As reputable 16GB flash drives have appeared and have started to slowly drop in price it's something I considered.

After setting up a test with a 4GB flash drive on my tablet it works fine but seems like a kludge, which is to say it's cumbersome for such a portable device.
I have the short Motorola micro-mini USB adapter and the one-piece mini-A female adapter and the result is still just sort of eight inches long with a Sandisk Cruzer micro stuck in the end of it!
I have my share of worries about the mechanical stresses hanging a lot of stuff on the micro USB port connector will incur over time in a portable environment as well, but that's me.