The first campers Handbook was published in 1908 by Thomas Hiram Holding. He was the founder of recreational camping and we have a lot to thank him for. He took experiences from his crossing of the American Prairies with his parents in 1853, and wrote the first camping handbook in existence. He was also a keen cyclist, a hobby that now seems to go hand in hand with camping, and he cycled across Ireland with 4 of his friends camping along the way. If you fancy a read, the book that he wrote about this journey is titled Cycle and Camp in Connemara. In this book he invited other people interested in cycling and camping to contact him and this led to the formation of the Association of Cycle Campers in 1901. It all started with 13 members. This first meeting of this association was the very start of the organisation that we all know as The Camping and Caravanning Club. Without Holding’s family trip across the Prairies there would not have been a Camping and Caravanning Club.

With the popularity of campsites that allow campfires rising what are the top tips for building the perfect campfire?

 

I cooked these for the first time on my birthday camping trip in April. These are the most deliciously juicy meal for a vegetarian or a perfect accompaniment to a steak or sausages cooked on the bbq or fire. These really do melt in your mouth and taste so fresh. The only warning is make sure you make enough for everyone and watch out for the hot juices as you bite in to each mouth watering morsel. I used Marmande tomatoes from Waitrose as they were the only ones we could get on Easter Friday but Beef tomatoes will do, and especially any locally sourced tomatoes. [Discuss]

 

As the Credit Crunch grip seems to tighten, many people, including myself, are looking for alternative ways of renewing their camping equipment, or are considering camping for the first time and looking for a cheap way of purchasing all of the equipment needed. [Discuss]