Sleep & Shelter

Almost nobody quits camping because of the tent. They quit because of one cold night. And the cause is usually underneath them, not on top: the ground pulls heat away far faster than the air does, and the half of your sleeping bag you are lying on has no loft left to insulate with.

So fix the pad first, then the bag, then what you wear in it. Temperature ratings here are manufacturer ratings — treat any figure as a survival number and expect comfort roughly 10–15°F above it. Here is why you were cold last time.