Chip Hailstone [2025] Wiki, Bio, Age, Net Worth, Wife Agnes, Kids, Life in Alaska.

Chip Hailstone is a prominent Alaskan subsistence hunter and television personality, widely recognized for his long-running role on National Geographic’s award-winning series Life Below Zero. Based in Noorvik, Alaska, Chip has captivated global audiences with his deep commitment to traditional survival methods, resourceful bushcraft, and multigenerational family living. With decades of experience navigating the harsh Arctic environment, he has become a symbol of endurance and adaptability in one of the most unforgiving regions on Earth. Beyond the screen, Chip is also known for his hands-on craftsmanship, including toolmaking and ivory carving, and for his efforts to pass ancestral knowledge to his children and grandchildren.

Chip Hailstone’s Early Life and Journey to Alaska

Edward Chip Hailstone was born on March 8, 1969, in Kalispell, Montana, U.S. He is the son of Daniel Franklin Hailstone and Mary Lois Hailstone. As a teenager, he lived a rugged life working on a ranch—milking cows, feeding livestock, and doing chores for about $3.35 an hour. He described himself as a “teenage cow puncher,” gaining firsthand experience in hard labor and survival skills. However, his life took a pivotal turn when his parents divorced. His mother decided to move far away from his father, eventually settling in Alaska with one of Chip’s younger brothers. That move sparked Chip’s own journey northward.

At age 19, Chip traveled to Alaska for what he initially thought would be a short visit. After spending time in Southeast Alaska and earning some money, he made his way to Kotzebue (pronounced “KABU”), where his mother had secured a job and already purchased a plane ticket for him. Though his initial plan was to refund the ticket and leave, fate had other plans. While waiting in line at the airport, Chip overheard a job offer—$25 an hour to unload planes, a dramatic increase from his previous wages. He accepted the offer and began working six nights a week unloading aircraft.

What began as a temporary stop turned into a permanent lifestyle. Chip quickly adapted to Alaskan village life. He learned how to operate a snow machine, started hunting, and fully immersed himself in the subsistence lifestyle. He earned the respect of locals not because of where he came from, but because of his strong work ethic. As he said, “You don’t work, they don’t like you—and I was all for it.”

Meeting Agnes and Settling Down

After becoming a resident and building his skills in hunting and fishing, Chip eventually crossed paths with Agnes. They met on a Friday night in Kotzebue while Chip was working on a fishing net with a friend. Agnes wandered over during a group conversation and offered Chip a better way to fix the net. She stayed to chat while others went inside, and that half-hour conversation marked the beginning of their bond.

Following their first encounter, Chip and Agnes continued to cross paths in Kotzebue. They ran into each other again on the road a few days later, and once more during another weekend gathering. Although Chip didn’t initially recall Agnes’s name the second time they met, he felt compelled to ask—an early indication of his growing interest in her. Over the following two weeks, Chip and Agnes continued to see each other in Kotzebue, further establishing familiarity through repeated interactions.

Soon after, they agreed to take part in a winter hunting trip together. The expedition lasted for more than a month and continued through the New Year. During this time, they traveled, hunted, and lived in close proximity under challenging Arctic conditions. Their shared responsibilities included setting traps, preparing food, and navigating the terrain.

The experience marked the beginning of their life as a couple. From that period forward, Chip and Agnes remained together, continuing to build a lifestyle rooted in subsistence activities, cultural traditions, and seasonal hunting practices common in rural Alaska.

Television Career: Life Below Zero

Chip Hailstone’s journey to television began with his own storytelling. For years, he ran a personal blog, shared photos of subsistence life on Alaska forums, and participated in online discussions about fish and game policies. Encouraged by his friend Chuck, who mentored his writing, Chip’s honest and practical posts started attracting professional interest.

One of those interested parties was Iron FL, a production company scouting for stories about Arctic living. They asked Chip and Agnes to film an audition. Discovery Channel sent them a handheld recorder, and for one week, the Hailstones documented their daily life—checking a fishing net, slicing sheefish, and scraping fox pelts. Discovery liked the footage but chose another village for its pilot. Still impressed, Iron FL introduced the Hailstones to producer Tommy Bayard, executive Tim Pastore, and bush pilot-cameraman Luke.

In early 2013—“about twelve years ago,” Chip noted during a 2025 livestream—Bayard’s crew flew to Noorvik and spent three days filming a short reel. They captured routines like net-mending and fish-cutting, which led to Chip and Agnes signing an electronic contract. The Hailstones became the first family officially attached to what would become Life Below Zero.

The series premiered on National Geographic on May 19, 2013, with Chip and Agnes featured prominently in the debut episode. Chip admitted it took “about three episodes” before he felt at ease speaking on camera. Director Boots helped with his camera presence, while documentarian Phil Bogg encouraged a first-person narrative style, allowing the Hailstones to explain subsistence tasks in their own voice.

Over the next twelve seasons, the crew followed the Hailstones on river trips, hunts, and village routines. Chip emphasized in the livestream that the show never staged scenes—the producers let the family decide what to film, which helped maintain authenticity.

On February 23, 2025, Life Below Zero aired its final episode—Season 23, Episode 20 titled “The Last Snow.” The conclusion marked the end of nearly twelve years of continuous filming. For the Hailstones, the show served as both a family archive and a cultural record, offering global audiences a rare glimpse into Inupiaq traditions and Arctic survival.

Marriage and Family Life

Chip Hailstone married Agnes around 1992 and settled with her in Noorvik, a remote Inupiaq village of about 680 people along Alaska’s Kobuk River. He first arrived in the region in the early 1990s and began living there consistently by 1993. Known for its lack of roads, fences, or speed limits, Noorvik offers a way of life centered on fishing, hunting, and resourcefulness—conditions well-suited to the Inupiaq subsistence tradition that Chip came to embrace.

Agnes, who is of Inupiaq heritage, passed on generations of Arctic survival knowledge to her husband and their children. Together, Chip and Agnes built a life based on traditional practices such as hunting, fishing, trapping, and seasonal migration. According to Chip, their subsistence expeditions can take them as far as 90 miles from home, during which they may sleep in tents depending on conditions.

Over time, Chip became proficient in the use of tools and weapons essential for bush life, including .22 rifles, 12-gauge antique firearms, bows, and arrows. He also developed skill in hand-to-hand animal handling when required. In addition to harvesting meat, he reused animal parts to create tools, clothing, and other necessities. These skills helped Chip integrate into the local Inupiaq community, where he earned respect for his adaptability and willingness to follow the traditional clan-based structure.

Chip once shared that Agnes’ childhood home in Noorvik would sometimes accommodate as many as 29 family members, who rotated in and out based on hunting and fishing schedules. He emphasized how this system reflected the family’s strong organization and enduring cultural traditions rooted in subsistence living.

Despite the challenges of subsistence life, Chip and Agnes have built a resilient, multigenerational household focused on survival, tradition, and community continuity. Agnes has also faced profound personal loss—both her mother and brother died in separate incidents involving the freezing waters of Alaska. These tragedies underscore the harsh realities of Arctic living, yet the family has remained closely bonded, passing on their knowledge and values to the next generation.

Their extended family networks have also played a vital role. Chip has a brother named Willie, who has appeared on Life Below Zero. In one episode, Willie visited from Anchorage to help Chip build a workshop for a future ulu-making factory. The two worked together on insulating and weatherproofing the structure ahead of the harsh Arctic winter. Chip credited his brother with having valuable carpentry skills and life experience, noting that Willie was the reason he came to Alaska in the first place. The brothers share a strong bond built on trust and shared values.

In addition to hunting and fishing, the Hailstones practice other traditional Inupiaq activities that were documented on Life Below Zero. These include wolf hunting—where Agnes emphasized freeing the animal’s soul to show respect—and mammoth tusk harvesting, a legal activity reserved for Alaska Natives. Chip often carves the ivory into detailed artwork, sometimes taking a month to complete a piece. The family also participates in seal hunting, rendering blubber into oil and preserving meat through traditional methods. These activities reflect the family’s deep connection to the land and their commitment to passing survival skills down to the next generation.

They have also been featured on the show during their seasonal stay in Kiwalik, where they migrate to take advantage of spring’s warmth and long daylight hours. In Kiwalik, the Hailstones harvest local resources like fish, birds, berries, and edible plants while living in tents and constructing temporary kitchens and shelters. Agnes and Chip emphasize the importance of shelter, mobility, and readiness to adapt to weather and wildlife patterns, ensuring they are positioned where food sources are most abundant. These seasonal migrations also test the family’s readiness, as they must brace for sudden storms and high winds by securing their camps and gathering sufficient firewood and food in advance.

Children

Chip and Agnes have five daughters together:

• Tinmiaq Hailstone
• Iriqtaq Hailstone: Graduated from Noorvik High School in 2015 and became a mother in 2016. As of 2025, she has completed training in heavy equipment operation and diesel technology.
• Mary Hailstone: Lives in Ambler with two daughters and works in pharmacy-related services.
• Carolyne Hailstone: Travels extensively and is focused on building her own camp with her partner, Skyler.
• Qutan Hailstone: Expresses creativity through painting and sewing and contributes to the family’s cultural continuity.

Agnes also has two sons from a previous relationship:

• Douglas Carter: Married to Gloria Iyatunguk and father to five children.
• Jon Carter: Also married with children.

As of 2025, Chip and Agnes have 29 grandchildren. Their children and grandchildren continue the family legacy of Arctic living, blending traditional practices with modern skills and education.

Brushing with Law & Jail time

Chip Hailstone was sentenced to 15 months of jail time following the conviction of two counts of perjury and two counts of making false statements. While the case was ongoing in court, Chip was also put on probation for using modern firearms. Out of 15 months, Chip spent 10 months in jail before he was released in the spring of 2017. He was cleared of all convictions in December 2017.

Chip Hailstone’s incarceration is connected to a family fight that happened on July 13, 2011. His stepson Jonathan Carter was involved in a quarrel with another family in Noovrik. The family had to go through the subsequent questioning with troopers during one of them Chip claimed Alaska state Trooper Christopher Bitz physically assaulted his then-17-year-old daughter, Tinmiaq. Chip also claimed his daughter was put at gunpoint. He asked for a restraining order against the trooper.

Life After the Show: New Ventures and Family Life

Since the show wrapped in 2025, Chip has focused on entrepreneurship. He founded the Hailstone Ulu Factory—a small-scale operation producing handcrafted ulus using spring steel and custom handles. The project aims to provide jobs in the village while preserving traditional tools and craftsmanship. Chip learned carpentry, machinery, and CNC design to build the workshop, jokingly calling it the “YouTube Shop” because of how much he learned online.

The family also plans to offer passive cultural tours, including spring fishing and wilderness treks, but avoids commercial hunting or firearm-based tourism. Chip is currently focused on stabilizing production and training others in ulu crafting, with goals of producing up to 100 knives per day.

Net Worth and Income Sources

As of 2025, Chip and Agnes Hailstone have an estimated combined net worth between $300,000 and $500,000, primarily earned through their TV earnings, traditional crafts, and subsistence-based lifestyle.

Chip Hailstone’s Quotes regarding his lifestyle

We’re not at the end of the road, we’re 300 miles away from the end of the road.

Possessions are a burden when you live out of snow machine and a sled.

We do not live out there we survive.

I think a lot of people live among a lot of other people but they do not know anybody.

Wiki Facts

Full Name	Edward Chip Hailstone
Date of Birth	March 8, 1969
Age	56 years old
Place of Birth	Kalispell, Montana, U.S.
Profession	TV personality, Hunter
Net worth	Between $300,000 and $500,000
Wife	Agnes Hailstone
Kids	Tinmiaq, Iriqtaq, Mary, Caroline, and Qutan Hailstone
Nationality	American
Ethnicity	Caucasian
Zodiac Sign	Pisces
Parents	Daniel Franklin Hailstone, Mary Lois Hailstone