We rolled into deep forest and set up camp right on an incredible lake, thinking we were in for a crisp, cool autumn night. Turns out, the weather had other plans. It got cold fast, and before long we went from “not expecting rain” to dealing with freezing rain tapping on the roof of the truck. This one’s classic backseat truck camping—simple setup, warm layers, and making the best of whatever the night throws at you. I cooked supper on the tailgate—Indian coconut curry chickpeas with cilantro lime rice—while trying not to freeze my hands off. Fiona was along with me, but with small game season in Minnesota and her talent for finding poison oak, I kept her close and under control. We went for a night hike on forestry roads instead of trails, and I’ll be honest, we had a sketchy encounter with two guys in a sedan who just stopped and stared. Back at the truck, I showed how well my Reflectix window covers black out the interior, then we tucked in under the UGQ Quillow and listened to that freezing rain. Morning was coffee, oatmeal (could’ve used more water), and a slow, thankful wrap-up—stay safe and God bless.