Back in "Snowjam 82" we did get enough snow for us to break out the old style skis (convertible from downhill to X-country by loosening the rear (wire) bindings) and ski from our apartment to the local golf course, reattach the bindings and do some downhill skiing, then ski back home.
But it hasn't happened since!
I love those candle lanterns. I like our double wall tent (it has two high vents, which is nice), is a single wall better for real snow?
Double walls are definitely better body heat retention. The drawback is, they retain more moisture, that can freeze up in the interior. Meaning it snows in your tent when you accidently hit it or rub up against it.
Single walls are made for very extreme conditions, usually with high low ventilation. Except they sleep colder...tho with much less packout weight. I use both, depending how I feel about the weather.
I once took A Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight (double walled but with a lot of mesh old style 3lbs. 3 oz.) into a twelve inch snow. Got another six inches that night. Another half inch in the tent from moisture.
I was happy!!!
Ya definitely need a good bag, product knowledge, experience, and common sense. Sounds like like you and your spouse possess both.
REI, EMS, and Campmor are decidedly run by liberal thinking minds...but they do know their gear.
So do I....and continually piss them off by mentioning...."Conservation???...isn't that a derivative of Conservative thinking.!"
They all really hate when I do that....it forces them to start thinking outside the box.