But at night the temperature dropped down into the 20s. But that didn't mean the Monahans were flattening themselves in a storm-battered alpine tent or huddling around a Svea stove for warmth. They came fully prepared for bad weather. In temperatures down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, a sleeping bag rated to five degrees will suffice. When camping in zero degree and below temperatures, you should have a bag rated to minus 30 degrees.
Good equipment is essential to cold-weather survival, but good sense is even more important.
Nature is not forgiving of foolish mistakes in the winter. One common problem is hypothermia, a subnormal body temperature that causes disorientation, confusion and drowsiness. I carry a backpacker's stove and food that can be cooked quickly, like pasta. It's good for a sugar rush. If snow camping sounds dangerous or daredevilish, it's not.