Can I use exercize weights for tent weights?

[Former_Member]

I'm a dumb newbie with my first outdoor show this weekend. I've got a canopy tent, but I've just been reading about tent weights, and realized that I really need to get some before the show. No one around here carries them. I don't think I'm handy enough to make them myself while home tomorrow with my preschool age son. I've read a few other threads about it, and saw someone mention using disk weights from a weight bench. I have some of these, but cant visualize how to attach them. does anyone have any suggestions? If anyone knows of somewhere I could see a picture that would be awesome! (like I said, I'm pretty dumb. I'm not good with directions sometimes!)

[Former_Member]

Yes, you can use exercise weights on your canopy... I currently have the hexagon ones at 30 pounds each but will be changing to the kettle bell ones because I like the look of them better. You can use the flat discs but I don't know how you would attach them.

[AmyEsryTreasures]

You could use ropes or bungies cords to secure it to the legs.

[whatleyphotography]

i thought i read in another thread that you weren't supposed to attach to the legs. Is it OK to attach to the legs? If not do you just attache to the top of the tent at the corners?

[Former_Member]

I read the same thing, attach it to the top. I think it's more stable that way. I will also be using exercise weights that we no longer have use for and will attach them to the tops in the corners with rope.

[LizArti]

If you have ~40 lbs. for each leg, tied (NOT bungied) to the top, that should work fine.

Hope the show goes well for you :)

[2CraftyChix]

Don't use bungees. They can stretch in the wind - lifting your tent. Even a little bit of lift can potentially do damage. Ask me how I know this! Found out the hard way.

[TigersandDragons]

Rachet straps would work, these are like belts, used to hold loads in the back of trucks.

[Former_Member]

Racheting straps are good. I'm not familiar with different exercise weights other than the barbell ones.

I made mine out of pvc pipes and sand...they are not hard to make but once you assemble them they are way more espensive to make than you think. I made 4 large ones 40 pounds each but after using them for a season i am going to cut them in half and rebuild them so they are smaller but i'll use more than one per corner...i am adding another half so i am planning on having 60 pounds per leg cause on afternoon last winter wind moved my tent with the 40 per on it.

[CarolBradley]

Please don't do like another vendor I saw 2 weeks ago. She had barbell weights sitting next to the tent legs, not attached with anything or even over the little foot plate. I think her husband came by with straps a few hours later. *sigh* Fortunately, there was absolutely no breeze.

[PrairiePrimitives]

PVC weights cost about $30 to make, and that's at California prices for the supplies. The only way they get expensive is if you buy the $7 endcaps. The $1 (or less) flat caps work just fine!

$10 - 10 feet PVC pipe cut into 4 pieces (HD or wherever will cut it for you, probably for free)
$5 - 4 flat PVC end caps
$5 - 1 small jar PVC cement (you'll only need about 1 tablespoon!)
$3 - 4 longggg (6"?) eyebolts, where the eye is big enough for whatever-you're-using-to-attach-it-to-the-canopy to go through + nuts & bolts (which give the cement something else to grip on to!
$4 - 1 bag Quick Set concrete (I found some that was "self-mixing" ... really!)

I think that was it! Just add water.

[WildAzaleaStudio]

Attach your weights to the top (side) of your tent but rest it on the ground. If you hang it it can sway and will eventually bend your tent legs. We saw one last Saturday who had them just hanging and swaying in the wind. I was afraid someone was going to get bumped with them.

[PlaynwithScraps]

I have my PVC weights attached to the top with ratchet cords and then use bungee cords around the legs to help stabilize it.

[Former_Member]

No $1 endcaps to be found here...the flat ones i found were a little over $2 they were for sewer pipes( the $7 ones are for water) but i needed 8, one for each end. I bought two 4" pipes and had them cut in thirds to get a long enough pipe that would weigh 40 pounds when finished so i had 2 extra sections which i am glad now that i plan on 60 pounds per leg. I bought some pretty hefty eyebolts and washers since the dudes at home depot suggest that hanging forty pounds from them would be better to have thicker bolts, they were 89¢ each bolt(4)and 16¢ each washer(8) and 11¢ per nut(8) Now that i am going cut in half i bought U shaped bolts instead of eye bolt so i can use the U as a handle, i wish i had thought of using the U things last season when i first made them cause now i'll have half with eye bolts and half with U shaped bolts...the handle thing seems unimportent til you have to carry them around. I used two 80 pound bags of sand...i drove the home depot guys crazy asking which of their sand was heavier per square inch...it involved a calculator and a very amused retired contractor but i got the answer lol.

Sand isn't as heavy as concrete when so using concrete your weights can be smaller to get the same weight but sand is easier to deal with when making them.

Now since i made mine i have seen others that made theirs that i like better specifically there was a guy that instead of using pipe used the square white plastic poles used for vinyl fencing. They didn't roll around during transit which seemed a nice plus. He allow added a handle to them on the side and carried them like a suitcase.

[DWhiteDestash]

Yes, you can. I used them for many years and just switched to Ez UP weights this year.

[LizArti]

Do you really need the end caps on the bottom if you use concrete? No one can see the bottom, right?

I've seen the square ones, but wonder if they hold up as well as the thick PVC. I've also seen round ones with lovely handles on the side.

What diameter PVC pipe did you guys use?

[folkartemporium]

After thirty years of shows, you guys have taught me something new. I once did a show and a wonderful artist was next to me. Original, framed watercolors, hung on a wood shutter display. We were set up on a concrete pier. One huge gust of wind, and everyone stood in shock when the whole booth went over the railing and into the sound.

[Former_Member]

Well, I learned many lessons today at my first outdoor event. I'm glad I had weights. It was indeed windy, and very cold. Lesson #1. Apparently not many people around here use weights or anchors of any kind. Most people around me just held onto their tents when a big gust blew up, and one across the way from me very nearly went air born. I noticed after that, the couple took turns holding onto the tent for the rest of the afternoon. I will always bring weights! Lesson #2 October is too late for an outdoor event in Ohio! Way too cold, I don't think I'll do that again. Lesson #3, I need three sides for my tent in the future! I had no booth behind me or beside me where the wind was mostly blowing from, so I had no wind breaks around me. My tent was well anchored, but my poor dolls fell off the table so many time, I finally gave up on my nice display and laid them all down flat on the table. It didn't look nice at all, but at least they weren't on the ground getting dirty and tangled. Other than that, I learned what is and is not likely to sell at shows, so I can adjust future inventory, and learned that I will not return to this particular show. My total sales equaled one dollar less than what I paid for my booth fee, and many around me did about as well. The windy, cold weather was not a friend to anybody at this event.

[Former_Member]

Through all the years I have done shows I have found that people will shop till they drop in the rain but will disappear in a heartbeat in the wind...