out where y'all will be, the gub'mint owns huge swathes of land.
billions and billions of acres. lotsa free camping. do a little research
on BLM land.....and make sure whatever maps you use indicate
public lands.

some of the land is leased for grazing. public still has access.
if you're riding the dirt roads in cattle country, learn gate
etiquette.

it's big country out there. and some areas have a whole lot of
nothing. you can go long distances without seeing any civilization.
carry more water than you think you need, and have a backup
plan. that "town" on the map may have only had 15 people
30 years ago during the oil boom.

in smaller towns you can check with the local police to maybe get
permission to camp overnight in the town park. if not, they know
who to call to find a spot.

don't depend on cell phones. unless things have changed drastically,
there are huge areas of no coverage. cell reception limited to a
narrow band along the interstate highways.

eat good food:
chicken fried steak
pecan pie
anything mexican (except for menudo! and i don't mean the band)
briscuit
more chicken fried steak

learn about the hazards and first aid for:
heat stroke
cactus attack
snake bite
alien probing