"It's an endless task just keeping the strings in tune with each other anyway."
Maddening, isn't it? Someone asks you if you have a D you believe in, and one of them is probably believable. I recommend against outdoor playing, based on the experience of doing so daily on a ferry for close to 28 years. But it's a great commuter's instrument, small enough for a bicycle, quiet enough to get away with playing or practicing almost anywhere. But the tuning issue may only be soluble with tuners more expensive than a mandolin suitable for bicycle commuting.