[pct-l] Tent vs Bivy Sack

[Ron Moak]

Tim,

First you should re-read Chuck's post a couple of times to understand what's
he's trying to say. 

A four season tent in winter has a couple advantages. First it has more
structure for snow loads, which is probably not needed in your case. The
second is less obvious. Winter nights are very long and lying in a sleeping
bag from dusk to dawn can be a nightmare for some. 

A four season tent will significantly reduce the drafts and will retain a
bit more warmth when you're sitting up and active. Add in a little candle
lantern and can have a cozy little home where you can spend a few active
hours before retiring for the night.

However, once you've put out the candle and crawled into your sleeping bag,
the internal temperature inside of the tent will equalize with the outside
temperature. If there is more than a couple of degree difference, then it's
a good sign that the insulation in your sleeping bag is insufficient.
Remember any heat inside your tent is coming from you. 

My own rule of thumb is that my pad and sleeping bag must robust enough that
I can lay them out on a ground cloth with no other shelter on the coldest
nights and still sleep comfortably. 


Ron