Use a stick or rocks or your hands and feet. Most people who hike in Alaska's wilderness don't carry a weapon. They know that the best defense is common sense. Traveling and camping carefully are all that they need. If you feel the need for additional protection, consider the following.
Many people now carry 'pepper spray' a bear deterrent make from the juice of red-hot peppers.
This incapacitating spray teaches bears a lesson without permanently maiming them. It's available at local sporting goods stores and at visitor centers. Be familiar with the characteristics of the brand you choose and its warnings. You are allowed to carry a gun for protection in Alaska. Remember, though, that more people are hurt by the guns they carry than are hurt by bears.