Heat. Heat. Heat up here. I took the overland truck way, way out into the middle of nowhere trying to get back to a remote lakeside spot I haven’t seen in about a year. Problem is, this is the worst time to try it—water levels are crazy high, the trail system is full of deep mud holes you can’t read, and the “beach” that’s normally exposed in summer was completely flooded. After an hour-plus of rocks, ruts, and guessing my lines through muddy puddles, I got there and found the road literally buried under water. Sometimes that’s the gamble—you picture the setup in your head, and you’re just a couple weeks too early. So I turned around, hit a more accessible lake down the road, and got the hot tent dialed in. I set up the Pomoly Barracuda 2, titanium wood stove, cot, and my Gear Doctor Artemis pad (R 8.3), then went hunting for dry wood because popular spots get picked clean fast. I got lucky with a dry piece of pine and had the stove burning hot enough to cook supper right on top—burger and onions, Greek seasoning, sweet kale mix, and peri peri sauce in wraps. It didn’t pour like I wanted, but the fog and mist rolled in, the clear windows made the whole night, and even at 4°C the tent got so warm I had to crack the door. Packed up in the morning with coffee, leftover firewood, and a reminder that plans change out here—just go with the flow and stay safe.