A couple of years ago I was crossing the Katy Trail in Missouri. A stick popped into my rear wheel taking out one of the drive-side spokes. I had a spare spoke, but not a chain whip or cassette tool. So I loosened up the spokes on each side of the broke spoke to true up the wheel a little and kept pedaling. Nice to have 36-spoke wheels. About 75 miles later a spoke on the opposite side of the wheel broke. Probably putting a lot of strain on it with the three loose/broke spokes 180° away. I rode another 30 miles that way and finally came to a mechanic in Defiance, Missouri right on the Katy Trail.

Now I carry spare spokes, a chain whip, cassette tool, and an adjustable wrench. I'll never need them.