The OP asked about "Favorite Gear", rather than "Must Haves".

But, a lot depends on the fine details. For a person riding 40 miles RT, a pump and spare tube is a "must have".

Perhaps I'll return to this and label each piece as "favorite", or not so favorite.

Still, a jaunt to the grocery store would be different than doing a double century ride off to buy some bike part a couple of towns away.