with that black-powder gun, was, well, I really felt sorry for him.  He was trying so hard, but he wasn't having very much success.  If he's now allowed to use modern firearms, he'll be better able to help Agnes when they're hunting off tribal lands.

To those who criticize the Hailstones, or any of the other LBZ cast members, for their hunting methods, why don't you try surviving up there?  Since you look down you noses at people like them (subsistence hunters), you probably wouldn't last a month in that environment.  Heaven forbid that you try to eat Rudolph (the Red-nosed Reindeer) or Sammy the Seal or Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck or ...  That's the trouble with modern society -- we've anthromorphized animals to the point where most people would be unable to supply their own needs in an unforgiving environment.  I'm not claiming that I would be able to live well in that environment, but I'm not squeamish about killing animals for food, and I would be quite willing to seek out advice and assistance from the local residents.

I'd like to see people work on a factory farm and then travel with the animals to the slaughterhouse and then complain about how any of these people choose to live. Animals they hunt live free and have a chance to escape. The people hunting are feeding their families the closest thing to organic you can get anymore. They are self sufficient. No 401k to fall back on in these villages and they take care of each other, something we can all learn from. They also use everything from the animal, just like our ancestors did. What's wrong with that? I love my animals too but we all need to be realistic. Not everyone on the planet sees things the same way. Lions eat meat. It won't stop. Nothing wrong with it and there is nothing wrong with people who eat meat either.

[iluvobx]

On 12/8/2018 at 9:15 PM, Pebble Puppy said:

I believe Andy and Jessie knew each other. I've spoken to Kate before and she told me lots of things about the cast. It made me think they all knew each other but it also could have been because they traveled to New York or maybe gossip from the crew.

It is possible that Jesse bought some of his first sled dogs from Andy or even had Andy train him.  Remember that Andy ran that "training" camp.  I don't know if he continued after Kate left but I figure he probably continued that business.

[SRTouch]

2 hours ago, iluvobx said:

It is possible that Jesse bought some of his first sled dogs from Andy or even had Andy train him.  Remember that Andy ran that "training" camp.  I don't know if he continued after Kate left but I figure he probably continued that business.

I could be wrong, but I seem to remember reading that he lived in Eagle for awhile when he first moved to Alaska - hard to imagine that he wouldn't have known Andy, what with both interested in dogs and based in the big town of Eagle. Oh, and there were some reports he even had a fiancé while in Eagle. Anyway, if you do a search for him on FB you'll find lots of pix and video - mostly of the dogs, of course 🐈

Edited December 14, 2018 by SRTouch

[PrincessPurrsALot]

The rules here are simple.  If you disagree with your fellow posters, do so without attacking them.  Don't make us put you back in the kennel and not let you go on the next sled ride! Think of the fun you'll miss!

[ProfCrash]

Episodes go by so much more quickly when I skip the Glenn bits. The rest was fine but not the most exciting. I am not certain why Sue was out with the snow cave. It is a good skill to have but she is not likely to be out there with two shovels in order to be able build one but who knows, maybe she travels with a shovel on all of her vehicles. It would make sense. 

[humbleopinion]

When I read "Glenn bits" ...I thought... Oh gawd....was he naked again?

[ProfCrash]

2 hours ago, humbleopinion said:

When I read "Glenn bits" ...I thought... Oh gawd....was he naked again?

LOL no idea, I skipped through his parts. I heard his line about knowing that this was the life he wanted to leae and rolled my eyes thinking about the businesses that he is associated with and how he doesn’t live that lifestyle year round like the show seems to want us to believe. 

Ricko is growing on me. I liked his teaching his daughter to shoot and how he told her about his brothers death. I thought he did a good job instructing her. 

I understand the annual seal hunt but I always find that a bit disturbing. I don’t know what the carribou hunting and duck hunting and geese hunting don’t bother me but the bear and seal hunting do. I am guessing that carribou is close enough to deer and the like that it feels common place to me. I know plenty of hunters who love the meat so hunting doesn’t bother me in general. I am guessing that the seal and the bear feel more exotic in nature. 

Love Jesse and his dogs. 

[walnutqueen]

I like  nekkid Glen's scrawny ass!

This show  makes me wish I could be a vegetarian.

[ProfCrash]

1 hour ago, walnutqueen said:

I like  nekkid Glen's scrawny ass!

This show  makes me wish I could be a vegetarian.

I like my meat. One of my favorite part of Gordon Ramsey's F Word (in Great Britain) series was the raising of live stock and following it through the butchering and serving. It helped to remind people where their meat comes from. I know that it makes people uncomfortable, and I get why, but hunting and raising animals is a part of the how we live so seeing it happen is a good thing. I just get squeamish with the more exotic animals because they strike me as endangered when they probably are not.

[SRTouch]

5 hours ago, ProfCrash said:

I like my meat. One of my favorite part of Gordon Ramsey's F Word (in Great Britain) series was the raising of live stock and following it through the butchering and serving. It helped to remind people where their meat comes from. I know that it makes people uncomfortable, and I get why, but hunting and raising animals is a part of the how we live so seeing it happen is a good thing. I just get squeamish with the more exotic animals because they strike me as endangered when they probably are not.

Got'cha. I've made the comment before, but will say it again (yeah, yeah, I know - I'm a crotchety old dude who likes to spout my opinions). Given the choice - I'd choose to be an wild animal killed by a hunter rather than a livestock animal on a factory farm any day of the week.

[Pebble Puppy]

1 hour ago, SRTouch said:

Got'cha. I've made the comment before, but will say it again (yeah, yeah, I know - I'm a crotchety old dude who likes to spout my opinions). Given the choice - I'd choose to be an wild animal killed by a hunter rather than a livestock animal on a factory farm any day of the week.

Agree completely.

[Chippewa54]

If you watch the very first season 1 first episode of Life Below Zero, you can see and hear Chip Hailstone verbally abusing his wife Agnes. He is cussing at her and berating her for not launching or getting out of the boat the correct way! Just hearing how he was yelling at her, you could tell that he is an abuser! I have a feeling that Agnes is very scared of him and will not ever talk back to him for fear of being verbally and physically abused. Which after hearing him berate her, I’m sure he has done when the cameras aren’t rolling. He tries to “act” like he’s this perfect father who knows everything, when in fact he’s just a know it all coward, who gets off bossing his wife and kids around! This is just my opinion of Chip Hailstone but I think I’m right on the money about him!!!