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.

Tents here are listed with honest sizing as well as the manufacturer's rating — a rated 4-person tent is comfortable for three, and we say so on every listing rather than letting you find out at the campground. Temperature and waterproof figures are manufacturer ratings too: treat a bag's number as a survival figure and expect comfort roughly 10–15°F above it. What size tent do you actually need? and why you were cold last time.