I'm surprised that no one has mention it, but my first line of defense is a boat horn. You can get them small enough to pack (or big enough to find in the dark), they are very loud, they are not a natural sound that wild bears will hear.
I have a cousin that is a fishing guide on the Kanai penisula in Alaska and this is his claim 'If I see a bear getting too close I will use the boat horn. If it flees, all is OK. If not, it is planning to charge. It gives me a few seconds to prepare.' He sees lots of bears and has a few encounters every year. He laughs at the mention of bear spray; says it is for city dwellers who have seen too many 'Grizzly Adams' re-runs.
If you decide to carry lead spray, make sure it is big enough and you can shoot it accurately while under high stress.
jim
I have a cousin that is a fishing guide on the Kanai penisula in Alaska and this is his claim 'If I see a bear getting too close I will use the boat horn. If it flees, all is OK. If not, it is planning to charge. It gives me a few seconds to prepare.' He sees lots of bears and has a few encounters every year. He laughs at the mention of bear spray; says it is for city dwellers who have seen too many 'Grizzly Adams' re-runs.
If you decide to carry lead spray, make sure it is big enough and you can shoot it accurately while under high stress.
jim