Originally Posted by
lil brown bat
The "it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it" philosophy is easy to overdo, resulting in a ton of crap on one's back/in one's panniers/hanging off one's bike. It also presupposes that one's choices come down to exactly those two things. It's better still not to need it and not have it, and there are any number of ways that this can be accomplished.
It depends on your mindset. I like to explore and I don't have many time constraints.
Quite honestly, I've never needed the paper towels for toilet paper, but I've supplied it to a few people that have needed it. I've also supplied them with moist towelettes for their hands and for my peace of mind.
I've never needed my pepper spray, either, but I'd hate to need it and not have it.