Surely stores carry bear spray in the states...its better than mace...geared to stop that 750 lb mama bear ready to eat your brain out of your head to protect her cubs.
I second lillamy with the gun - unless you know how to use one expertly and intend to shoot to kill, do not carry one.
And again second lillamy on finding your inner grizzly mama...we Alaskans know what that means and we don't need Sarah Palin to lay it all out for us. Remember that look on your kids faces as they were used as pawns to scare you, and never let it happen again.