As for the fly-- eventually what “kills” tents is the harmful UV. Our average end user who uses the tent one or two weeks out of the year this is not a problem. But if you plan on setting the tent up for extended periods of time the use of a “rain fly” (a plastic tarp that has a UV inhibitor built into it) over the top of the tent is recommended. It also protects the tent top from burn holes, slides the snow, and is another barrier in the rain. But it must be set up correctly (an air space up to the ridge) to allow your tent top to breathe. It is O.K. to have the rain fly touch the tent at the top. But out at the sides of the tent you should use a longer pole to lift the fly up off the tent top.  A couple of poles on each side is suffecent just enough to get a pocket of dead air to a large portion of the tent top.  Note in the picture below the fly is simply held up with a couple of tree branches