I tell you an easy way to determine if you want/need CO2 in addition to a hand pump; try using your hand pump to pump up a totally flat tire to full pressure whilst in the controlled comfort of your living room and then decide if you want to go through that out in the road in the sun or the rain or the wind or in the dark.

Remember, sh*t happens.

Just yesterday I happened upon a woman who was standing by the side of the road with her bicycle. I slowed down, and asked her if everything was OK. She told me that her derailleur had broken (off), and that she'd called her husband, who was coming to collect her. You can't really plan for that (save for shortening the chain and running one gear), but I have encountered more than one rider who has had N+1 flats and only N tubes/CO2 carts.

Micro pump
tube
2 CO2 cans
patch kit

Mini-pimp clips to the bottle bolts and gets the tube started so I can get ~100psi into the tire with the CO2 can and appreciate the day, not just get home.

Having done all that, all I can say is that it's amazing our species has made it this far, without getting eaten on the side of the road by wolves while we were all fixing our flats.

Of course, that doesn't take much planning.

Best to carry a spare bicycle just in case.

so here's my answer with respect to the thread title:

d) all of the above

I rarely, rarely have to use the patches and/or the pump, but boy im glad to have them when I do.

This....
http://imageshack.us/a/img713/7569/lezj.jpg


and this....
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/8595/skxb.jpg

I'll probably be vilified for this, but I run tubulars as my everyday wheels/tires. So... 1 spare tire, 2 CO2 cartridges, 1 CO2 inflation valve, 1 multi-tool, 1 presta valve wrench in this

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/im.../13082_i_1.jpg

If I'm going out in the boonies, I'll fold up a second tire (yes, tied up with an old toe clip strap). As heretical as this might seem, I rarely get flats and never had more than one on a single ride averaging 80 - 120 miles/week. And if push really comes to shove, both the wife and I are retired, so there's always the cell phone.

Jesus in my heart. CO2 in my bag.

This.

The CO2 works perfectly when I 've practiced at home but not so much on the road. For some reason the one time I tried on the road the first cartridge went pfffttttt and so did the second. Road morph G for me now.

True. I had a Blackburn with a poorly designed o-ring plunger. Did not seal well. I complained and they sent me a new one. Then I had 2 poorly designed pumps. Now I have Park's adjustable frame pump under the top tube.

you think?? that pump is awesome. its the only frame pump ive ever used which actually pumps up to 100psi. i hear good things about the road morph also. on topic, i carry the lezyne pump, patches, two levers, tube and multi tool and do the old school store tools in bottle trick.

whats that black plastic tool on the far right of the bottom pic? some kind of tire remover?

CO2 and spare tube...in nearly 10 years, never used it. Never had a flat once...so now my luck is run out. Either way, I carry CO2 and a tube, and I can lever a tube out quick. Changed 4 tires out last night (wife's and son's bike) in 15 minutes.

CO2 only. You don't need the frame pump unless you're doing a multiday tour. The Co2 heads now are so good (controllable flow) that you really have nobody to blame but yourself if you zap the whole cansiter in a single pop without inflating properly. If you bring 2 x 16g canisters, that's actuallly enough for 4 functional near-complete fills .

Top pic? Tire bead jack for tire installation

I'm a big fan of the Lezyne Road Drive. It's by far the best frame pump I've ever had.

I do most of my riding on Maxxis Re-Fuse tires, so flats are relatively rare. I just carry one extra tube and a Park Tool Super Patch Kit just in case. I always carry a little cash which can either double as a boot or get me a ride home in a pinch.

Pumps are acceptable for some people
 

Sometimes people just want to ride without worrying about everything.
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=330930
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=330931

either way is just fine.

I gotta admit - I find the pic of that Pinarello with that huge frame pump ghastly. A CO2 canister + the air chuck would almost certainly fit into that saddle bag (and definitely into your jersey pocket) without ruining the cosmetics of that frame.

Yup - Kool Stop Tire Bead Jack. I had to cut it though so I can bring it with me on my rides. Great for mounting hard to mount tires like MP4s or GP4000s.

tire bead jack. that is relevant to my interests! i have never seen such a device and i hang out in bike shops all week long. (yeah, i meant top pic)

Two tubes. Really? I find that the most surprising of all. I can't imagine needing two tubes. I've never even needed one tube. I carry a tube and use it all the time instead of bothering to patch on the spot. Wife flatted just two days ago. Check tire, check rim tape and insert new tube. I carry the spare tube more to speed up the process, but also as an important backup in the small event of some catastrophic blowout.
I also carry a Lezyne Road. I think it's the smallest/best out there, but there are larger frame pumps that get to higher lbs. I carry the pump because I've had days with multiple flats for one reason or another. Not likely. Not often, but sooner or later you'll do a long ride and let a friend use your C02 then need it yourself and then....
Also, I put a quick 20 pumps into my 25c tires then hit it with C02, 16 grams. Less time spent feeding mosquitoes the better.

Pump, tube, minitool, patches, tire lever, change for drink machine,gel and gluclose tabs.