The Bear Necessities Co.

19/06/2023

A very different set up for us last week where instead of a wedding at Llyn Gwynant Barns we played host to the Love, Hope, Strength charity event. The charity was set up by Mike Peter’s of The Alarm fame and his indomitable wife Jules who are both cancer survivors, Mike is actually currently undergoing treatment.

It was a fantastic weekend of walking, swimming, great food, laughter, fantastic music, relaxing by the lake and staying in our bell tents 😀
We heard stories of how cancer can effect all of us. Stories full of love, hope and strength. Feeling really inspired and humbled by how wonderful humans can actually be.

Also our biggest set up of the year. 30 tents fully dressed in the sweltering heat. Love and gratitude to The Bear Necessities crew for once again smashing it. The tents went down so well we have been invited to provide the glamping option at next years fundraiser in a yet to be disclosed location🐻

Love, Hope, Strength 💜

30/05/2023

We are delighted to once again be providing the glamping option at Llyn Gwynant Campsite near Beddgelert. All the lakeside bell tents come with a proper double bed for the ultimate in camping comfort.
At the moment we have special midweek deals before the summer holidays.
If you would like any information about the tents then please message us at: [email protected]

15/05/2023

Our new honeymoon tent 🐻

14/05/2023

Lovely wedding at Llyn Gwynant Barns. A spectacular day and the flags were flying high 🐻

26/08/2022

26/08/2022

Had a couple of last minute cancellations in the bell tents at Llyn Gwynant Campsite. Free tonight if anyone fancies a last minute break. If interested send me a message at: [email protected]

02/10/2021

This is Bobi. As the camping season comes to end in Snowdonia Bobi is about to start at his new school in Pushkar, Rajasthan in Northern India.

Some of you may know that all of our colorful soft furnishings are sourced from a brilliant woman called Daisy who works with the local gypsy community in Pushkar setting up various projects and enabling them to sell their crafts to people all over the world. We love everything she sends us and are totally committed to helping all be it in a small way.

Thank you to all who have stayed in a tent this year as a small amount from each visit has been put toward a fund to send Bobi to private school for a year. He’s a brilliant, intelligent young man who will really deserves a chance to make his life a better one not just for himself but one day also for his family. You can’t change the world but you can change someone’s world. Go on Bobi lad, you show them!

02/09/2021

We have had a great fun summer down on the campsite. It’s been brilliant meeting so many fantastic people and so good to see folk returning from last year to have their second or third visits to the tents. As a small family business set up just before the pandemic I’m am so very greatful to all of you for your continued support.
We still have some of the season to go and have fingers crossed for an Indian summer. Loads of space available all through September and October so get in touch for any more information 🐻

02/09/2021

There’s nothing more we like at The Bear Necessities than a good old wedding. Despite many of them being postponed until next year we have felt really privileged to be involved with some absolutely brilliant weddings this year and it’s been really nice to spread our wings and have tents at some other fantastic venues. Thanks and good luck to all the beautiful couples 😀💜

15/07/2021

Weather is looking mighty fine for the weekend and I have some tents available by the lakeside. Message me if you would like to come and stay 🐻

14/06/2021

For those interested the lads have made it to Scotland 💪

10/06/2021

I bumped into these two guys the other evening when they had just arrived onto the campsite looking very tired and hungry. It turns out they are father and son from Middlesbrough who are on an epic adventure. They are not only cycling from Lands End to John O Groats but for good measure are throwing in the 3 peaks challenge en route! They were with us ready to walk up Snowdon the next day. As you can see they are undertaking this massive challenge is support of Children with Cancer UK.
They had wild camped the night before and were looking forward to some hot food and a shower after cycling from Brecon.
Rather than stay in their tiny 2 man tent It was a no brainier that these two deserved a free VIP upgrade to one of my bell tents. Paul (dad) was particularly pleased to see the proper double bed and as I wandered past an hour or so later he seemed to like it very much as all I could hear was very loud snoring. Adam (son) liked it that we had WiFi on site 😀
They conquered Snowdon next day and after a pizza and a beer there was a lot more snoring. They left us next morning after a good rest with full bellies, batteries charged and clothes all washed ready for the next push onto Scafell Pike. Howay the lads!

Here’s a link if you want to support them:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/paul-adam-barlow

10/06/2021

We have had some cancellations for this weekend at Llyn Gwynant so some lakeside bell tents with proper double bed are now available. It looks like the weather is going to be lovely. Inbox me for more details 😀

11/05/2021

It felt so good to be back in our spiritual home and where it all began at Llyn Gwynant campsite. I’ve missed the place.
Today I went to set up a tent for a photo shoot that a local photographer had organised at the wedding barns. I took these with my phone but I’m hoping for some nice shots in return for setting up the tent.

This is the field where I usually put my wedding tents, it felt strange seeing the campsite so empty knowing it will be full again in a week when we are fully open. I’ll be back there working as a warden and up at the wedding barns but also looking after my guests in bell tents onsite by the lake where there will be a special Bear Necessities area with 6 bell tents for hire.

Get in touch on here as pretty much all dates are available apart from the next bank holiday.

I will also be doing week long bell tent hires for your back garden so you can holiday at home. I’ll provide a good tent, some nice flooring and a bit of bunting and fairy lights around the door and as your at home you can put all your nice things in it.

This year we are also really pleased to be working with Bell Tent Boutique who are supplying our kit. What a lovely bunch of people 😀

I might do one of those like and share competition things for a free mini holiday soon. Stay tuned 🐻

06/05/2021

06/05/2021

Well as much as bears love to sleep it’s time to have a good stretch, a big yawn and start to come out of hibernation.

Today we went to the glorious wedding venue that is Hafod Farm near to Betws y Coed where we are delighted to now be providing bell tents for their wedding guests. What a brilliant venue.
It’s still going to be a funny old year as so many people have had to move their weddings again. I really feel for the couples as well as all those who’s livelihoods are being effected by all this uncertainty.
I still feel lucky though especially when you get to spend the days with your good friends messing about with tents in such beautiful places and meeting great people. Onward and upward 🐻

09/11/2020

This is my wife and her new little business she has just set up selling the colourful Indian blankets that we use in the bell tents to keep people extra warm. She has had them specially made into harem style cosy pants which are really comfy for winter. As always everything we use is ethically sourced and fair trade 🐻

05/10/2020

Well as two of my bell tents blew down at Llyn Gwynant on Saturday I am going to take that as a sign that it is time to wrap up for the season and pack everything away until next year.
I’d really like to thank all of you who have either hired a tent for your back garden or come to stay with me at Llyn Gwynant campsite. Your support and kind words have been so much appreciated.

Its been a short but eventful season. Oh the tales I could tell you! I have really enjoyed meeting so many lovely people and I thank each and everyone of you for your custom. I‘ve managed to make a little more money to help us get through the winter and also managed to extend the business into new directions.

I hope next year we will all be able to get back to normal and that weddings, festivals and gatherings can happen again. In the meantime I wish you and yours all the very best. One Love 🐻💜😀x

24/08/2020

We still have availability over this coming Bank Holiday weekend in our bell tents situated just by the lakeside at Llyn Gwynant campsite. Forecast ain’t too bad 😀 Please get in touch for more details 🐻

10/08/2020

Lovely camping at lovely Gwynant, all dates available 🐻 I have some bell tents set up right by the lakeside. Please inbox me for more info 😀

10/08/2020

Bell tents available all through August at Llyn Gwynant, Snowdonia!
Well here’s a good one 😀 Super surprise little ‘pop up campsite’ based at Llyn Gwynant to my mind the best campsite in North Wales (ok, I’m biased because I work there) If you do not know this very popular site you can find out more information from here:

http://gwynant.com/

I put these three tents up the other day by the lake on the nicest camping spot on the site. Have a quick look at the video, it’s just lovely down there. I stayed there the other night myself and had my head popped out of the tent at night looking at the moon shining on the lake. Just stunning, the stars were so clear in the sky and although the campsite is a large one you couldn’t hear a pin drop.

With the COVID regulations and wanting to keep us all safe I’m thinking of just renting these out nice and simple. They are all big 5m family size tents with high quality insulated flooring. Obviously I’ll throw in the bunting and fairy lights as standard but I’m thinking that you will bring your own beds and bedding and all the other stuff you need yourself. This will make cleaning and then sanitising much easier.

I will also have private toilet tents with portable loos as an optional extra to aid social distancing.

However if you don’t have camping gear and need air beds and bedding then of course this can be done for you but there will be an extra charge for this service.

The good news is that all dates over August through into September are still available. I’m not sure I can do single nights on this one because of the COVID thing and priority will likely be given to those who want to come for more than a couple of days.

If you have any questions then please send them to the inbox of my page here as I get easily confused if you they elsewhere especially if I add this to a few of those ‘for sale in’ sites. I’m very easily confused.

I think this is a nice little opportunity especially for a group of families perhaps as all that space could be yours.

03/08/2020

5,4,3,2,1.......and we have lift off. First bell tents off and about into the big wide world this weekend. It was jolly nice getting out and about and meeting everyone especially after being locked down for so long. All the families seemed to have a lovely time and I think that the kids were sad to see them go. It felt good. Here is a little film of a set up today 🐻

27/07/2020

Lovely camp out for the night 💜

23/07/2020

Well just when you are contemplating the wisdom of starting a new camping business in one of the wettest valleys in Britain along comes a major pandemic!
Obviously all of our wedding events are now postponed for the foreseeable future so we have decided to become a little creative.

The other day we went to look at a potential new location in order to create a ‘pop up campsite’ in collaboration with the owners of a very old farmhouse high in the mountains on the Llyn Peninsula. After you wind for miles up the single track road you are met with the most spectacular views you can imagine, utterly breathtaking.

We set up some bell tents and stayed in them for the night, it was just lovely. The stars were so clear as it is so dark up there. This is very different to the wedding glamping we usually offer. The field is super remote, until recently sheep have been on it and in parts it is a little bumpy and slopey. It is really exposed which gives it the stunning views all around but it could get windy up there. Clearly there are no showers but there is a gorgeous river close by and the sea down below.

I’m trying to give a realistic perspective of the site, this won’t be camping for everybody’s taste. It’s remote and raw but for those who like that it could be a wonderful place to stay. The nature here is untouched, there are badgers and hares everywhere. The farm has horses which the owners are happy to offer for trekking on paths where you won’t see another soul. There is a large stone circle upon the farmland and the walking possibilities are endless. Not full of home comforts but it’s like visiting fairyland!

The only way to offer this as a place to stay is to keep numbers low to be considerate to the surroundings as well as the logistics of that single track road! We are thinking of starting with a handful of bell tents each with their own toilet tent and space them around the site.Each tent will have flooring, air beds, bunting, fairy lights etc but you will need to bring your own bedding.

Fire pits are available and we ask that you buy the seasoned wood from the farm. It’s lovely having a fire up there.

We are very sorry but due to the location and surrounding sheep farms dogs are not allowed at this pop up site. Apologies.

This ‘pop up site’ will only last for 28 days and then the land will be returned to the exact same condition that we found it in.

We are dipping a toe in the water to see if anyone would be interested in coming to stay here. Get in touch if you might be. Diolch.

22/03/2020

Well what a strange time we are all expreiencing. Obviously it goes without saying that The Bear Necessities wont be up and running whilst all this is going on. We were so looking forward to hosting some of you in our tents and hope it isn’t too long before we can welcome you back.
Take care everybody and be kind to each other 💜🐻😊

01/02/2020

Thanks so much for all of your positive thoughts and good vibes towards the launch of the business 🐻

30/01/2020

The lovely wedding barns at Llyn Gwynant where it all started! If you look through the photos you can see the bell tents on the field. It is just the most fabulous place to get married 🐻

30/01/2020

Here is a lovely film of Llyn Gwynant campsite where The Bear Necessities Co. was first born.
I work as the front of house manager at Llyn Gwynant barns and after a lenghty discussion with our owners I was offered the opportunity to set up a new company offering bell tents for our wedding guests to stay in.
This season in collaboration with the campsite we will be offering you the chance to stay in a bell tent on the site itself as well as continuing to host wedding couples and their guest at the barns. Hopefully a busy year lies ahead of us 🐻

28/01/2020

27/01/2020

A nice review from someone that we set up a tent for on the actual campsite rather than the wedding barns at Llyn Gwynant. This is a service that we will be operating in partnership with the campsite this season.

"We absolutely would return to this campsite, it's got it all! Amazing views, friendly staff, great activities in the heart of Snowdonia. I would especially love to thank Steve Hughes,what a lovely guy. I'm so glad I was recommended his tent hire services. We hired a bell tent to be set up on Llyn Gwynant. His service was so prompt and informative, and we couldn't have met a nicer guy!!! Especially his bear hugs."