kyakdiver,

I've got a pretty decent tent, and although I've never been out in a torrential downpour, I have been out in some pretty good showers. No leaks! Good point about being near a town, or at least a dryer.

I'm not leaving for an extended trip until May, so I guess I still have time to think about these things. Then again, it was last mid-May when the midwest US rains hit a record amount, and flooded a great deal of Iowa, which I'll be going through...