Yeah, you should NEVER ride with untested equipment unless the ride is short and close to home. Take an old tube and tire, mount them up, and then stab with an icepick. Then fix the flat at home in the comfort of your garage. Do it couple times, patching with a patch kit, so you have experience with the repair. Wasting a couple of CO2 cartridges on this is pretty cheap compared to the stress of not knowing what to do on the road.
Try also putting a slice in the old tire, and installing a boot using a dollar bill or a gel pack. This is pretty basic stuff that all cyclists should know how to do, and learning on the road is not as good as learning at home.