I went to the Rochester, Minnesota National with only a screwdriver. That was it. Why did I do it? Because I was tired of people always saying "I replaced that old engine with a 350 so I could drive across country, and buy parts anywhere". I lost a rotor on that trip, got towed to NAPA, bought one, installed it and got back on the road in less than two hours (including waiting for a flatbed). Yes, you should take some spare parts and some tools, but at a certain point you realize that whatever just broke you don't have...why couldn't my starter blow?