HI,

I agree with the need for a ground pad, one that has some type of insulation. I learned this lesson first-hand last year.

I was winter camping with our youth group last February, we were in a small forest opening, -28*c with very little wind. We had all the required gear being; double walled canvas tent, ground sheets on top of the snow, Thermarest pads, 4 layer artic down sleeping bags, but no source of heat generation once the naptha Coleman lantern was turned off.

It took a while to warm the sleeping bag up but soon it was OK and I went to sleep. In the middle of the night I woke up and the lower half of my body was very cold, I then realized that I had partly rolled off the Thermarest pad and the sleeping bag was now on top of the ground sheet with the snow underneath. I was not wet but heat transfer by conduction had me very chilled. Once I got back on the Thermarest pad I warmed up quickly and slept till morning.

Mike