Coghlan’s
12 Oct
If you’ve ever been in a camping store, you’ve most definitely seen products from Coghlan’s. The “outdoor accessory people” started 50 years ago in 1959 while Norm Coghlan was running Coghlan’s Gas Appliances in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Campers would come in for repairs on their camp stoves and lanterns, so Norm started selling tents, sleeping bags and air mattresses.
Customers wanted a way to make toast on their pump-up gas camping stove, and since Norm’s store carried such an item, he found out the U.S. based company that manufactured the toaster was discontinuing it. He bought the entire inventory, rented a storage facility and began Coghlan’s distribution of camping accessories. The Camp Stove Toaster has been made in Winnipeg, Manitoba since the mid-1960s. Coghlan’s has assembled and packaged over 7 million 504D Toasters.
Coghlan’s now sells over 450 accessories including bear bells, whistles, squeeze tubes, hammocks, fire starters, hot dog skewers, signal mirrors and compasses. All Coghlan’s gear comes in those green and yellow packages above that make them look like they were made in the 50s – the reason they’re so damn cool (and unreliable).
Do y’all ever buy Coghlan’s stuff when you’re at the camping store?
their egg carriers are essential. never had one break in one of those things.
I saw a dude that had a Coghlan’s tattoo. It was of the guy with the winter hat and the backpack. I don’t know what items he’s on, but he’s on the little orange trowels they make. It was pretty cool.
Hah I love Coghlan’ stuff, but I cant say I have ever bought. They are so synonymous with “camping” stuff, but most of it is totally useless.
We call it the “green company.” It’s a Winnipeg company? Well I never.
heck, I hawked the stuff for ten years (along with Liberty Mountain, very similar)–we “gear pros” laughed at it, but it was a steady-selling brand
still have two of the small Opinel knives with their brand on the pearwood handles
I bought a Coghlan cushion just like the one pictured for a pillow when I was in the scouts. It had a hole in it the first time I used it. Probably a result of being a tad overzealous opening the package with my knife.