Random Behind Scenes Facts About NatGeo's Life Below Zero (14 items)

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  (#1) One Former Cast Member Sued The Show

  Sue Aikens, arguably the star of Life Below Zero, sued the production company thanks to one producer, Aaron Mellman. Aikens said that Mellman forced her to do dangerous things, like take off her face mask in frigid conditions or drive a snowmobile over a frozen river. When she had a snowmobile accident, Mellman wouldn't let the safety crew airlift her to a hospital; instead, they drove her and then airlifted her for better TV. One cameraman even said that Mellman told everyone they'd be fired if they helped Aikens to the plane.

  However, because of the legal disclaimers Aikens signed, it's likely that this will be a difficult legal battle. Mellman allegedly also drank Sue Aikens's whiskey. 
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  (#2) The Kavik River Camp Is Basically A Glamper's Paradise

  Sue Aikens may live by herself in a tent, but she's not nearly as isolated as Life Below Zero claims she is. The Kavik River Camp is exactly that — a camp, or at the very least, "glamping" or glamour camping. The camp features wifi, phones, and "all services you'd expect to find in a big city." You can even buy Kavik River Camp apparel and souvenirs.

  At a cost of $350 per night, Aikens is doing pretty well for herself, especially after her fame at the hands of National Geographic. She can accept credit card payments, coordinate tours and travel, and otherwise help guests experience the Arctic. Though she's presented as being very isolated in the off-season, the Kavik River Camp is open year-round. 
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  (#3) The Hailstones Don't Live All That Remotely

  Noorvik, Alaska may only have a population of around 600, but it's not cut off from civilization. It's only 42 miles from Kotzebue, the biggest city in Northwest Alaska, with a population of over 3,000. Folks in Noorvik often do hunt and fish in order to live, but plenty others may work for the local school district or government. 

  Yes, that's right, Noorvik is an incorporated city and has its own school district. Iriqtaq Hailstone, the daughter of Life Below Zero stars Chip and Agnes Hailstone, played many sports during high school, and the local paper has written about her and her sister Mary. Noorvik, just like many other communities, has plenty of sports teams for kids with tournaments and competitions. Iriqtaq said that while she sometimes had to miss a practice due to the show's filming schedule, but that it usually wasn't a problem. 

  The one very remote thing about Noorvik is that you can't get to it by road... at all. If you've got a boat, plane, or snow machine, then you can get to Noorvik. Otherwise, you're out of luck!
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  (#4) Amazon Delivers To Wiseman, Alaska

  Wiseman, Alaska is not as remote as the show might like you to believe. There are roads that connect to major cities, and you can buy necessary supplies only 13 miles away. And, to top it off, Amazon delivers to Wiseman — and Amazon has pretty much everything these days. Locals say that small towns like Wiseman are often subsidized by oil corporations, sometimes even owning the houses, and while the townspeople do hunt, it's mostly many of them have modern conveniences, like DirectTV and snowmobiles.

  There's no electricity, to be sure, but most people have generators or solar panels. Regardless, bears aren't menacing Wiseman citizens who have no connection to the outside world. A person who worked on the show noted that they never film in places without access to food, water, and other amenities. 
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  (#5) Law Enforcement Gives Preferential Treatment to 'Life Below Zero' Stars

  In Alaska, it's a pretty big deal to feed the wildlife, and Sue Aikens from Life Below Zero has made it no secret that she feeds foxes, calling them her pets and friends. Aikens has even been on the show's website with pictures of herself and the foxes, which she calls them her "family." Despite the publicity of Aikens and her fox friends, Alaska state troopers apparently had no idea this was happening. 

  This became an issue because Jim West of the Animal Planet reality show Wild West Guns had charges pressed against him by the state. West's attorney thinks that the state only pursued charges because the show is a competitor to shows like Alaska State Troopers, which is on National Geographic alongside Life Below Zero. West and his attorney cite multiple examples of the state going after those who feed animals or otherwise break the rules, yet Sue Aikens appears to be above the law. 
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  (#6) It's Not Below Zero Everywhere, All The Time

  Yes, of course it's cold in Alaska. But the summers are in the 60s and 70s — sometimes even the 80s. And winter isn't as bad as you probably think. Anchorage is warmer in the winter than Chicago, and the southeast part of the state is also pretty warm. In places like Fairbanks, further from the ocean, it can indeed get below zero, sometimes negative 30. The dry cold, however, means that -30 isn't as bad as it seems. Temperature in Alaska varies quickly, though, and a short drive can give you climate whiplash. 

  Parts of Alaska do see well over 100 inches of snow, but Anchorage has the same yearly snowfall as Burlington, Vermont. 
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  (#7) Chip Hailstone Has Raised A Lot Of Criticism

  Some people aren't fans of Chip Hailstone, saying that he uses and exploits his wife Agnes. To be fair, he legally can't hunt on the land since he's not a native Inupiaq. However, to some viewers, Agnes has become "a subservient puppet with Chip pulling her strings." A major criticism is that the show portrays Agnes killing way more game than the family needs, although it's highly unlikely that the Hailstones actually need to live off the land (the Hailstones's net worth is estimated to be pretty high).

  Apparently, Chip wouldn't be the first white person to try to take advantage of the oil money paid to native Inupiaqs. 
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  (#8) One Thing Is Definitely Real: Andy Is A Jerk

  National Geographic hasn't shied away from portraying Andy and Kate's turbulent marriage or Andy's anger/control issues. Andy and Kate divorced and she left the show, but fans were shocked to see that Andy was back. Many of them took to Facebook to bemoan NatGeo's decision, and the network did respond...but only to say that “We ask that viewers keep their discussions based on the content of the show, not on speculations about the offscreen personal lives of the cast. Thank you.” 

  Well, alright then. It doesn't seem like fans' concerns are unfounded, though. One episode showed Andy hitting Kate with a rock and then berating her for it, and Kate posted on Facebook that she suffered from PTSD shortly after it was announced that Andy would be back on the show. However, Kate will be writing a book about emotional abuse in hopes that she can help other women. We'll see if National Geographic listens to its fans and removes Andy from Life Below Zero. 
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  (#9) Chip Hailstone Is Heading To Jail After A Weird Legal Battle

  Chip Hailstone has been fighting the courts for some time now. In 2012, he was convicted of perjury and lying to a police officer. Though Chip appealed the conviction, he was sentenced to 15 months in jail in July 2017. So, if you've watched the show and wondered why Agnes and the kids were on their own, there's your answer.

  The story surrounding Chip's conviction is, however, a little strange. First, Chip asked for a restraining order against a state trooper, saying that his daughter had reached towards the trooper and he put her in a hold. That incident, according to Chip, made him and his family fearful. Secondly, Chip claimed that a neighbor aimed a gun at his family. Who knows what the real story is, but Chip was convicted for perjury for both of those statements. 
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  (#10) People Are Actually Paid To Live in Alaska

  If you've ever watched shows like Life Below Zero and wondered how these people make any money, you should know that they may be paid by the state (other than, of course, their income from the show — which is likely nothing at which to scoff). Natives who live in remote villages receive money from the Alaska Native Lands Claims Act. Native corporations under the Act dole out dividends and stocks to those who are 1/8 Native; some of these corporations are in oil-heavy areas with a lot of income. 

  Alaskans — not just natives — also get paid to live in Alaska, thanks to interest from North Slope oil revenue. That being said, there are still jobs, and Native corporations will often pay outsiders to come to Alaska for jobs like teaching. There's money to be had in some parts of the wildnerness... you just have to be able to survive to get it.
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  (#11) Producers Did Not Originally Want To Feature Glenn Villeneuve's Family

  Though they did not originally appear on the show, Glenn Villeneuve's wife and daughter, Ameila, came to live with him long before fans got to meet the family. According to a Facebook post in which Villeneuve personally answered questions from fans, producers took three years to decide they wanted to include the reality star's family in the series. Villeneuve actually has four children, two from a previous marriage, as well as Amelia, and his youngest, Agatha. 

  Villeneuve manages and invests in real estate along with his career as a reality television star. He said, "I could not afford to live the way I do and support my growing family if I did not spend a considerable amount of my time in Fairbanks tending to my business affairs."
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  (#12) Maybe NatGeo Should Head To Wales, Alaska

  Wales, Alaska is the westernmost town in the United States, populated mostly with native Inupiats who exist off of whale hunting. Though most of the town may not have running water, they do have the internet. They also have access to the outside world, as six planes a day will fly into Wales with plenty of Amazon boxes. Students from outside islands will be flown into Wales for sports tournaments and other activities.

  Technology has seeped into Wales quickly; whereas someone used to be able to survive solely off the land, now they need income to pay for a phone and the web. One man said he preferred life in Wales because he didn't have to go to work every day, which seems like a pretty valid reason — however, at least one job in Wales is "polar bear patroller," which sounds pretty cool.
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  (#13) A Survival Guide Claims Alaskan Reality Shows Are Pretty Real

  Rob Gower, a guide for Alaska Mountaineering School, has worked with National Geographic on Life Without Zero, among other Alaskan reality shows. Gower says that in Life Below Zero, the cast members are living their lives per usual, and that his job is to make sure the crew remains safe in the extreme conditions. 

  For other reality shows, Gower says that he gets to the location weeks ahead of time to scout out appropriate routes and places to film. He also said that the guides aren't allowed to help the cast at all, even with basic things. Gower said, "We're just not letting them die, basically."
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  (#14) Alaska Is Overrun With Reality TV

  At least 60 different shows set in Alaska have been on the air in the last 10 years — a pretty high number. After all, the population size doesn't match the vast size of the state. Locals seem to feel like the industry is a mixed bag. Alaskan Bush People, not surprisingly, has drawn criticisms for presenting a reductive view of Alaskan natives, many of whom actually don't live in the bush. Edge of Alaska didn't thrill the locals, either, as the small town of McCarthy was presented as seedy, to say the least. 

  Even state tourism officials can't say that the boost they've received from Alaska's reality-show fame is entirely worth it. That doesn't stop television networks from scoping out the next big thing, though. One bakery owner reported meeting with six production teams who apparently wanted a show that she called "Ace of Cakes meets Bear Grylls."

  That being said, the type of reality show networks want is changing, as true-crime documentaries and serial docu-dramas become more and more popular. Perhaps that will lead to a more authentic portrayal of the state, but needless to say, there's still plenty of Alaska left to show on TV. 
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  (#15) Native Alaskans Take Issue With A Lot Of Alaska Reality Shows

  Other than Deadliest Catch, it looks like most Alaskans aren't fans of the many reality shows that plague the state. Alaska is often portrayed as so remote that it's stuck in another century, or that the people who live there are backwoods rednecks. A cast member from Ultimate Survival Alaska claimed that if you go off the road, "you're putting your foot on ground that has never been walked before by any human being."

  Not only does that sound a little ridiculous, it actually is ridiculous. The state has been mapped and is managed by state troopers, and other than protected land, it's pretty likely that you're going to see someone's house or yard. Most of Alaskans, in fact, live in urban areas, not the bush (two-thirds of the population live in Fairbanks, Juneau, or Anchorage). Yet that hasn't stopped networks from exploiting the wilderness; MTV has even created a show called Slednecks. Just by the name, that sounds like one that Alaskans won't be fans of. 

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