They might say "don't try this at home" but nothing about not trying it at your friend's house.
My whole thing with spare tires is this... Over the past seven years, I needed a spare car much more than I needed a spare tire. From totaling my 2007 6MT accord to owning a 2006 Mehstang GT that was always breaking down, my 1997 Civic coupe was more useful than a spare tire! In fact, the last time I used a spare tire to drive a decent distance was in 2003 coming back from the St. Patrick's day parades in New Orleans. Now I have used the second car to get tires with nails, screws, and keys repaired, but I despise driving on a spare tire!
2019 WRX Limited - Stock HK for now while waiting on parts to be developed...
Keep the spare. Given you are concerned about the severity of the past tire failures, long trips, and remote locations, you will gain in peace of mind what you will loose in install complexity.