Gonzo,
I plan to go to BC and will have a passenger. I will definatly carry my spare and as many other spares as I can round up. I am looking for folks from the Bay area to caravan with for the reasons you mentioned. I plan to carry:
2 prewired distributor caps with rotors/points etc
Set of generator brushes
2 pre wired (bullet quick change) fuel pumps
gasket materials
oil filter (spin on adapted)
Newly restored side curtians
Assorted liquids oil, water, brake fluid, beer, beer, beer
Valve cover gasket
Tools (including a timing light
For all of this I am eyeing a Cape luggage rack they require no drilling.
I will carry a minimum of clothes and extra junk (need room for beer).
I would not let myself get that far from home without being mostly self sufficient. I recommend that you get a rack and carry your spare. Last year Len had 2 blowouts on his BJ8, one on his trailer and one on his rear. I believe he had to go to a shop to get the second repaired, luckily he could leave the trailer behind and drive to the shop.
On the other hand I just got back from Vegas and saw folks taking much bigger risks than being 1000 miles from home with out a spare. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif Let me know if you are interested in driving the 1 there and back.