National Camp Day is observed annually on November 19th, and it’s a day when people are encouraged to gather friends and family members and go camping. Although most people think of camping as a summer activity (Camping Month is even in June), this holiday proves that it doesn’t have to be.

November is a great time to gather around a campfire and snuggle inside a warm sleeping bag. It’s not as warm and humid as many summer months, and not as cold as the oncoming winter months. And because most people don’t camp in November, the campsites and trails are often empty at this time of year. Sounds like a win-win scenario to us.

The History of National Camp Day

Let’s face the facts here. People have been camping since the dawn of human civilization. Humans were hunters who would often have to follow prey for miles to harvest them for meat. This meant that many times they would have to camp out away from their villages to get the job done.

And during the Middle Ages, travelers who couldn’t find lodging at someone’s home or barn would have to set up camp off the trail. So, needless to say, camping has been around for a long time.

Modern camping hasn’t been around quite as long, however. It can be traced back to Thomas Hiram Holding. As a boy during the 19th century, he traveled with wagon trains across the prairies of the U.S., and the wagon trains would often have to stop to camp. This inspired a love of camping in him that led him to write The Camper’s Handbook in 1908. That is considered by many to be the origin of the modern camping movement.

As for when this holiday was created, we can’t rightly say. We don’t think National Camp Day has been around as long as other camping holidays, but then again, since we’re not sure, we can’t truthfully say. All we can say is that we’ll keep searching for this holiday’s origins.

Observing National Camp Day

National Camp Day is best enjoyed by doing some camping. Because the weather is cooler than during the summer months, it’s important to pack everything that’s going to be needed.

This includes a warm sleeping bag, tent, food and water supplies, tools, and items to make and maintain a campfire. People can let others know they’re going to spend this day camping by using the hashtag #NationalCampDay on social media too.