For a boat based brown bear hunt this May should I get ankle fit hipboots/mid-length Rain coat, chest waders/jacket, or a scuba suit? I'm looking at Grundens and Helly Hansen as brands. Any others to consider?

I guided five hunters to their brown bears last year and carried Helly Hanson impertec on every hunt I wouldn't use anything else.
I would stay away from goretex.

thigh length helly hanson and hip waders. more waterproof than noah's ark....

Grunden's 3/4 length, standard weight (not heavy) paired with hip boots or Simms wader pants.

quote:

Helly Hanson impertec

that is a roger on that . I have used a couple peices of goretex a time or two and they are nice assuredly. Sooner or later you will have to reapply something there to help shed water again and I have no time in the mountains for that either. Helly Hansen gets a 2 thumbs up!

I also use Helly Hanson Impertech. It's not perfect, but as good as I've found so far. May is not an especially wet time of the year here, well, not like August or September.

When hunting or working in the rain, you are going to get wet. Either from the rain or the sweat from wearing bombproof raingear.

Thanks for the replys so far. I'm kind of leaning towards ankle fit hip waders and a mid length Grundens.

Although I agree that my HH Impertec is the best raingear I've used, here's another idea that worked well for me during a spring hunt on Kodiak a few years ago: I bought a pair of Goretex pants from Boondocks in Eagle River--the brand they had manufactured for them. I used seam sealero on the seams. I wore LaCrosse ankle-fit calf-high boots and used duct tape to seel the gortex pants to the boots. I waded many streams up to my hips and never got wet at all. It was a lot more comfortable than wearing hip boots all day. Just another idea.

I found the new Army goretex to work amazingly well last year on my Goodnews trip.
You do want to find a better solution for foot gear than full length hip boots---they grow old quickly. Sounds like some good suggestions above.
Man I wish I could do another AK trip, but son move to Fla.so not much chance of repeat trip.

T Olt,
This isn't the forum for it but send me a PM about your Goodnews trip last year. I've got a hankering to float for moose. Is that what your trip was about? I've read that this river is docile for that type of hunt.

I don't care for HH Impertech, early stuff leaked at the seams, and wicked up from the cuffs. Mine also tore the first time I wore
it. Healy said it was designed to tear (made for commercial fisherman?) I was confused and asked them if it was made for commercial fisherman whay they sold it in Camo? That statement came from a Supervisor at HH customer service and they would not honor there warranty.

I've always liked Filsons waxed "tin cloth". Takes a little getting used too, but is really durable and water repellent. I have used a tin cruiser and chaps for 20 plus years in the Olympic Peninsula on Black Bear and Roosevelt Elk hunts. Always warm and dry!!!

Idkier, agree with the quality of the Filson but I find it much too heavy for walking days on end.