Camping brands in the UK don't get any bigger than Gelert. They have a huge range of products and have sold over a 100 million products, mostly tents, stoves and sleeping bags over the last 38 years. I'm a fan of Gelert, that's why I'm writing this article, and my family have been using Gelert products for over 15 years. The main reason is - value for money. The second reason for writing this article is so I can, once again, tell someone about the famous legend behind the Gelert name.
The company started business in a small town in Wales called Beddgelert which is the home of Gelert's Grave. Gelert was Prince Llewelyn's favourite dog. One day Llewelyn went hunting, but for some reason couldn't find his faithful hound, so he went alone. When he got back from his hunt, Gelert ran out from the palace to meet him. He was covered in blood. Llewelyn panicked and went to find his son. The boy's cot was empty and the sheets covered in blood. The prince withdrew his sword and plunged it into Gelert's side, thinking the dog had killed his heir to the throne. The dog's final yelp was answered by the cry of a child. Llewelyn searched the palace and found the boy unarmed next to the body of a savage wolf that Gelert had slain. The prince never smiled again.
It always brings a tear to my eye that one. Every good company needs a good name with a tragic story behind it.
The company was formed by Alastair and Jane Langdon and they stayed with the business through its massive growth years until 2012. Their departure coincided with the closure of their Porthmadog site. I admire them for keeping their operation local to their original business even though that road to Porthmadog is a long one and transport cost must have been horrendous. Now they have a fancy new distribution centre in Cheshire and are owned by the same company that owns Yeomans.
Gelert have a number of iconic products. Their family sized tents are well respected, they are the creators of the Quick Pitch tent - if you've ever been to a festival you'll have seen hundreds of them. They have one of the cheapest trekking tents around, the Solo Tent. Their Tryfan sleeping bags are possibly the biggest value on the market.
Gelert, the dog, may have come to a tragic end but, judging from the last 38 years, I doubt the company will.
The company started business in a small town in Wales called Beddgelert which is the home of Gelert's Grave. Gelert was Prince Llewelyn's favourite dog. One day Llewelyn went hunting, but for some reason couldn't find his faithful hound, so he went alone. When he got back from his hunt, Gelert ran out from the palace to meet him. He was covered in blood. Llewelyn panicked and went to find his son. The boy's cot was empty and the sheets covered in blood. The prince withdrew his sword and plunged it into Gelert's side, thinking the dog had killed his heir to the throne. The dog's final yelp was answered by the cry of a child. Llewelyn searched the palace and found the boy unarmed next to the body of a savage wolf that Gelert had slain. The prince never smiled again.
It always brings a tear to my eye that one. Every good company needs a good name with a tragic story behind it.
The company was formed by Alastair and Jane Langdon and they stayed with the business through its massive growth years until 2012. Their departure coincided with the closure of their Porthmadog site. I admire them for keeping their operation local to their original business even though that road to Porthmadog is a long one and transport cost must have been horrendous. Now they have a fancy new distribution centre in Cheshire and are owned by the same company that owns Yeomans.
Gelert have a number of iconic products. Their family sized tents are well respected, they are the creators of the Quick Pitch tent - if you've ever been to a festival you'll have seen hundreds of them. They have one of the cheapest trekking tents around, the Solo Tent. Their Tryfan sleeping bags are possibly the biggest value on the market.
Gelert, the dog, may have come to a tragic end but, judging from the last 38 years, I doubt the company will.
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