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 one thing I admire about the company Gelert, other than the legend, is the fact that the business has always remained close to its roots in North Wales. That is until last year. Business founders Alastair and Jane Langdon left the company last year and the business has now moved to Cheshire. Although this has affected the local community it will probably be better for the business in the long term. It's a long road down the coast to Porthmadog.
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.
The legend of Gelert, the company, is, luckily, not quite as tear jerking as the legend of Gelert, the dog, but what they've achieved from a small town in Wales is impressive.
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 one thing I admire about the company Gelert, other than the legend, is the fact that the business has always remained close to its roots in North Wales. That is until last year. Business founders Alastair and Jane Langdon left the company last year and the business has now moved to Cheshire. Although this has affected the local community it will probably be better for the business in the long term. It's a long road down the coast to Porthmadog.
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.
The legend of Gelert, the company, is, luckily, not quite as tear jerking as the legend of Gelert, the dog, but what they've achieved from a small town in Wales is impressive.
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If you'd like to learn more about Gelert tents or Gelert Rucksacks or camping equipment in general, then these links are useful.
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