I wouldn't know much about eastern bears cuz i live in Colorado (aww yea), but I say mace and peper spray and stuff like that isn't the best thing to have becasue its mostly a short range weapon that has limited spray area. You might want to look on www.BoyScoutsOfAmerica.org (www.bsa.org) For more info on how to protect against bears. And make sure you never hike alone!