Meet the father of modern day camping. This is Thomas Hiram Holding, he was born in 1844 and is said to be the father of modern-day camping. He was a tailor by profession but also a dedicated camper, a designer of camping equipment and writer of books about camping.
To help all those seeking a life under canvas, Thomas wrote The Camper’s Handbook. It was published in 1908 and described the basics of camping. He wanted to share the knowledge and skills he had built up over many years. There were sections on: how to set up camp in various kinds of terrain, what types of tent to use, what food to take and how to cook it, how to organise the inside of a tent, sleeping arrangements, and the clothes to use when camping. There were descriptions on how to transport camping equipment, whether by canoe, dinghy, cycle, horse-drawn caravan, or by foot. The publication of his handbook transformed Thomas into the greatest authority on camping.
Thomas Hiram Holding became the greatest authority of camping at the turn of the last century. His ideas, designs and passion helped make the world of camping into what it is today. He justly deserves the accolade: the father of modern day camping.