Reading this thread reminds me of when I was in college, and the rides I would take with nothing except the bike (Motobecane Grand Jubile). The university was out in the country surrounded by cornfields, with very little traffic on the rural roads.
I would go for long rides on those roads with nothing, no spare tube, no tools, no money, no water, no food, nothing. This was well before cell phones. I live to tell the tale!
Today we have to have a little bike shop in our bags when riding in suburban areas, or we feel unprepared.
Don't pay attention to what they do in other parts pf the world with regard to helmets - get one.
My sister-in-law is an Emergency room doctor, she says they have a name for people that ride bikes and motorcycles without helmets. They call them "organ donors on wheels."