I'm preparing for a spring Kodiak Island bear hunt with my son. I've hunted on Kodiak before but not on a spring hunt. Have you all found a noticable difference in performance between the high end speciality lines and middle end such as Cabela's quality when it comes to the various layers of clothing you've used? thank you.

High dollar stuff "Swazi, Kuiu, Sitka, Kryptek, Browning Hells Canyon, First Lite and so on is all very similar.

Cabelas has a high end line as well, but they don't promote it very well.

Heavy duty rain gear from Helly Hanson or a commercial fishing gear company (Grundens for example) will be better if it rains, but suck to carry and be hotter than hell.

Here is what I bring to AK:

One set of Cabela's GoreTex paints and parka.

Sitka pants and parka

Waist high waders (2 pr) and one pair of oversized boots for them

One pair of fisherman's rubber gloves (there is a sporting goods store in Kodiak that sells them).

Helly Hanson rain parka.

I hunt in the rain paints; if cold, I wear hydrophilic long underwear. If raining, I will often hike with a GoreTex parka with nothing underneath (so I don't overheat).

When I set up to glass, I quickly put on extra layers; if raining hard, I put the HH parka on.

If sunny, I wear the long underwear with a pair of lightweight hiking shorts pulled over.

Works really well.

Look at Prana Zion

To answer your question. No. The game changer is being able to dry out. If you can dry out each day layers of lite fleece at amazing, lite base layers of merino wool are top of the line. But when it comes to the difference in a cabelas jacket and a kuiu or Sitka jacket, six of this half dozen of the other. I’ve got a cabelas micro Tex hunting shirt I’ve worn for over a decade on almost every single hunt I’ve done,(close to 150 I’d say) was wayyyyyy cheaper than any of this new stuff.
I will not wear gor-Tex on Kodiak. Rubber keeps water out. Nothing else.
Liner gloves inside the orange rubber fishing gloves Are the ticket.