I typically trailer to wherever I am going, so I'm not usually hundreds if not thousands of miles away like others in the community. I love driving my Jeep out of the state to do that, but my wife can't handle it, so I compromise to keep her happy. Maybe out of ignorance, I don't carry another Jeep worth of spares in my Jeep when I am on the trail. For those who have wheeled with me, I'm the first one with tools or recovery gear when someone has a problem and the first to get my hands dirty. My thought was to take a spare regardless. My trips are my yearly vacations, and I wouldn't want to have my vacation cut short because I don't have something as silly as a spare, nor can I rely on finding a 40 in some remote location should I sidewall one. Having said that, I would have my spare tire, along with trip ending spares back at my truck and or load a spare in the back if I was by myself or in an area that calls for it. Places like Moab are probably less likely to sidewall than Colorado for instance. Planning who you wheel with is also important. If I'm with a group, it would make sense to me that we plan out in advance who carries what to maximize the chances that everyone gets out. In other words it doesn't make changes sense that multiple people carry spare rubi axle shafts and no one carry a steering box. Just an example, but you get the idea. Maybe it's just an engineer OCD thing, but I have this major weight fobia and constantly think about maximizing efficiency. I also tend to over build, not because I'm constantly doing the hardest trails out there, but because I want to minimize my chances of breaking. Anyway, I hope that adds color to the conversation. I don't have the answers, just thoughts on the matter so let the flames begin.
