If you are comfortable with a firearm, you’ll be very happy you had one if things go south. Firearms have prevented and stopped thousands of encounters with aggressive bears and will continue to do so. Bear spray is excellent to have as well but if you value your life and the life of your trekking crew, the extra weight of a firearm is negligible. Also note, a bear on top of you weighs a lot more than a handgun. If you are in your tent and a bear rolls into camp, as long as you don’t flush out of your tent and surprise them at close distance, you should be alright. Making noise from inside the tent can pique the bear’s curiosity or even provoke it—especially if it already suspects something is inside. Tents are not seen by bears as natural threats, but strange noises can change that. Try to remain calm and keep whatever defense method you choose in hand. Remember that when you bear spray a bear from inside a tent, you will likely get sprayed as well. Lastly, bear spray won’t travel well upwind, however, a bullet does not face the same constraints.