It seems like we’re getting some decent use out of tents at and for MakeICT, it seems like we could justifying stepping things up a little after the past couple of events.
-After the Curtis Middle school event, one of the blue pop up tents is suffering from bent poles and previously ripped velcro attachments.
-The tent we have been borrowing for the renaissance fair, also isn’t in that great of shape. The poles and ropes are good (which are ours), but we need to come up with better stakes and a top.
-I have no clue what condition the other two pop up tents are in, but I noticed we don’t have a great way to really keep them from flying off like Mary Poppins.
Our friend from the renaissance fair is willing to let us borrow his bigger 30x30 tent for Maker May in June, but I think we need to look into a better long term solution. I would like to propose the following:
In the near term:
We come up with 6 to 8 weights of about 30 to 50 lb to help keep the tents we have from going airborn.
We come up with a set of 3/4in thick stakes to go with the ropes we have
We look into getting a garage tent (possibly from Costco for $280) that can be setup by 2 people for a day long event that we have the option to setup the day before hand (this is where having 8 weights would be handy)
In the long term:
Make a more robust frame to go under the existing blue canopies
Take the lessons learned from the blue canopies and the Costco tent to build a beefy 20x20 canopy that doesn’t need a team of makers to setup, and maybe purchase a heavy duty 13 ounce or heavier fabric top (pricing looks like $650 for a fabric top like that)
When I think of pop-up tents, I think of the little some shaped tents you take camping. I think I can picture the tent you described for the Renaissance fair but I’m not sure what you mean about the rest
I’ll take a look at it in the morning before the milling class at noon.
I left the top of the pop up tent out in the lounge. @Malissa - Do you think 20yrds of 10oz duck cloth would be enough for a 10x10 top with a 9in valence?
I have these for my tent and they work great. No weights needed with the screw anchors and straps., I’ve had my merchant tent in some pretty heavy winds too.
Duck actually comes in different weights but is usually not waterproof or resistant. I highly recommend Aquaduck it’s Sunbrella like but about have the cost with a 5-10 year warranty
I have some concrete disks I use with my tent (I bought twice the normal amount.) I didn’t realize we were using a tent or I would have lent them again. We used to have some buckets of cement, I think, at Douglas, but maybe we chose not to move them?
