I know a guy…
who last year traveled across the country camping and hiking all over and fishing. He carried with him an Oni Type 3 (some consider fragile); suntech rods, Rhodo and many others. He was often not able to clean the rods…they also went through huge temperature shifts from day to night even while collapsed and dirty. They also did a lot of bush wacking. They all held up. I think most of the rods that are very light and full flex seem delicate but are indeed designed for normal abuse. By normal I do not mean all the pit falls mentioned in the How often do rods break? section.
So I guess my conclusion from my friend’s experience is that the light rods that cast the light lines well are not actually as fragile as you would think. Toss them in your trunk and have fun.