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Lessons from the Bunkhouse › Shelter & Warmth

Setting Up a Tent and a Warm Sleep System

Pick a good spot, pitch a tent fast in wind, and stack a pad and bag so you sleep warm. Ratings explained: pad R-value and bag comfort vs. limit.

4 min read · Crew role: Scout · Shelf: Shelter & Warmth

What it's for

A tent keeps off wind, rain, and bugs. A sleep system (pad + bag + what you wear) keeps you warm. REI notes that sleeping bag temperature ratings assume you're on a pad, so the pad is part of staying warm, not an extra. We've put this under the Scout, who picks the campsite; anyone in the outfit can use it.

Before you need it (practice)

  • Pitch it in the yard twice: once in daylight, once with a headlamp. Count the stakes and poles so you know if any go missing.
  • Learn your ratings:
    • Pads are rated by R-value. The ASTM F3340 standard gives a common way to test it, and higher R-value = more insulation from the cold ground.
    • Bags often carry ISO 23537 ratings. REI explains the comfort rating as the lowest temperature for a cold sleeper to be comfortable, and the lower limit as the lowest a warm sleeper can sleep without shivering. Ratings are lab estimates. Plan for your coldest night.
  • Sleep out one night on the back porch with your actual kit. You'll learn fast what's missing.

Step by step

Pick the spot

REI's campsite advice:

  1. Flat, durable, higher ground. Low spots collect cold air and water.
  2. Look up. Skip spots under dead limbs.
  3. Use natural windbreaks like boulders or a stand of trees.
  4. Stay at least 200 feet from lakes and streams where you're camping in the backcountry.

Pitch the tent

  1. Lay the footprint or a tarp first. REI says it should be slightly smaller than the tent floor so rain doesn't pool on it and run under you.
  2. Spread the tent on top. REI: put the side with the strongest pole structure facing the wind, and doors away from the wind to keep rain out.
  3. Assemble poles and clip or sleeve them on.
  4. Stake the corners. REI says stakes hold best in most soil when driven fully vertical, with just enough showing to slip the cord over. In wind, stake the corners first so the tent doesn't kite away.
  5. Put on the rainfly, line its door up with the tent's, and tension all corners evenly. REI says recheck tension after it gets wet, since most fly fabric stretches when damp.
  6. In wind, REI suggests staking out the rainfly and attaching guylines to the loops above the poles, starting on the windward side, then tensioning them outward.

Build the sleep system

  1. Pad first. REI says R-values add up when you stack pads, so a closed-cell foam pad under an inflatable one adds warmth and protects against punctures. REI also notes sleeping bag temperature ratings assume a pad of about R-4.
  2. Bag on top. Pick one whose comfort rating (not the lower limit) covers the coldest night you expect, if you run cold (REI).
  3. Follow your bivvy or emergency blanket's instructions if you add one for a colder night.

Common mistakes

  • No pad, or a thin one, on cold ground.
  • Footprint sticking out past the tent, catching rain.
  • Pitching in a dry wash or low spot. Water and cold air go there.
  • Camping in a low spot between high ground. REI says cool, damp air settles there, which means more condensation and puddles.

Care & storage

  • REI's top tent rule: never store it wet. Damp fabric grows mildew and breaks down waterproof coatings.
  • REI: store the tent loosely in a cool, dry place (an old pillowcase or mesh bag works), not in the stuff sack long-term, and not in a damp basement, hot attic, or car trunk.
  • Store your sleeping bag the way its maker's care label says.
  • Check stakes, poles, and zippers when you rotate the kit.

Related gear

Sources

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