A quick Hubski tip: To "tag" somebody in a post, surround their name with the "@" sign on both ends! Now WanderingEng should see your comments, too!

Whoa. Somehow I missed this, troischiens. Those sound like some very harsh conditions, especially for a tent which has been put through the ringer! I know there are spray-on and other waterproofing compounds which are effective on clothing and tent materials. I've never personally used any, but will be soon as my down jacket is starting to lose it's water resistance (a big problem in the PNW).

Note to self: Coleman fuel is volatile...I typically just buy the MSR stuff, I wonder how volatile that is...

I currently have one three-season tent with a tarp, rainfly, and stakes. The latter are a life saver in windy conditions, I'm yet to have much trouble but also haven't been in extremely windy conditions yet. My biggest problem with it is weight, the thing say 5lbs but in reality it's closer to 6lbs, much too heavy for backpacking, so, I'm in the market for a lighter tent. Likely a single-person, or a bivy! I haven't done much winter camping yet, but am hoping to do this I guess this upcoming winter considering the current one is nearly over. Stove set-up hasn't been much of an issue as my tent has a vestibule area which can be great for setting up a stove, especially if you have some sort of windshield. Aluminum works, but really anything with a bit of height you can find nearby will work, too.