"Out of curiosity, do you use your extreme cold weather gear during fall hunts where the temperatures are far warmer than the capability of that gear? "
No, extreme cold gear is goose down(as opposed to synthetic) because you aren't worried about getting wet as water is in the form of ice. Make sure your shell is waterproof and then use layers as the weather dictates.
Lazylab, it's past your bedtime you must be tired .
Get a tent with features similar to a Bibler if you can't afford one or buy it used. Welded and stitched seams that are taped and sealed. When they stitch the material it makes little holes that water can get in and eventually you will be laying in a puddle. A tent also needs to vent as you expel about a quart of moisture from your breath at night as you sleep. If it's cold you will have ice all over the walls of your tent, if not you will have a quart of water on the floor. I prefer the Bibler as it has an internal frame meaning I can be inside the tent as I pitch it, dry and out of the rain. It is free standing so no stakes unless you want to expand the side walls, also has a tie in point in case of avalanches. A bivy sack for your sleeping bag will keep you dry if your tent leaks. Huddling up against a tree in a large trash bag worn like a poncho can keep you pretty dry but it's a long miserable night. And most flat spots that look like a good place to put your tent often turn into puddles during a storm. Do whatever you can to stay dry because it is hard to dry off in a storm.
