SetxCamping

15/08/2026

7 things that are worth the extra money when camping in Southeast Texas:

1) A quality cooler — ice life in Texas heat is not a place to cut corners

2) A real DEET repellent — the $4 store brand won't cut it near East Texas water

3) A double-wall tent with actual ventilation — not a $40 dome tent in August

4) A battery lantern with a dimmer — overhead light at camp changes the whole feel

5) A good camp chair — you'll spend half your trip in it

6) Firestarter cubes — SETX humidity makes starting fires harder than it should be

7) A portable battery fan with a USB charging port — one of the best $25 investments in camping

01/08/2026

If you've ever watched another family pulling blue crabs off the North Jetty rocks with a chicken neck on a string and thought "I need to be doing that" — this guide is for you.

Blue crabs are all over the bay-side waters at Bolivar Peninsula from May through October. All you need is a fishing license, a pack of chicken necks from HEB, a dip net, and a bucket. The crabs do the rest.

The new guide covers the best spots on the peninsula, Texas regulations, the string method step by step, how to boil them at camp, and how to pick a blue crab if you've never done it.

Full guide 👉

Crabbing at Bolivar Peninsula is one of those activities that shows up on every family camping trip out here eventually — usually because someone walks down to the North Jetty, watches another family pulling crabs off the rocks with a chicken neck on a string, and decides they need…

03/07/2026

If you've never camped at Village Creek State Park, you're missing one of the best spots in Southeast Texas. 10 miles north of Beaumont, one of the last free-flowing creeks in the state, and paddling right from the campground.

Full guide on the blog 👉 https://www.setxcamping.com/camping-at-village-creek-state-park/

28/06/2026

6 ways to stay cooler camping in SETX summer heat:

1. Set up camp in shade — obvious, but people still skip it
2. Battery fan inside the tent — a $25 fan changes the sleeping situation entirely
3. Wet bandana on your neck — old trick, still works
4. Camp near water — creek or lake air runs noticeably cooler
5. Cook early, rest midday — activities in the morning and evening, not 2pm
6. Freeze water bottles the night before — they double as ice packs in your cooler

Stop fighting the heat and start working around it.

23/06/2026

Just uploaded our first YouTube video — an hour of rain and thunder on a tin roof at a Southeast Texas lake. Perfect for sleeping, studying, or just unwinding. 🌧️

Rain falling on an old tin roof gazebo at a quiet East Texas lake, ...

23/06/2026

Spring camping or fall camping in Southeast Texas — which do you prefer?

My answer: fall. September and October in the Piney Woods are something else — the humidity breaks, the bugs thin out, and the light through the trees changes.

But I'll take a March trip at Village Creek any day too. What about you?

15/06/2026

Heading out camping soon? I put together a free 83-item checklist built specifically for Southeast Texas — everything from shelter and sleeping gear to campfire cooking and kid activities.

No email required. Just click and download.
👉 setxcamping.com/free-camping-checklist

Drop a comment below if you're planning a trip this summer — curious where everyone's headed.

10/06/2026

Camp nachos — the easiest campfire meal that always gets a reaction.

Layer chips, canned black beans, shredded cheese, and jalapeños in a cast iron skillet. Cover with foil, set it on the grate over medium coals for 10 minutes until the cheese melts. Serve straight out of the pan.

Takes 15 minutes. Feeds everyone. Zero cleanup.

02/06/2026

Looking for the best family tent for Texas camping? I broke down the top picks for 2026 — reviewed for SETX heat, humidity, and rain. Solid budget options under $150 and the best overall tent if you want to buy once and stop thinking about it.

Full review on the blog 👉

Looking for the best camping tent for Texas heat, humidity, and rain? We've reviewed 5 top tents for Southeast Texas conditions in 2026 — from budget picks to premium family shelters.

31/05/2026

Three things most people don't know about camping at Sam Rayburn Reservoir:

First — it's 114,000 acres. That's not a lake, that's a sea. You can camp, fish, boat, and kayak all weekend and barely scratch the surface.

Second — the bass fishing is world-class. People drive from all over the country for Sam Rayburn. It's sitting right here in our backyard.

Third — bald eagles in winter. Actual bald eagles, right here in East Texas.

I don't think enough Southeast Texas campers realize what's sitting an hour up the road.