I got the wrench at sears. Use the closed end only. Should only set you back a few bucks. If they won't sell it individually, try one of the big box stores that have tools (ie home depot, lowes etc not *mart) and they should have their brand individually. Also check pawn shops. Great tools deals can be had!

I've tried just about every tire/tube combination I could think of. DO NOT run slime tubes. They are very heavy. In my case I ran thorn resistant tubes with slime in them. Ugh. Talk about a performance killer. HEAVY. Anyway the slime and other things don't generally work any better than a patch kit, and if you DO have to patch it, you have a gooey mess to clean up before you can apply a patch. Like others have said, if you're worried about flats, get kevlar belted tires or some of the other recommended tires.

Its noteworthy that I haven't had a road debris induced flat all winter. I did have a pinch flat, my own fault (gotta keep tire pressure up!). I was having lots of flats at one point, but I changed how I ride. Stay out of the road grit and watch out for stuff on the road. I run $7 performancebike.com slick tires and they don't have any extra flat protection. No kevlar, nothing. Just your riding technique can make a huge impact on flats. It did for me, at least