A properly patched tube will serve you as reliably as a new tube would. I never throw away a tube unless it has a valve stem issue or large tear in the rubber - they get patched and put back into rotation. I typically will put in a fresh (new or previously properly patched) tube on a roadside flat repair instead of patching a tube on the side of the road, unless I have a ride with more than one puncture. I will bring the damaged tube back to the garage to assess and repair, normally waiting until I have a few tubes needing patches, and doing them all in one sitting. This gives a better chance of being able to use all of the vulcanizing fluid in the patch kit before it evaporates.
In my experience, the Park patch kits are pretty good. My preferred are the Rema Tip Top kits, but both work well. Just make sure to get a proper repair kit, and not the patches with pre-applied adhesive (like stickers). Those are no good and will fail.