Hi Sammy,

The following pic shows my 'workabout' for the last twenty(20) years of shooting in less than
ideal climes....

Not very pretty but cheap and (so far) effective

As for shooting wildlife in Alaska, there are lots of cruises up there and
I am guessing plenty of "wildlife photo tours/expeditions" ... or, if you don't
mind staying within the Vancouver (actually North Vancouver) city limits you can
shoot the following:

and, of course, you can end the day with a ...
.
.
.
.
.... ... with a lovely sunset ... similar to the one shown here

Cheers,

Jack