Your car comes with a tire iron and screw jack. What's wrong with that?

I just call my wife.

If you want something "not be too heavy and easy to use and reliable", stick an AAA card in your wallet.

The best thing to buy is tire patching kit, needle nose pliers and a portable air compressor you can usually find the nail with the tire still attached and plug it and pump it back up, even my wife can do it!

Maybe what most people lack when changing a tire is practice: Where's the jack/iron/tire? Where do I put the jack under the car? Why'd I park in loose soil? Which way do I turn the nuts? How do I leave a message for my loved ones after I'm killed by oncoming traffic?

And don't buy crappy tires in the first place.