The WORST episodes of Life Below Zero
Every episode of Life Below Zero ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Life Below Zero!
When bears, wolves and foxes are your only neighbors, life can be pretty lonely. Add minus-60-degree days and a constant battle for the most basic necessities, and you have the daily challenges of people who live in remote corners of Alaska. This series takes viewers deep into an Alaskan winter to meet six tough and resilient residents as they try to stay one step ahead of storms and man-eating beasts to make it through to spring. The closest neighbor to Sue Aikens is more than 300 miles away. Eric Salitan subsists solely on what he hunts and forages. Chip and Agnes Hailstone catch fish for currency in bartering for supplies, and Andy and Kate Bassich use their pack of sled dogs for transportation.
#1 - Primitive Ways
Season 9 - Episode 9 - Aired 10/26/2017
Alaskans apply primitive knowledge and skill to build a life in the Arctic wilderness.
#2 - Independent by Nature
Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired 11/2/2014
Alaskans living in remote corners of the Arctic fight to maintain an independent lifestyle through self-reliant ingenuity, innovation, resourcefulness, and knowledge.
#3 - Bent and Broken
Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 6/11/2015
In Eagle, Andy constructs snares to maintain his food supply. In Wiseman, Erik and Martha cut up their last moose quarter and use salvaged supplies to construct a smokehouse. In Kiwalik, Chip and Agnes go caribou hunting to stockpile meat and fur for the coming months. And in Kavik, Sue clears her runway for a plane to deliver a new snow machine.
#4 - The Beast
Season 17 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/9/2021
As winter comes to an end, Alaskans must push through the cold as they prepare for daylight’s return.
#5 - Hunt, Barter, and Steal
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 5/26/2013
After being away for several months due to an injury, Sue is finally on her way to her home at the Kavik River Camp. Though she thinks bears may have taken up residence there, she discovers a bigger surprise: thieves have robbed her fuel supply. If she runs out before weather makes a delivery possible, she'll freeze. In Noorvik, Chip and Agnes can't access their hunting grounds until their river freezes, forcing them to rely on bartering the supplies they have for the essential items they lack.
#6 - Predator Control
Season 6 - Episode 5 - Aired 12/22/2015
Erik returns to embark on a hunt, and Sue attempts to restock her freezers. The Hailstones get a new boat, and Jessie continues to work on his fish wheel.
#7 - End of the Road
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 5/19/2013
Six people separated by hundreds of miles, all joined by the common cause of surviving the winter in the Alaskan bush. In Noorvik, Chip races to set whitefish nets on thin ice for the last catch of the season. Fishing on the frozen river is deadly, but it's vital to haul enough fish to last through the winter. Andy tests the safety of the river surrounding his house that he uses as a link to the outside world. Without this winter lifeline, he is trapped and isolated.
#8 - Aftermath
Season 5 - Episode 12 - Aired 6/25/2015
Sue heads into town to get a diagnosis about her injury; the Hailstone's head out one last hunt of the season; Chip's snow machine breaks down; the Salitans go ice fishing.
#9 - Under the Gun
Season 6 - Episode 7 - Aired 1/5/2016
Sue travels to a weaponry in Fairbanks, the Hailstone family head north to collect greens, Jessie constructs new doghouses for his dog team, and Martha goes on a solo duck hunt.
#10 - Hard Knocks
Season 13 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/22/2019
Sue repairs her cabin in Chena. The DeWildes set a fish net. Jessie spends time with his young dogs. Chip receives medical attention after an accident.
#11 - The Resurrection
Season 6 - Episode 1 - Aired 11/24/2015
When spring arrives in Alaska, the thaw means time to begin preparation for the next freeze, be it hunting, fishing or relocating for the summer.
#12 - Full Circle
Season 16 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/15/2020
With summer in full swing, Alaskans work to secure lasting legacies and connect with age-old traditions in their wild homeland of the Arctic.
#13 - No Easy Out
Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 6/4/2015
Chip and Agnes prepare for hunting along the Kiwalik River; Sue builds a pair of snowshoes; Andy goes in search of much needed supplies; Erik and Martha set their first traps of the season.
#14 - Dark Winter's End
Season 3 - Episode 12 - Aired 7/3/2014
The end of winter is quickly approaching. Chip and Agnes have one last chance to harvest caribou until late summer. If they succeed, they will have meat for food and trade for months. Sue stumbles upon a mysterious object in the tundra, and fears for a potential encounter with a predator. Glenn is on the hunt for food and fur, and the wolf tracks he spots remind him there is more than one hunter in Chandalar. Andy sets out to collect wood before the rising temperatures melt away his snow trails.
#15 - Wolf at the Door
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/9/2013
Mechanical breakdowns and invading predators threaten the lives of six people as they try to survive the dark and cold winter in Alaska. In Kavik, a familiar sound startles Sue. She soon realizes that a deadly wolf has approached her cabin. Nineteen miles north of the Arctic Circle, Chip's snow machine breaks down, threatening his own survival since without it he cannot fish, hunt or trade. In Wiseman, Erik hunts for lynx fur to earn money but the beast outsmarts him every time.
#16 - Trapped and Hunted
Season 7 - Episode 9 - Aired 6/2/2016
Though not easy tasks, trapping and hunting are essential activities for Alaskans to get crucial food and fur to survive dark winter.
#17 - Trials & Tributaries
Season 20 - Episode 4 - Aired 12/6/2022
As the warm season continues, Alaskans contend with the annual environmental changes that shift the daily struggles and rewards of their environment.
#18 - The Slow Grind
Season 8 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/29/2016
As the summer begins to fade, Alaskans must take advantage of the long days to prepare for the long freeze that lies ahead.
#19 - Out of Control
Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/23/2015
With seasons changing and the transition from fall to winter, Alaskans are preparing for the winter months. In Eagle, Andy hunts for elusive moose, as he and Kate need to replenish their red meat supply for the coming winter. In Kavik, Sue seals up camp and heads to Fairbanks for a foot procedure. With Tiktaalik — a local word for burbot — in season, the Hailstones teach their daughters to ice fish on the river. And in Chandalar, Glenn repairs his cabin before the harsh winter hits.
#20 - The Crash
Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired 6/18/2015
The Hailstones head out on a trapping expedition; the Salitans gather caribou meat to store; Glenn retrieves his food stores before they are stolen by predators; and Sue puts herself in danger.
#21 - The Harvest
Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/25/2014
As summer draws near, unpredictable weather is shaking up life in Alaska. For Sue Aikens, summer is the time to gather food in preparation for the winter months. But when caribou are scarce, Sue is forced to explore other options and try her hand at fishing.
#22 - Inside Out
Season 16 - Episode 4 - Aired 12/1/2020
Despite the formidable challenges facing them, residents of Alaska must tackle any and all adversity to survive the endless daylight of summer.
#23 - Deadly Tracks
Season 7 - Episode 4 - Aired 4/28/2016
With the freeze under way, Alaskans scramble to secure their livelihoods. Sue Aikens returns to find a dangerous predator lurking just outside of camp.
#24 - The Meltdown
Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/5/2013
As the snow continues to melt, Sue finds her runway in danger of being flooded. Meanwhile, Glenn decides to change his hunting tactics.
#25 - Ready or Not
Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/9/2015
Fall season in the Arctic means the final preparation is in full swing for the long winter months ahead. In Kavik, Sue sets off on a quest for food to survive the coming freeze. In Eagle, Andy and Kate race to get their fish wheel turning before the chum salmon run hits. With their annual caribou hunt on the horizon, the Hailstones build a cache to store their meat for the season. And in Chandalar, Glenn sets out on the most critical hunt of his year as he hopes to harvest a moose that will yield nearly six months’ worth of meat.