Your pack is fine for now. Once you get back into hiking, you may decide you want to lighten up your gear a bit, and you should buy your new pack after you've upgraded your other stuff.

No need to worry about bears in NC/VA. No real need for a firearm, either.

Plenty of backpacking food available in grocery stores these days. Some folks carry MRE's, but they tend to be heavy for the calories. (Can't comment on the taste of current versions; my experience with them is a long time ago.) Lipton's noodles and sauce with a bag of chicken is a popular hiking meal, for example. You might look at the site www.freezerbagcooking.com.

There is plenty of great hiking in NC and Virginia. The Mount Rogers area is popular, as is Roan Mountain in NC.

Have fun!