August 6: Dundee, IA to Waverly, IA

Learned something today; thought I'd share.

When you buy a tent, it invariably comes packed with little guy ropes used to brace and stabilize the tent structure in inclement weather. Turns out these are not ornamental but in fact should be used nightly. Even, it would appear, when you bed down on a cool, perfectly clear eve and are awakened, say, at 1:30 a.m., to the sound of thunder and torrential rain.

I've also learned that a tent can be secured on a moment's notice and reasonably well--even in panic mode--and that a mildly damp synthethic sleeping bag is still surprisingly warm and dries rapidamente in the morning sun.