What to Wear While Bear Hunting in Alaska
June 11th, 2008 at 7:10 pm (Bear Hunt Preparation, Bear Hunting Clothes)
I grew up hunting in Idaho and Wyoming and now live and hunt mostly in Utah. When we take rain gear it can be about anything because it seldom rains in this high desert country. I look at snow differently (not like rain). Our upcoming self guided black bear hunt to the coast of Alaska is different. It will rain enough there to not allow us to ignore the wet, and we’ll be isolated enough we cannot exclude the need to stay dry.
My 1st hunt to the coast of Alaska was a brown bear hunt to Yakutat and it rained inches per day and if I recall it didn’t stop at all. I had the very best Gore-Tex outfits and that kept me good and wet. Now on that coast I only use rubber.
On our self guided bear hunt 2 years ago we lived in the rain and even snow. It rained six of the seven days. Luckily we stayed dry with our hip waders and jackets. Although that bear hunt was in the spring and this one will be in the fall, we have to prepare for more of the same weather. Prince of Wales Island, Alaska (Salmon Lake Cabin) is only about 60 miles south of where we were on the last hunt on Kupreanof Island (Breiland Slough Cabin).
Helly Hansen makes rubber bibs and coats from a thin light rubber called Impertech. It’s the only thing to have in the rain. You won’t get wet in the rain on any hunt, let alone on a bear hunt, in this gear. In Alaska we’ll have chest high waders so just the jackets may be enough.
