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The Overland Directory

Camping equipment in Texas

Fridges, stoves, water, furniture, sleep systems and lighting for camps that start at the tailgate.

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Texas by the numbers

Of Texas is federal land 1
1.9%
3,191,777 of 168,217,600 acres, as of September 30, 2024
Of Texas is privately owned, by the state’s own count 7
93%+
Texas Parks and Wildlife. Its land fragmentation report puts the figure at 97 percent
Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas 2
8,749 ft
Culberson County. The lowest point is sea level, on the Gulf of Mexico. Our own 3DEP query at the same point returns 8,742 feet
Federal campgrounds a vehicle can reach 4
115
75 Army Corps of Engineers, 23 National Park Service and 17 Forest Service. 90 can be booked ahead
Acres in Big Bend National Park 20
801,163
The Park Service calls it the eighth largest national park in the lower 48 states
Acres in Big Bend Ranch State Park, the largest in Texas 42
300,000+
153 miles of road are open to visitors and nearly 70 of those are unmaintained
Acres of national forest and grassland 12
675,000+
Four forests and two grasslands, by the Forest Service’s own count. The Congressional Research Service counts 756,953 acres
Of beach open to vehicles at Padre Island 34
60 miles
Four-wheel drive is always required beyond mile 5. The seashore protects about 66 miles of coast

Camp gear for a state with no wood fires

Big Bend prohibits ground fires and wood fires, allowing pressed charcoal briquets in grills at roadside backcountry sites only, with the ash packed out. County burn bans, which Texas A&M Forest Service maps statewide, can close the rest. Carry a stove with a shut-off valve and plan meals that do not need a fire.

Water is the other half. The state asks for at least 5 gallons in sturdy containers beyond personal canteens on the Big Bend Ranch roads, and Black Gap tells visitors to bring their own water and pack out all trash.

The full guide to overlanding Texas

What vehicle camping gear has to do

Vehicle camping gear works under a different constraint than backpacking gear. Weight matters less, but everything has to survive vibration and dust and pack the same way every time. Stores that understand the difference stock 12-volt fridges, water systems and kitchens rather than ultralight pots.

What they carry

  1. 0112-volt fridges and slides
  2. 02Stoves and kitchen systems
  3. 03Water storage, pumps and filtration
  4. 04Chairs, tables and shelter
  5. 05Sleep systems
  6. 06Lighting and power stations

How to choose camp equipment

Buy fewer, better things. Every item has to be packed, carried and cleaned.

  1. 01Buy the fridge for your power system, not the other way round. Ask about power draw and what battery it needs to run overnight.
  2. 02Pack it before you buy it. Bring the measurements of your cargo area or drawers.
  3. 03Favor gear that can be repaired and has parts available.
  4. 04Choose a kitchen you can set up in the dark, in wind, when you are tired.

What to have ready before you ask for a quote

Space and power are the limits.

  1. 01Vehicle and storage dimensions
  2. 02Your power system, if you have one
  3. 03How many people, and how long you stay out
  4. 04What you already own
  5. 05A budget range

Questions people ask

Do I need a 12-volt fridge?

For trips longer than a weekend, most people never go back. No ice to find and no wet food. It does need a house battery or a power station that can carry it overnight.

How much water should I carry?

Enough for drinking, cooking and washing between reliable refills, with a reserve. How much that is depends on the climate, the people and how you cook. Carry it low in the vehicle, and in more than one container.

Is a power station enough, or do I need a second battery?

A power station is simple and portable and suits lights, devices and a small fridge for a couple of days. A wired house battery charges while you drive and suits longer trips and bigger loads.

How high is Texas?

From Port Aransas at 6 feet to Guadalupe Peak at 8,749. Altitude decides what your engine, your brakes and your lungs have to work with, and how late in the year the passes open.

Towns

  1. Fort Davis In the Davis Mountains at the start and finish of the 75-mile loop drive Texas Parks and Wildlife describes through the range. 4,896 ft
  2. Alpine On US 90 with the Amtrak and bus stops, 100 miles from Big Bend park headquarters. State Highway 118 runs south from here to Study Butte. 4,477 ft
  3. Marathon On US 90 at the top of US 385, 70 miles north of Big Bend park headquarters. FM 2627 leaves here for Black Gap, 55 miles south. 4,044 ft
  4. Van Horn On I-10 where State Highway 54 runs north toward Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Last interstate services before that corner of the state. 4,044 ft
  5. El Paso Far west corner, where I-10 meets the border. Franklin Mountains State Park sits inside the city, and the Trans-Mountain Highway crosses it. 3,713 ft
  6. Amarillo Where I-40 and I-27 meet in the Panhandle. Lake Meredith and its two off-road areas are north, Palo Duro and Caprock Canyons south and southeast. 3,670 ft
  7. Canyon At the gate of Palo Duro Canyon State Park on Park Road 5, where the Civilian Conservation Corps road drops to the canyon floor. 3,543 ft
  8. Fort Stockton Where I-10 meets US 285 and US 385. The nearest EV charging to Big Bend, 130 miles out, and one of three towns with major shopping near the park. 2,973 ft
  9. Terlingua Study Butte and Terlingua sit between Big Bend’s west entrance and the Barton Warnock Visitor Center at the east end of Big Bend Ranch. Fuel and diesel. 2,890 ft
  10. Presidio West end of FM 170 and the Fort Leaton entrance to Big Bend Ranch. Fuel, and the only local extraction and mechanic service for the ranch. 2,581 ft
  11. Quitaque At Caprock Canyons State Park and the Trailway, 100 miles southeast of Amarillo in Briscoe County. 2,577 ft
  12. Del Rio On US 90 at Amistad National Recreation Area, and the nearest full-service town to the Devils River State Natural Area. 965 ft
  13. Huntsville On I-45 at the Sam Houston National Forest, 50 miles north of Houston, beside the only OHV trail in the national forests of Texas. 371 ft
  14. Lufkin Headquarters of the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas, and the service town between the Angelina, Sabine and Davy Crockett forests. 313 ft
  15. Corpus Christi The mainland base for Padre Island National Seashore. Last full services before the causeway and the 60 miles of drivable beach. 7 ft
  16. Port Aransas On Mustang Island, where the city sells the beach parking permit for markers 0 to 62 and allows camping on the sand. 6 ft

Passes, high roads and summits

  1. Guadalupe Peak The highest point in Texas, in Culberson County. No road reaches it 8,749 ft
  2. Mount Livermore High point of the Davis Mountains, inside the 75-mile loop out of Fort Davis 8,338 ft
  3. El Capitan The cliff at the south end of the Guadalupe escarpment, above the Williams Ranch road 8,095 ft
  4. Emory Peak The high point of the Chisos Mountains, in Big Bend National Park 7,818 ft
  5. Panther Pass The saddle the Chisos Basin Road crosses on its 6 paved miles into the basin 5,778 ft
  6. Trans-Mountain Highway summit Trans-Mountain Highway, Franklin Mountains State Park 5,120 ft

Pass, road and summit elevations are the figures published by the agency that manages them. Town elevations are the town’s or county’s own figure where it publishes an exact one; the rest are from the U.S. Geological Survey (3D Elevation Program at the place’s official coordinates), retrieved September 18, 2026. Every source is listed at the foot of the page.

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Sources for this page

57
  1. Congressional Research Service. Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data (R42346), Tables 1 and 2, data as of September 30, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  2. U.S. Geological Survey. Elevations and Distances in the United States, online edition. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  3. U.S. Geological Survey. Geographic Names Information System and 3D Elevation Program point query. Elevation of the 3DEP surface at the GNIS coordinates of the named place, rounded to the nearest foot. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  4. Recreation.gov. Recreation Information Database (RIDB) full export. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  5. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Texas State Climate Summary 2022 (NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 150-TX). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  6. Office of the Texas State Climatologist, Texas A&M University. Texas Extremes. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  7. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Private Landowners and Listed Species. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  8. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Land Fragmentation in Texas: Meeting the Challenge. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  9. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. State Parks Division. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  10. Texas General Land Office. Land. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  11. Bureau of Land Management. Oklahoma Field Office, which administers Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  12. USDA Forest Service. National Forests and Grasslands in Texas. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  13. USDA Forest Service, National Forests and Grasslands in Texas. Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  14. USDA Forest Service, National Forests and Grasslands in Texas. Sam Houston National Forest. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  15. USDA Forest Service, National Forests and Grasslands in Texas. Sam Houston Multiple-Use Trails. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  16. USDA Forest Service, National Forests and Grasslands in Texas. Angelina National Forest. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  17. USDA Forest Service, National Forests and Grasslands in Texas. Sabine National Forest. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  18. USDA Forest Service, National Forests and Grasslands in Texas. Davy Crockett National Forest. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  19. USDA Forest Service, National Forests and Grasslands in Texas. Caddo-LBJ National Grasslands. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  20. National Park Service, Big Bend National Park. Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  21. National Park Service, Big Bend National Park. Things To Do. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  22. National Park Service, Big Bend National Park. Primitive Dirt Roads. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  23. National Park Service, Big Bend National Park. Improved Dirt Roads. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  24. National Park Service, Big Bend National Park. Paved Roads. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  25. National Park Service, Big Bend National Park. Backcountry Use Permits. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  26. National Park Service, Big Bend National Park. Backcountry Regulations. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  27. National Park Service, Big Bend National Park. Be Safe on Backcountry Roads. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  28. National Park Service, Big Bend National Park. Directions and Transportation. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  29. National Park Service, Big Bend National Park. Basic Information. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  30. National Park Service, Big Bend National Park. River Road. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  31. National Park Service, Big Bend National Park. Old Ore Road. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  32. National Park Service, Big Bend National Park. Black Gap Road. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  33. National Park Service, Padre Island National Seashore. Driving Down Island. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  34. National Park Service, Padre Island National Seashore. South Beach, Mile 5 to 60. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  35. National Park Service, Padre Island National Seashore. Camping. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  36. National Park Service, Padre Island National Seashore. Basic Information. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  37. National Park Service, Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Drive to Williams Ranch. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  38. National Park Service, Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Scenic Drives. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  39. National Park Service, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area. Off Road Vehicles. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  40. National Park Service, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area. Camping. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  41. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Big Bend Ranch State Park. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  42. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Big Bend Ranch State Park History. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  43. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Roads to Nowhere: A guide to unmaintained 4X4 high-clearance roads in Big Bend Ranch State Park. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  44. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Black Gap Wildlife Management Area. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  45. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Black Gap Wildlife Management Area: Rules. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  46. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Black Gap Wildlife Management Area: Driving. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  47. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Frequently Asked Questions about the Texas OHV Program. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  48. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Where to Ride OHVs in Texas. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  49. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Palo Duro Canyon State Park History. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  50. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway History. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  51. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Franklin Mountains State Park. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  52. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Davis Mountains State Park. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  53. City of Port Aransas. Beach Parking Permit Information. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  54. Texas A&M Forest Service. Burn Bans and Information. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  55. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District. Whitney Lake: Undeveloped Camping Areas. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  56. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District. Lewisville Lake: Undeveloped Camping Areas. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  57. Texas Department of Transportation. Severe Weather Driving. Retrieved September 19, 2026.

Reviewed September 19, 2026. Conditions, closures and rules change; check with the managing agency before you travel.

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