I've heard good protection against black bears is to carry bells to make a lot of noise on the trail. If you come across bear scat, and there are bells mixed in, it's from a grizzly.
Shelly tells me she isn't worried about bears. I asked her if she can run faster than a bear. She says she can run faster than me, and that's good enough.
But I do know this: if you carry a .38, or even a .44, for bear protection you should file off the sight. Then it won't hurt so much when the bear grabs it and shoves it up....
Oh, sorry John! You're asking a serious question, and here I am making jokes.
I've never considered carrying bear spray anywhere we've been. It's expensive. I have heard one can rent it at certain parks.
Tom