Can a three seasons tent and a +25-Degree sleeping bag equal a 4 seasons system?

This is a potentialy bad situation. At best you might end up with a long cold night with little sleep and lots of shivering. A four season tent is good to keep the elements of you but I have never seen a tent keep me warm. This is the responsibilty of my sleep system and my clothes. My favorite system is the one used by the US Marine Corps. I've spent many repeated cold nights in the system. It is not light weight, however it handles extream conditions with ease. The coldest ive tried was a -30, with snow(not that the snow mattered at that temp). I winter camped in the Sawtooths south of Burley Idaho with the Boy Scouts. Also I appreciated the removeable liners/bags while on deployment with the Corps (I am forever a hospital Corpsman) in the frozen/baked desert of Kuait.

Bottom line, dont skimp on your sleeping bag, maybe on the tent but the bag is what is going to protect you from the elements. Think of it as your coat while you sleep because if you get a cheep bag you might very easily be wearing your coat while you sleep. Hypothermia happens at warmer temperatures to.

jo

Thanks Jothing, thats some good advice. Ill look into a good sleeping bag. By the way was that USMC system layered? As in a sleeping bag and a bivy over it?

Thanks again

The tent is not the key as much as the sleeping bag is. There are a number of good documents on the web to help you decide what kind of bag you should get based on the weather you plan to camp in. That and the padding underneath will help decide if you will be warm.

Thanks trailhiker, ill do some research around the web. I have a ThermaRest TrailLite that i like. Now to look for a sleeping bag, I'm up in the North East (NY) at some point ill be doing some extended camping about two weeks. It will be during the Fall, so temps can drop as low as 25 to 30.

I'm not endorsing this site, or the product, but it says it's good to -40.
http://www.armysurplusworld.com/product.asp?productID=7252