Yes, getting the canvas wet is not a problem. Waterproofing spray
helps a little, but I can't say it's worth the trouble. It's also not
a problem to close the poptop with wet canvas as long as you open it
up to dry as soon as you get a chance. Last time that happened to me,
I was on the road with a wet canvas from previous nights camp out. The
next night I popped the top in the rain again, so it stayed wet. Went
home the next day and left the top up to dry out in the sun. The trick
is to never leave the top down with a wet canvas for more than a day
or mold/mildew will grow which will eat the canvas eventually.

A rain fly would be nice, but how do you remove it in a downpour and
keep the canvas dry? Then, what are you going to do with all that wet
fabric? How wet are you going to get just taking the fly down? I will
pass on the rain fly, but YMMV.

If you plan on replacing your canvas consider spending a bit more for
the material that is mildew resistant. Yes, it is synthetic and not
very earth-friendly, but will probably last longer than the rest of
your Westy!

My 2 cents...

Keith O

On Feb 3, 2008, at 10:00 AM, Automatic digest processor wrote:

> Date:    Sun, 3 Feb 2008 01:23:05 -0500
> From:    John Runberg <jrunberg@MAC.COM>
> Subject: Re: rainfly
>
> Matt
>
> Getting wet doesn't hurt it, but I dont like sleeping next to wet
> canvas. Also dont like closing the pop while wet.
>
> Have sprayed it with waterproofing spray but its never worked that
> well. A fly is the best option for me when camping in the rain.
>
> John