Trail Runner, that tarp is way too big! 4' x 8' is better. Maybe even 3' x 6'! And why the balloon? A 1/8" thick torso pad is plenty enough!

Actually, I've found quite a few good ideas at BPL and to me it was worth the $25 to read the backlog of articles from prior years, although I won't renew when the time comes. The only article published this year that I found useful was the review of single-wall tents. Even the results of that one were repeated in the forum in the comments on the article, so it wasn't necessary to read the article itself. I'd rather pay the $25 here!