Our History

Diamond Brand was first established in Philadelphia in 1881 and was a distributor of fur and feathers.  The business later moved to New York and the name was changed to the New York Drop Cloth Company.  The name “diamondbrand” derived from the fact that canvas was graded and stamped with a brand according to quality and the “diamond brand” was an indication of first quality goods.  In both WW I and WW II the company manufactured everything from tents to leggings to rucksacks.  In the 1930’s Diamond Brand began to manufacture tents and backpacks for the Boy Scouts.

In 1943 Dave Kemp, now President of the Company after his father,  purchased a mill in Naples, NC and the sewing operation focused on supporting the war effort.   He also bought a dairy farm, off Crab Creek Road, between present day sites of Holmes State Forest and  Dupont State Forest and that is where a young Arnold Kemp learned to milk cows--twice a day.  After the war Diamond Brand focused on making tents and backpacks for the Boy Scouts as well as tents for companies such as Morsans (now known as Campmor).  In the 70’s and 80’s Diamond Brand manufactured packs, tents and soft luggage for many well known outdoor companies including LL Bean, Eddie Bauer, REI and Eastern Mountain Sports.

The corporate offices for Diamond Brand remained in New York until the death of Dave Kemp in 1966.  When Arnold Kemp, David's son, became President, the corporate office relocated to the site of the mill in Naples.  Local outdoor enthusiasts as well as camp owners and Scout leaders had requested for some time that Diamond Brand open a retail store.  The retail store, first known as Diamond Brand Camping Center, first opened in 1964 in a converted four car garage attached to the Naples Mill.  The night before the store opened, Herman Webb, the store’s first manager, invited the Scoutmasters of the area to a pre-opening sale.  Herman Webb remained manager until 1973 when Francis Pless, a former scout executive and director of Camp Daniel Boone took the helm.  It was under Pless’ guidance and leadership that the retail store grew from it tiny beginnings into a full-fledged Outdoor Specialty Store of two floors with 20,000 square feet of retail space.  Francis Pless retired in 1996.

Diamond Brand was well known for it’s family camping tents manufactured from high quality light weight nylon oxford cloth.  The 1970’s saw the explosion of interest in backpacking and Arnold Kemp designed a lightweight, durable backpacking tent known as the “Free Spirit.”  The design, with its double A-frame and connecting ridge poles, was extremely popular and spawned a series of Free Spirit models, 2-man, 4-man plus a line of special duty models made with heavier fabric and favored for years by Scout Troops and Outward Bound Courses.

Will Gay purchased Diamond Brand from Arnold Kemp in 2000 and relocated the store to a 25,000 sq ft facility just up the road in Arden, NC.  In 2005, Diamond Brand opened it's outlet store, Frugal Backpacker, right next door.  Today, Diamond Brand Outdoors carries top outdoor brands like The North Face, Mountain Hardwear, Patagonia, Columbia, and many more, and has been voted Best Outdoor Gear shop in Western North Carolina 7 years in a row.  In addition, Diamond Brand Outdoors serves the local outdoor community and supports many local organizations and businesses.  We pride ourselves in our customer service and our knowledgeable staff.  All our products are handpicked by expert buyers to best suit our customers outdoor needs.

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