I buy bulk patches on ebay, such as these:


I always have a few of those with me on the bike, and a lot more at home. I'm not sure those are the best ones; just the first ones I found. Some of these have a metal backing, others have a metalized plastic backing; I prefer the latter, but the former are easier to find.

48pcs Motor Bicycle Bike Tyre Tire Inner Tube Puncture Rubber Patches Repair Kit | eBay

They only work with the right glue. I buy little tubes of glue on ebay.

Again, there are many options; that's a photo of the ones I'm using at the moment. There must be a hundred ebay sellers offering the same glue. I buy a dozen or so, and always have at least one unopened tube with me on the bike, as well as an opened one. With luck, the open one will dry out before I get another flat.

Bike Glue Cement Rubber Inner Tube Repair Puncture Cold Patch Solution AUCB4 | eBay

At home, I use glue in a can:


By the way, I also carry a piece of a discarded belt sander belt, or of a sanding disk (they tend to be waterproof); and I strongly recommend pressing the patch down with a roller after gluing it on. The ones I use look like this one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TYRE-INNER-T...IAAOSw4GVYNbQr

Again, I don't think it matters which one you use, but you need something that really presses the two layers of rubber together. If you properly scuff the tube, let the glue dry long enough, and press the patch on thoroughly, you can have 100% confidence in your patches; and they don't take long. Most of the time is spent waiting for the glue to dry. If you forget these tools, scuff the tube with a piece of roadside debris (a piece of gravel will do the job nicely) and use a smooth metal tool to press the layers together. It's good to have the right tools, but almost anything will do; but do not omit these steps.