Pop Up Canopy Tent Accessories

So, you recently broke down and purchased a canopy tent. After some thorough research you found the tent that will best suit your needs, whether it is a tent for the backyard, the beach, a child's sporting event, or farmer’s market booth as a promotional tool for your business. And perhaps you bought the tent at a local store without any of the extras a lot of tents online offer now-a-days. We would like to highlight a few of the best pop up canopy tent accessories that anyone can add-on to their tent to make it more versatile or valuable depending on the conditions.

For starters, the most common accessory to any canopy tent is a roller bag. While most online purchases will include this with the purchase of a tent, perhaps the one you purchased was at a local store or market and did not come with one. Since the average weight of a canopy comes in at 40 lbs., a roller bag is often a necessity. While some owners purchase their tent for backyard use, most people use their tent at events or outside of the house which means portability is a big criterion for most buyers. When looking at which roller bag is best for you, it is important to pay close attention to the wheels of the bag. The older style bags typically have wheels embedded or built into in the bottom of the bag, which usually means they are small and only a few inches apart from each other. We highly recommend looking for wheels that share an axel, are located on the outside of the bag and are over 3" in radius. We have found that having wheels on the outside of the bag rather than built into the bag significantly increases stability when rolling on concrete, grass or sand. We've tested so many bags with small wheels in the bottom of a carrying bag that get 'speed wobbles' when walking or easily tip over at the slightest turn. Be sure to find a carrying bag with some oversized wheels, you'll be glad you did.

Click on image to see canopy tent bag prices on Amazon

Another important thing every canopy tent owner needs to think about is a way to safely secure their tent to the ground. Especially true for tents manufactured without a vent at the top of the canopy to allow wind to pass through, a tent can quickly and unexpectedly be turned into a flying weapon if a gust of wind catches it at just the right angle. There are a couple of options for owners to be assured this will not happen. The first is a set of stakes for each leg. The best pop up canopy tents have a hole in the welded steel or aluminum feet that allows a steel stake to easily pass through. Stakes often come included with most pop up canopy purchases; however they are usually only a few inches long and will not suffice for most windy conditions. We recommend purchasing stakes that are at least 6" in length, and even longer 12” stakes if you intent to use your tent on the beach. The second way to keep a 10x10 shelter secure is with guy line ropes. Guy line ropes are tie downs that typically secure to the top of the tent at each corner and are secured into the ground with stakes. Through our research and testing we have found that this is the most effective way to ensure a tent will stay securely fastened to the ground. However not all venues are accommodating to this method. Anytime space is limited such as at a tailgate, a trade show, or street fair; guy lines are not the best option due to limited space and the potential tripping hazard they pose. Conversely, we found that campers prefer guy lines as they are lightweight, compact and easily fit in a camping backpack and space is often not an issue at a camp site. If you do choose guy lines as a mean to secure your tent, we recommend purchasing reflective rope so that they are easily visible to people passing by or in dark conditions. The last option to secure a tent, and probably the most common, is the use of weights. We have found that weights are the perfect way to keep a tent secure at confined events. Perfect for a trade show, trip to the beach, a child's soccer game; weights typically come in the option of a sandbag or hardshell plastic. We found that a 5 lbs. weight on each leg can withstand the occasional gust and should be enough to keep your tent securely on the ground. If you anticipate prolonged sustain winds, we recommend 20 lbs. weight bags fastened to each leg. Overall, don't assume the small stakes included with your purchase will be sufficient enough to keep your tent safely on the ground. Find an alternative for whatever your intended use is with the options we have recommended for each venue or scenario.

Click on image to see guy line prices on Amazon

One of the most popular add-on accessories for any pop up canopy tent is the sunwall. The sunwall has grown in popularity over the past decade as manufacturers have found unique and convenient ways to easily attached them to the canopy valance. A sunwall serves two purposes. First and most obvious, it provides people with protection from a rising or setting sun. When the sun is just above the horizon the canopy top itself doesn't provide ample shade as shadows are longer than they are when the sun is directly overhead and a sunwall will significantly increase shade. A second and often overlooked reason to purchase a sunwall for your tent is the privacy that they provide during those crowded days at the beach. When beaches are packed and strangers are within feet of each other, it’s nice to have a little privacy underneath the canopy tent to get away from the glares of your next-door neighbor. The most common way to fasten a wall to the canopy valance is typically with Velcro, however we have seen quite a few with clips in recent years as these are often more interchange amongst brands. Most canopy tent manufacturers make their own sunwalls which easily connect to the canopy valance. However, if purchasing different brands be sure to double check how the two connect as not all are compatible with each other.

Click on image to see sun wall prices on Amazon

And lastly, one of the coolest add-on accessories for canopy tents that we have seen is a gutter that connects to the valances of two adjoining shelters. This is the perfect rainy weather accessory for tailgates, fairs, trade shows, or farmers markets with multiple canopy tents side by side. So many times, we have seen two connecting tents compromised by a wall of water dripping or pouring into the middle along the connecting sides. Constructed with 600 denier polyester it is 100% waterproof and perfectly channels water away from the center of the tent from the smooth seal of Velcro along the canopy valances. It is such a perfect design we wonder why it took so long for someone to figure it out. It’s one of those things you didn't know you needed until you have it, and now you will never want to go without it. No more wet ground from drips in the middle of your tents. This accessory has saved us numerous times tailgating with a large group of friends and family.

Click on image to see canopy gutter prices on Amazon

We have found in our research that these are some of the best pop up canopy tent accessories of hope that these add-on canopy tent suggestions provide some insight and clarity if you were on the fence of purchasing one. We think that the more options a buyer has will ultimately make their time underneath a canopy tent more comfortable and increase the chances of preparedness in the event of adverse conditions. If you have any questions about which accessories may or maybe not be best for you, or compatibility with your pop up canopy tent, please don't hesitate to contact us!