Camping

Camping is one of my favorite vacations where we only do what excites us for the weekend or a few days, be it fishing, canoeing or just hiking. Once our camp site is set-up, we don’t have to worry about all the day to day chores i.e. cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping. And it’s a chance for you to turn off the smartphone, computer and other electronics to just sit back and relax.

Here is some more information we have found useful to reference:

Camping Food - One image that comes to mind when thinking of cook outs while camping; breakfast eggs, bacon, roasted potatoes and cowboy coffee over an open fire.  Dinner consisting of a hearty chili or beef stew that has been tended for several hours by the cook.

Best Places to Camp in Texas - A growing list of awe inspiring places to stay in Texas.

Leave No Trace - Nobody likes a dirty campground! Whether you are primitive camping, or RVing at a campground resort, a little effort is all that is needed to ensure that the next camper arriving at the campsite after you will enjoy it just as much as you did.  It's all about respect for nature. If all campers would just leave their campsites the way they found them (assuming it was clean to begin with) then we will be doing our share to promote camping as it should be.

Storing your camping gear - Quick reminder what to do when you finished your camping trip

State & National Parks - Pinboard - A virtual pinboard to record our families visits and planned excursions to State & National Parks


Boondocking has two main components: Undeveloped campgrounds (no water, electrical or sewage connections).  You generally don’t find a designated spot to setup camp, just find a spot away from the road you came on. Our first experience doing this was in during the summer of 2020 at the height of the pandemic. Before the countries […]

Boondocking and Quick Overnight Stays




The Vagabond’s primary function for this family is to aid our family in exploring all the national and state parks this continent has to offer.  Just driving around Texas will leave you sitting for long stretches of time on your rear.  With that in mind it was important for us to have a comfortable mode […]

Vagabond – Electrical Wiring


Over the years I have slowly transitioned from lightweight backpacking to car/van camping.  It was hard for me to do this. I use to be a die hard primitive backpacker; loved hiking miles to the camping zone carrying everything I needed and getting away from people.  Ever since I injured my back, I have had […]

The Vagabond



To help ease our camping experience, and help our trips immensely, we decided to organize the campsite ‘kitchen’. For this we started looking at purchasing or building a chuck/grub box to store all of our camp kitchen supplies. This would save time routing around looking for utensils and places to prepare the meals. Using a cardboard box helped to a […]

Our First Official Chuck Box


Camping is one of our family’s favorite activities, but it requires some preparation. Camping with two kids and three dogs requires the ability to plan a camping trip. As with anything planning ahead will make your life easier. Book your reservations well in advance of your trip, plan your menu for the duration of your stay. You’ll have […]

Learning From Our Mistakes



I’ve been toying with this idea for a while now; I’ve researched the pros and cons to this new venture.  I will primarily be using this during the spring/summer months in Texas.  From what I can gather I will be needing the following supplies: bug net and a protective rain fly, adequate suspension and straps. My wife and […]

Looking Into Camping With A Hammock


Camping or hiking in the fall & winter months in Texas is one of my favorite times to go.  The absence of mosquitoes, the cool crisp air and sitting around an open fire without burning up gets me really energized.  Camping during this time does require some different type of preparation.  We can have 15-65 […]

Cold Weather Camping In Texas