I watched a canopy blow up yesterday.

[Former_Member]

I was at a waterfront art market yesterday, it was very windy. A huge gust came up. The guy selling canned jellys' canopy filled with wind and poof blew up and off the tent frame to flap behind the frame held on by a couple of velcro straps. So guys don't forget to attach your canopy to the frame with all those straps provided.

After that there was a fury of activity, about half the vendors talked to neighboring vendors to help take their tents down by walking it away from the display and colapsing it behind the booth. I had watched the weather report that morn and knew it would be windy and left the tent in the truck and set up without it. The tent stresses me out on windy days so if it isn't going to rain i opt to go without if the market will let me.

[PlaynwithScraps]

I have an EZUP that has 3 velcro strips across each wall that holds it to the top of the canopy. I found that if I don't velcro the center one the wind can blow through better. Of course that only works in light winds.

[TigersandDragons]

My partner was hit by leg of a giant heavy garage canopy last year (the kind people use as carports).

During tear-down the owners flipped their tent on it's side (no weights), without removing the canopy first. So it became a huge sale and flew across the field towards us. If there hadn't been a lampost pole in between us and the owners, we would of both been mowed down and seriously injured or killed. One end of the tent hit the lampost, then the tent swung 90 degrees towards us, and one of the legs tapped my partner on his neck.

LESSON - When tearing down a tent, keep the weights on until you remove your canopy top.
The canopy is the sail, that the wind will take up and carry the whole dangerous tent (frame and all) away, causing havoc.

[weekendjewelry1]

He is SO lucky that nobody was hurt. I've seen booths (canopies) blow away - super scary.

[Plantcycled]

My Coleman E-Z up attaches to the legs of the canopy and has 8 velcro straps that attach to the top frame of the canopy, thankfully I have not had any problems with it yet and it has survived some pretty windy days.

Even on a day where the canopy next to me had the frame snap and completely collapsed on everyone.

[RedThreadBows]

I had a show a few years ago where you set up Friday and then the show was Sat and Sun. Friday night was expected to be horrible. Straight line winds and lots of rain. I set up my tent and weighted it down the best I could. I barely slept that night for worrying.

I got to the show as soon as the sun came up. My tent was fine as it was in a row next to several others and we all protected each other. A little ways off way a smaller group of tents and they were all a mangled mess. Bent tents we all on top of one another and they looked like a giant had smooshed them in his hands. Most of those vendors left after gathering up the remans of their tents.

I have seen tents blow around at other shows but that was the worst I have seen!

[Former_Member]

The last outdoor show we did last year, it rained & poured all day long & the wind started kicking up in the afternoon.

Since it was raining, I had added a couple plastic painters sheets to the top of the canopy & they hung over the sides a bit. We also had all 4 sides attached to the canopy, along with 40lb concrete weights at each leg. Luckily, our canopy didn't budge.

https://www.facebook.com/SweetAirSoap/photos/pb.430439667021712.-2207520000.1427735147./769961839736...

It seems to me, that in order for the wind to take your canopy on a trip skyward, that it needs to get under the top canopy. By having all 4 sides attached, the wind really couldn't get up under the top of our canopy. Plus, the plastic sheets that I had on top also prevented the wind from getting into any gaps between the side walls & canopy top. The weights held everything together & kept the canopy stable.

Even if it's not raining, if it's a windy day with the chance that tents will fly, I'm gonna attach those sidewalls to keep the wind from getting up under the top of the canopy.

[Former_Member]

I hate those sidewalls tho. They snap in the wind and scare the shoppers and keep me stressed.

The tent next to me saturday said i hope you don't mind we are going to put up are side walls...i said "don't mind at all you'll be my windbreak...wind is coming from the north and you are north of me" they ended up only putting up the back wall, the north wall, and only half the south wall. Their tent shook quite a bit but it stayed put.

[RusticRemakes]

We lost a top that way once. I was at the show by myself as my husband was at another show. I struggled to get it under control with the assistance of one helpful customer. I was perplexed though that the entire time I had a couple of customers mad that I wouldn't stop fighting my tent and take their money. I'll NEVER complain when I'm selling something but....really? We finally got it back together.

[RedThreadBows]

A related story- Last fall I did a two day show with horrible weather. It was hot and yucky in the am and then the heavens opened and it poured for 90 minutes. A few customers got stuck in the storm and took refuge in my tent. They stayed dried and we all had a few laughs. When my tent started to blow around, a few of the guys (who were mortified to be stuck in a girly booth) helped hold onto the tent. It was staked and weighted, but it will still moving around a whole bunch.

It was a wonderful bonding experience and I appreciated their help and they appreciated the cover from the rain.