A few people have chosen to live outside the technological and social inventions of recent years, one of them is the Kilcher family which is headed by Otto Kilcher. He has been living on the outskirts of Alaska for decades and has survived harsh conditions, leading a subsistence life that revolves around the use of what he finds around him to survive.
You already know that people become famous for quite a wide range of reasons, for Otto, it is because of his lifestyle which can be very dangerous for anyone who is not vastly experienced in homesteading as he is. Kilcher has come to be known as someone who can do practically anything. Often described as a seasoned expert of the self-sufficiency lifestyle, the man is inclined to recycling and reusing things he crafted out of junks. Today, his lifestyle piques the interest of many as much as it has inspired many to explore the recyclability of a material instead of trashing them as waste materials.
The Lifestyle that Made Otto Kilcher Famous
Otto Kilcher was born on the 19th of April 1952 in Homer, Alaska to Ruth and Yule Kilcher. Through them, Otto began to acquire the skills and knowledge to live outside of civilization.
Born to parents who were Swiss immigrants, Otto grew up learning how to farm and survive in the woods. Growing up with five siblings, he took to the subsistence lifestyle he was raised in and continued to live in the outskirts of the Alaska region, eventually growing old enough to start a family.
If Otto had any formal education, one could not possibly tell but he is a skilled mechanic, and a natural understanding of machines and how they work has further aided his ability to survive in the woods. He has also been able to expand his skills into establishing a business, Otto Machine.
His choice to live in an environment with no electricity, plumbing or any of the major modern tools of civilized life drew the attention of the Discovery Channel, which decided to dive deeper into the lifestyle of Otto Kilcher. Thus, the show Alaska: The Last Frontier became the conduit through which he became famous, along with other members of his family. The American reality cable television series chronicles the lifestyle of the extended Kilcher family, a clan that has refused to embrace modernization, choosing to subsist by hunting, farming, and preparing for long winters.
How the Kilcher Family Survives Living in the Danger Zone
Titled “The Danger Zone”, the 14th episode of the 6th season of the series offered an insight into the dangers Otto Kilcher and his family face from time to time and how they survive in the untamed Alaskan wild.
The family practically face danger at every turn while optimizing their resource to provide the things they need. For instance, it was unnerving watching the Kilcher family struggle to put things in order after a massive earthquake struck Southern Alaska. Among other things, they had to create pieces of equipment that would help them re-open vital access roads.
In another instance, Otto and his family had to harvest a sterile cow. While they did this to stock up meat for winter, they made sure that none of its byproducts went to waste. They made soap out of the cow and tanned its skin which was used for building corrals.
A lifestyle such as his is bound to have its own health and safety challenges, but what lifestyle doesn’t have one? Anyway, the crudeness of the kind of life he’s been living fueled a rumor that Otto Kilcher was dead. Thankfully, it turned out to only be a rumor as the TV personality is alive and well, living in his home in the Alaska woods.
So far, the only reported health issue he has had is a hernia surgery that he had on the 21st of January 2016. As far as the media knows, he is living healthily with his wife and children.
How Much has He Made From His Career?
The show has so far led to other spinoffs, but the original show continues to air on the network, with over eight seasons released thus far. Alaska: The Last Frontier features appearances by members of Otto’s family, including occasional appearances by the singer, Jewel, whom Kilcher is related to. As the show revolves around the man and his family a great deal, it is natural to assume that it is a prime source of income for him.
Otto Kilcher’s lifestyle drew the interest of Discovery Channel, bringing his story to national television for the first time on December 29, 2011. The show has remained on air ever since with around 160 episodes released so far. This amounts to big money for Otto and his family even though what they earn has not been disclosed.
Considering the popularity of Alaska: The Last Frontier, there is no denying that it has brought a sizeable income for Otto Kilcher and his family, an income that has given him an estimated net worth of $4 million.
Meet Otto Kilcher’s Wife and Children
If you are wondering whether Otto Kilcher has a wife and has been able to lead a fine family life, a quick answer is yes. Otto Kilcher does not only have a wife, but he has been married a total of three times, with his current wife being a highly educated woman, a biologist named Charlotte Irene Adamson. His other two wives are Olga Von Zegasar and Sharon Mckemie.
Over the course of three marriages, Otto Kilcher has had three children, two from his second wife Sharon McKemie, they were named Levi Kilcher and Eivin Kilcher. He had his third child August Kilcher with his third wife.
In all, Otto has three biological sons and an adopted son named Torrey from his third wife’s previous relationship.
The man has managed to pass on his lifestyle and skills to his four sons, arming them with the tools to live in the more physically demanding woods of Alaska.