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We discuss options for securing your pop up canopy when it is standing on a concrete surface.
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If you are setting up a pop-up canopy tent on dirt or sand, you can secure it in place by driving stakes into the ground. But that is not an option if you are setting up a canopy tent on a hard surface such as concrete. How do you hold down a tent in those scenarios? Below, we give you options and instructions.
Here are a few options for weighing down a canopy tent on concrete or another hard surface:
Here are some things to think about when you are selecting what types of pop up canopy weights to use for your tent on concrete:
For example, let’s say you need to anchor a tent on concrete near a beach. Since you are right next to a beach full of sand, it would be cost-effective and simple to fill up some sand bags and use them as anchor weights.
On the other hand, maybe you need to anchor a tent at a professional event, and you don’t like the look of sand bags. In that case, an option like weight plates might be preferable. Or, if it is a particularly large tent, you might be better off with concrete weights. That also might be the best option if it is going to be especially windy.
There are many scenarios where there is not even necessarily one “best” choice—just whichever you prefer out of multiple suitable options.
The exact steps for weighting down a pop-up canopy tent depend on the type of weights you have chosen. But we can still give you a set of instructions for how you can weigh down your tent.
1. Start by setting up your canopy tent. Take it out of its storage bag and expand it to its full size, placing it upright where you want it to go.
2. Attach a weight to each leg of your pop-up canopy tent.
That is pretty much all there is to it. It will usually only take you a few minutes. Once you have attached the weights to the canopy tent, you are all set. You just need to keep an eye on it if the wind picks up, to make sure that the weights are doing their job and that the tent is being stabilized adequately.
One additional step you should take is to open the vents in your canopy if they are not already open.
You do not need to do this simply to anchor the tent on concrete. But wind is the main reason to anchor the tent. A well-anchored tent will not blow over, but it will tend to billow, because the force of the wind has to go somewhere. That means that it is extra critical to open the vents to let some of that air out.
Doing so makes it less likely that the tent will billow, and in turn prevents the fabric from tearing. Your tent will likely last longer as a result. Just remember to use common sense. You should not set up a pop-up canopy tent in extremely high winds.
Anchoring a pop-up canopy tent on concrete or other hard surfaces requires a solution other than stakes. Thankfully, there are a number of different types of weights you can use to anchor the legs effectively, preventing your tent from blowing over. Choose the right solution for your needs based on cost, convenience, the size of your tent, and your location and climate conditions.