My tent is a small two person and definitely no water proof, so that's why I started car camping. I did a couple of back pack excursions out west where rain chances are much lower than in the east. Ended up just sleeping on the ground without a tent for six nights on one trip even though I packed the tent. Sleeping on the ground without a tent was a strange feeling and something we humans dont do very often and took some getting used to. Always wondered about snakes. Looking forward to talking about nomading. Dtube definitely has some problems, but I've avoided posting on YouTube altogether. To me You Tube is statest. Hope your family gets well and makes the trip with you to Michigan.