I found a North Face Assault 2 on ebay that I am likely going to bid on. I'm thinking that a four season tent will be a better investment for my first winter trip. As HJ said, I can always put some warm clothing on to help the bag out. I have a nice Exped Synmat inflatable pad as well as another thin inflatable.
so far I have been hiking alone....perhaps it's time for a hiking buddy to join me.
Hiking buddies make it all worth while
a 4 season tent isn't really warmer than a 3 season, but it will withstand winds and snow loads better. It actually doesn't breath as well as a 3-season unless you open up all the vents and let the cold are move through. Still, in bad conditions, I'd always bring the 4 season tent. It's just so much nicer when it's rough out there. Won't flap in the wind, even at 50mph speeds.
what made a huge difference in keeping me warm is the condiut shell on the -20F, which kept my breath from soaking the top of the bag's fabric with condensation or ice that slowly came through the warmer sleeping bag reducing the insulation to a thin layer of wet down. Also no worries rolling into something wet inside the tent when the bag just sheds the moisture. Just stuffing these things back into a pack is much harder, since the fabric doesn't breathe as well as the normal nylon you get.
