Hunting clothes are key for your Alaska trip. Staying warm and dry in the backcountry is crucial. That’s why the Editors at Hunt Alaska magazine have handpicked their top gear. From head to toe, we’ve got you covered with the best hunting clothes and boots.
Best Hunting Apparel
Sitka Ambient Jacket
This is a very versatile jacket that we wore in various settings in 2023. It’s plenty warm on its own, so it served as a top layer on more than one adventure. When conditions got colder and wetter, we moved it under a rainproof shell and it served perfectly in spring- and fall excursions. Moving into hunting season, the jacket was used as one of several layers during active hunts and we found it performed really well during strenuous spot-and-stalk sessions. The key to the functionality of the jacket is the PrimaLoft Evolve insulation.
Stone Glacier Cirque Lite Jacket
We appreciated the versatility of this jacket while hunting in 2023. We used it as a top layer during some strenuous hikes when it wasn’t pouring. Side panels of the jacket feature fleece that allows moisture to escape. During colder, wetter, spot-and-stalk hunts, we moved this layer under a top waterproof shell. It was also part of a larger layering kit on more sedentary hunts spent glassing and waiting for animals to approach. We like that the jacket keeps your core warm, with synthetic insulation and water-resistant fabric at the torso, but also allows excess heat to escape. We also like the oversized hood, which always comes in handy when it’s raining, and the deep hand pockets. This is one of those jackets that you can wear for everyday use and comes in two neutral solid colors—Tarmac or Stone Grey.
FORLOH Men’s AllClima Stretch Woven Pant
FORLOH’s AllClima series are feature-rich pieces with excellent performance, along with several camo and solid-color options. They are comfortable, breathable, water resistant, and quiet, thanks to their 4-way stretch and mid-weight fabric. The pant features side- and cargo pockets, 2 back pockets, built-in knee pads, and side vent zippers for temperature regulation. The inside of the waistband has a silicone gripper to keep your pants up, or your shirt tucked in. They feature a gusseted crotch for comfort and mobility, plus reinforced seat, knee, side panels and cuffs for abrasion resistance. These are excellent hunting pants, available in many sizes, 3 solid colors, and 3 camo patterns, including Snowfall, a winter camo pattern.
Sitka Gear Duck Oven Jacket
The Duck Oven Jacket is designed to be worn for waterfowl hunting while wearing chest waders. But it makes a great cold-weather jacket for any activity. This jacket blocks wind with WINDSTOPPER by Gore-Tex Labs and uses PrimaLoft Gold synthetic insulation in the torso and sleeves to provide warm-when-wet performance. The sleeves have thumbholes to help with layering. The Duck Oven has 2 high hand pockets, plus 2 zippered lower hand pockets, plus a water-resistant zippered chest pocket. It comes in 2 camo patterns and one solid color, in sizes from M to 3XL.
Stone Glacier Grumman LITE Down Jacket
Ultralight yet packed with 850+ fill HyperDry DWR-treated goose down and a weather-resistant face fabric, the Grumman LITE hunting jacket provides the exact same functionality as the original Grumman but in a minimalist design made for milder conditions. It has an articulated, adjustable hood that is designed to optimize hearing and vision, YKK zippers, and a stuff sack. It packs down very small, conserving pack weight. This is a fantastic insulating layer to wear under raingear.
Duluth Trading Company Men’s DuluthFlex Fire Hose HD Relaxed Fit Pants
While these aren’t technical hunting pants, they are very rugged while being exceptionally comfortable for work or everyday wear. What makes them special is the fabric. It has double the tensile strength and rip resistance of the original Fire Hose fabric, yet it’s a lighter fabric with a bit of built-in stretch. They are triple-stitched, have 8 pockets, a roomier crotch gusset, and a wide back belt loop. Our tester found these much more comfortable than your average pair of jeans.
Sitka Gear Jetstream Jacket
The Jetstream is Sitka Gear’s all-time best-selling jacket. This zippered hoody features Gore-Tex WINDSTOPPER to cut the wind, plus a DWR-treated outer fabric to repel light precipitation. The Jetstream is a great mid-layer during the shoulder seasons, and outer layer during summer. While it is not a rain jacket, it is windproof, breathable, and does shed light precipitation well. It also has pit zips so you can ventilate on the long hike up to the alpine. While it was designed as a hunting piece, we find it to be one of those pieces of gear that easily crosses over between hunting and fishing.
FORLOH AllClima Stretch Woven Jacket
This mid-weight jacket features 4-way stretch and a full-mesh lining, 2 zippered hand pockets and a zippered chest pocket, and cinch cords at the hood and waist to help improve fit. Polygiene Stay Fresh antimicrobial and Odor Crunch scent control helps you stay undetected by game. This jacket is the perfect companion to FORLOH’s AllClima Stretch Woven Pant. Available in 2 solid colors and 2 camo patterns. This jacket is a great outer layer in dry conditions or a mid-layer when it’s wet outside.
KUIU Super Down LT Hooded Jacket
The Super Down LT is designed to be an insulating mid-layer, though it can be worn as an outer layer. The shell is Toray nylon ripstop, and the fill is 850+ water-resistant Quixdown. The shell material has a matte finish, and is lighter, quieter, and more packable, while being reputedly tougher by 50%. It’s very packable and can be self-stowed into the right hand pocket, which has enough room to also stow the Super Down LT Pant if you have them. With both stowed in the pocket, it makes a nice camp pillow.
If space is limited, you can cinch the stowed jacket down to half its normal stowed size. The jacket has a fitted hood with a back cinch adjustment, zippered hand pockets, and an interior mesh drop pocket. Available in sizes S through 3XL, in 3 camo patterns and 3 solid colors.
Stone Glacier Helio Pullover and Bottom
These two pieces were designed as a mid-layer that can be used all season long. The Pullover has a quarter zip, as well as a small chest pocket. It’s constructed of micro-grid fleece with Polygiene odor-control technology and has built-in thumb loops. It is available in 3 colors. The bottoms are constructed of the same material, and feature nearly full-length zippers to provide ventilation during active pursuits. We especially like that the bottoms are cut to end at the top of your boots. Though these 2 items are designed to be mid-layers, we have worn them as base layers on several occasions. We love the thoughtful, innovative design Stone Glacier puts into all their products.
FORLOH Men’s SolAir Technical Hoody
This zip-up hoody is designed to be a warm-weather piece with UPF 50 sun protection and Polygiene odor control. However, we wore if frequently in cooler weather as a mid-layer over a merino wool base layer. It has two slash pockets, and a small chest pocket. The 4-way stretch fabric is comfortable, and this hoody is useful not only for hunting, but also fishing, backpacking and other activities.
Minus 33 Lightweight Acadian Men’s Boxer Brief
These 100% merino-wool boxer briefs are a fine choice for Alaska outdoorsmen. Merino wool keeps you warmer than other natural fibers, stays warm when wet, dries quickly and is far superior to cotton. The boxer briefs are comfortable and really held up well for our tester during weeks of intense exercise.
FORLOH Men’s Deep Space Base Layer
FORLOH is really making its presence known with many great hunting and fishing apparel products. This synthetic base layer is made of a polyester/spandex blend and features a NASA Certified Space Technology, Trizar, to capture and re-radiate your body heat and to help diffuse moisture caused by sweat. This base layer is suitable for both fishing and hunting, as both the top and bottom have Polygiene Odor Crunch + Stay Fresh to minimize odor. This base layer comes in many sizes and 6 different colors.
FORLOH Insect Shield SolAir Lightweight Pants and Hooded Long Sleeve Shirt
Bugs are a fact of life in Alaska. FORLOH’s lightweight pants and hooded long-sleeve shirt add welcome protection during the warm-weather months. These garments are treated with Insect Shield to repel bugs and work well whether you’re fishing, hunting, or hiking. They also have FORLOH’s new Brrr Pro built into the fabric to help keep you cooler when it’s warm outside. With Brrr Pro, the fabric also wicks away moisture very well. The fabric is treated with Polygiene Stay Fresh antimicrobial and Odor Crunch scent-control systems to help you stay odor free on extended backcountry trips or while hunting.
The pants feature UPF 50+ sun protection, articulated knees, gusseted crotch, secure hip- and seat pockets, belt loops, and YKK zippers. The fabric is a polyester/spandex blend making them elastic, lightweight, and strong, and the pants are available in 2 solid colors and 2 camo patterns. The hooded shirt has the same fabric features as the pants, plus 4-way stretch for mobility and comfort. You could wear the hooded shirt as a lightweight base layer, and we often do.
Minus33 Expedition Chugach Men’s Zip-Off 3/4 Bottoms
The beauty of this expedition-weight, 100% merino wool, 3/4-length mid-layer is that it has full-length zippers so it can be put on and taken off without removing your boots. Just drop your shell pants, then put these on and zip the zippers, then pull your shell pants back up. It’s designed to be an insulating mid-layer, but it could be used as a heavy-duty base layer as well. Features include flat-lock seams, zippers fully backed with fabric, hook-and-loop closures at the waist, fly opening, and a large gusset for ease of movement.
FORLOH Men’s ThermoNeutral Down Jacket
This jacket is designed to be an insulating mid-layer. To use as your primary outer layer, size up. The ThermoNeutral Down Jacket features DWR-treated 650-fill organic duck down, so it retains its loft and warmth even if it gets wet. The shell is made of 40D Ripstop nylon and the baffles are sonically welded to improve water resistance and durability. Other features include YKK reverse coil zippers, 2 internal gear pockets, 2 zippered hand-warmer pockets, and 1 zippered chest pocket. Though designed for hunting, this makes a good ice-fishing mid-layer as well. Available in 3 solid colors and 3 camo patterns. Wearing it under the AllClima Stretch Woven Jacket makes a great cold-weather ensemble.
Minus33 Expedition Men’s Wool Full Zip Wilderness
Publisher Marcus Weiner is a big-time merino wool fan. After testing this garment, he shared, “This full-zip sweater is a new favorite. It’s warm, moisture wicking, odor resistant, fits well, and the wool is anti-microbial. We used it on 4 different hunts in 2023 and were very impressed. It will be part of our cold-weather fishing kit and on every cool- and cold-weather hunt going forward. Minus33 garments come in 4 different weights to accommodate a wide range of hunter’s needs.”
Minus33 Expedition Men’s Mock Neck
This 100% merino wool mock neck shirt is the most heavy-weight, base-layer shirt our tester has ever worn. It’s well-constructed, very warm, wicks moisture, and like all 100% merino wool fabrics, it doesn’t stink even after a few days’ wear. This shirt works as a heavy base layer, or as a mid-layer. Flat-lock seams prevent chafing, and the tag-less label means no tag to irritate your skin.
Minus33 Expedition Women’s Brushed Wool Hoodie
Merino wool is one of those things that nature does so well it has no credible alternatives. It’s warm, moisture wicking, anti-microbial, stays warm when wet, fire resistant, UV protective, and renewable. This hoodie has all of that plus an inside pocket to keep your stuff dry, and an oversize hood to cover a hat.
Zamberlan 226 Salathe Trek GTX RR Boot
These sharp-looking boots fit great from Day 1, featuring solid ankle support, a well-cushioned footbed and an aggressive sole built for action. They are lightweight but provide the stability of a much heavier boot. We hunted deer, hiked some steep terrain, and carried some heavy loads while wearing these boots in 2023.
Kenetrek Mountain Guide NI
Having worn the Kenetrek Mountain Guide 400s for a couple seasons, Editor George Krumm wanted a non-insulated version for early season hunts. The NI version is visually identical to the insulated version with the exception of color, and it fits the same, too. This 10” tall boot is made with 2.8 mm full-grain leather, with no seams down the tongue which improves abrasion resistance and waterproofness. George has walked many miles in these boots and as long as the temperature is mid-20s or warmer, these are the boots he most often reaches for.
Kenetrek Montana Midweight Boot Height Sock
Publisher Marcus Weiner has been wearing Kenetrek boots for 15+ years. They are his number one choice for hunting footwear. This year he tested some of their socks. “These socks are among the best I’ve worn. They are a combination of merino wool, polypropylene, and nylon that produces a comfortable, warm, odor wicking, breathable, and quick-drying sock. I hiked many, many miles in them in 2023 and did not get a single blister. Well done, Kenetrek! Consider wearing these socks under your waders to keep feet warm in Alaska’s cold water.”
Sealskinz Raynham Waterproof All Weather Mid Length Sock
Eric Hershey is a hardcore hunter who contributes regularly to this magazine. He relayed, “Even the most expensive hunting boots will fail at some point, but it doesn’t need to ruin your hunt. After several bad experiences with leaking boots, I invested in a pair of waterproof socks to provide some extra insurance. These Sealskinz socks are waterproof and breathable, and can be worn over your regular hiking socks inside wet boots. During a recent rainy sheep hunt, my hunting boots became soaked on the first day after trudging through miles of wet vegetation. These waterproof socks allowed my feet to stay dry so I could continue hunting hard even with soggy boots.”
Meindl EuroLight Hunter Uninsulated
Contributing Editor Scott Haugen shared, “For nearly two decades I’ve hunted around the world in Meindl boots and can say without hesitation, their new EuroLight Hunter boots are simply superb. Tough, very low-profile and for the incredible lightweight features, offer phenomenal ankle and foot support. Features 9-inch waxed nubuck leather uppers that perform well in a range of conditions and aren’t restricting on calves or ankles.
A Gore-Tex waterproof and breathable liner keeps water out but allows perspiration vapor to escape. The multi-directional lug construction offers exceptional traction and dexterity in the wide range of rocky habitats I wore them in. Weighs only 3 pounds per pair (uninsulated). Also comes insulated and in women’s.”
Muck Boots Men’s Apex Lace Up Boot
We’ve been wearing boots in the Apex collection for the last several years and like them. We wore this model in 2023 during multiple long hikes under heavy loads on a good trail; we also wore them in uber-wet conditions on long hikes on game trails. They performed well. We spend a lot of time moving during our spot-and-stalk hunts and these boots provide an athletic fit and good protection. We partnered them with Kenetrek gaiters, which stopped any moisture or debris from entering the top of the boot. After about 50 miles of hiking in these boots, our tester commented that the memory-foam footbed felt good on his feet, and that he had no issues with blisters.
Zamberlan 1110 Baltoro Lite GTX
These handcrafted, Italian-made boots are awesome for early- to mid-season hunting and hardcore backpacking. The 8” boots are not insulated, but they are guaranteed waterproof and breathable due to Gore-Tex Performance Comfort membranes. They feature Perwanger leather uppers, with PU-coated rubber rands to fend off abrasion. Like many high-end Italian-made boots, they can be resoled. Anti-corrosion hardware provides good lace longevity. The exclusive Zamberlan Vibram Starlite outsoles provide high traction in a variety of terrain. For as light as they are (less than 3 pounds a pair), these boots provide an incredible amount of ankle support
Sitka Gear Cuffed Knit Beanie
Warm and functional, this hat is made from 80% wool and 20% nylon, so it stays warm when wet and dries quickly. Even in summer, Alaska weather often merits a stocking cap; we bring one on every adventure.
Stone Glacier P12 Knee Pads
These knee pads are compatible with De Havilland and De Havilland Lite pants. They are really light—2.1 ounces—you don’t even really know you have ‘em on. Knees can take a lot of abuse in the field. These knee pads make it much easier to kneel on rocky ground or ground with thorny vegetation. They’re ventilated to help keep you cool and are low profile. If you have Stone Glacier DeHavilland pants, you should get these.
Arcade Atlas Performance Stretch Belt
This belt is designed to provide a custom fit up to 40” in length, with a low-profile, micro-adjustable buckle. A long version (up to 52”) is also available. The one we received had the Cowabunga-Ivy Green pattern on it. For active wear, or just wearing around town, we find stretch belts to be the absolute most comfortable solution. Arcade makes good ones.
Stone Glacier Altimeter Insulated Mitt
Altimeter Mitts consist of an outer waterproof, 3-layer HydraShield shell, and removable PrimaLoft Cross Core synthetic insulation liners. These mitts are built for the nastiest of hunting conditions, including late-season forays on a snowmachine. They have MELCO taped palms and thumbs for improved grip in cold conditions, removable wrist tethers, and pull-on loops. The extended cuffs help keep cold from seeping in at your wrists. If you hunt in very cold conditions, Altimeter Mitts are a good choice.
Arcade Hardware Utility Belt
Like the Atlas Performance Stretch Belt, the Arcade Hardware Utility Belt is designed to provide a custom fit up to 40” in length, with a low-profile, micro-adjustable buckle. A long version (up to 52”) is also available. Belt width is 1.5”. This is also a stretch belt, but the outer material is a stiffer, Cordura-like material. This belt is great for hanging pliers or other tools on it. If you need a stouter belt than the Atlas, the Hardware is a good choice.
Stone Glacier Graupel Fleece Glove
During most fall hunting seasons, the Graupel Fleece Glove is heavy enough to keep your hands warm, yet slim enough to allow you to shoot. They resist wind and moisture well, and can be worn under Stone Glacier’s Altimeter Mitts or Gloves; however, Graupel Gloves are a little more robust than what many call liner gloves. They have conductive index fingers and thumbs to operate touch screens, silicone dots on the palms for better grip, and pull-on loops for easy on.
Sitka Gear Neck Gaite
Neck gaiters are very helpful in cold-weather hunting situations, and Sitka’s is a good one. The inside is thick, pile fleece and since it stretches a little, you can pull it up over your chin or even up over your nose. Once size fits all, and it’s available in 5 camo patterns and 2 solid colors.
