LOL.... I was just getting ready to post a bit of advice about bear spray. I would recommend a can of Bear Spray as a must for anyone who hikes back-country and can't carry a sidearm for whatever reason.
I would choose a double action revolver, Ruger Redhawk maybe, shooting a full metal jacketed round. I would choose a double action revolver because if I hit a misfire then another pull of the trigger is all I need to clear it. FMJ round for the penetration.
A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.
― Edward R. Murrow
"You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them" - Ray Bradbury