also very useful for any puddles or dripping in the tent!

A large sponge can also be used for a warm sponge bath making keeping tent mates happy.

I'd recommend deleting the sponge--I've never used one in my thousands of miles of paddling, often in heavy rain, but I know many think a sponge or bailer is requisite. If my canoe is filling that full of water, I get off the lake and empty it; if it's raining that hard, you won't be able to keep up with it for very long anyway, in my view.

A sponge works great for cleaning out the bottom of the canoe after a muddy or sandy portage.