Any time you venture more than a few miles from home you run the risk of something breaking. I broke a fan belt on the Florida Turnpike one night and sat off to the side of the road for hours, waiting for a cop. (Pre cell phone days) Finally I gave up and started hitchhiking, and after a while a trailer truck stopped. After we were driving along for a while I heard a female voice from the sleeper behind me, there was his wife or girlfriend who had been hiding in there with a .357 magnum, just in case I was up to no good. Once they realized I was just a guy who broke down, she came out. Glad I wasn't a truck-jacker!

Fixaflat in a can is something else I like to carry. It has saved me more than once. Vice grips have been my friend many times too.

Don