For what you are doing Distributed Source Code Control sounds the best option.
Having Used both Git & Mercurial, I can say they're definitely better than using something like SVN, for instance, if you want to send a payload of changes to the main dev tree but don't have direct commit access, you can send them a patch set quite easily of all you're changes.
When you are on-the grid, you can just send commits upstream directly.
And unlike SVN/CVS, you don't have to be connected to the grid in order to be able to commit. ( You can set up a local SVN/CVS server, but that wont work with 'the grid' server )
There may be a low barrier to entry for SVN, but considering the changes in SCMs, you are much much better off learning something more flexible from the Distributed family. especially given your circumstances of working.