Does anyone here have any tips on how to keep a EZ-Up from blowing away in even the lightest of wind when on asphalt? We tried using 10lb dumbbells tied to the frame, didn't work at all. The tent picked up and crashed into my wifes car. I went out this week and bought some cinder block deck anchors. They are pyramid shaped with a small hole in the middle and will actually fit over the tent legs and weigh about the same as a 5 gallon bucket full of concrete. Hopefully that will do the trick.

Any other ideas?

We used weights and still had problems above 20 mph winds.

One thing that helps is remove the top of the ez-up. As long as there is no rain that works as no one can see over the top. You can also slightly unzip the back wall at the bottom. These things will reduce wind problems.

I have lost these tents to wind, as have several others. In addition the frame will twist and bend.

I have my third ez-up. The other two were destroyed in wind. I also have a heavy steel frame 10 x 10 I call the beast. It weighs a lot and even that blew down. I still do the ez-up for convenience at a flea but at an extended still-joint I would go with the beast and elephant stakes. That combination has held in 50 mph winds but was really bucking against the stakes.

I haven't tried it but I have seen people actually use some kind of spike and hammer directly into the asphalt. That worked well but I never have asked them what they used. Management may not care for it...that is up to you to handle. I don't think anyone I saw hammering spikes into the asphalt spent much time asking permission.

Any other ideas?

That will do the trick. I used Anchor Piers (I think that's what they are called.) Same thing really but with a steel Hook on top- that I would tie off to the tent. Worked fine. If it's windy enough to move those you shouldn't be out.

If it is that windy you should be out with a power kite going surfing ....... or just hook up a strong line to your tent .... it sounds like it might be fun

I Have played many a spot in the great American Southwest where the normal spring breeze is 45 mph.

Nail it down boys and girls,

1) use a ball bungee around the top "knot" this will keep the top from bouncing up and down and ripping through the top.

2) Use two foot spikes into the earth, asphalt, whatever. Then use rachet tie downs from the very top corners to the spikes (eye bolt spikes are the best.) Try Yuma Bargin Warehouse on 43rd and 3E Street in Yuma. I think they may have a website and they do do shipping. Tarps and connectors at a great price.

If there is one thing I know, that's tying down an EZ up.

Haven't lost one yet (knock on wood)

(knock knock)

Good luck boys and girls

(from the American Frontier)

Used 'em for years. Once saw one, in the middle of a bunch of 'em and only one did this (it wasn't an EZ Up brand), shoot straight up about 40 feet then fly over two sections away before landing. Also saw one flip over taking an entire display of glass orniments with it.

To anchor here are the two methods I found worked best for me.

The Messy way: Get plant pots or small buckets, place the legs into them, pour in sand. You may add water if wind really picks up. Will hold them fine if breezy.

The Hard Core Way: Get coffee cans, or simular, and some long bolts that will fit into the holes of the feet at the end of your legs. Get large washers and put one on each bolt. Pour cement into the cans and insert the bolt with the washer so it is centered with enough bolt sticking out to be able to put the legs over them. The rest of the bolt is in the cement, the washer helps work as anchor. What this gives you is a bit more height, not too much of a foot print, and the weight is enough for most winds that come up. If you still have a problem you shouldn't have it up.

EZ Ups have angled legs that prevent it from flipping usually, the straight leg ones can really blow up.

For non paved areas...Use those screw into the ground Dog tethers instead of stakes- The ones that look like giant corkscrews. Lot's of surface area to hold with. If it'll hold a rotweiler, it'll hold against the wind.
Gwyd

Most all places I played had asphault and frowned mighty hard on driving stakes into there nice parking lot. Playing a Flea Market, you go by their rules.

Kahuna plays fairs on dirt for the most part...so the original poster might not take that advise for the parking lot shows. But on dirt, go for it if you will.

The Coffee Can method is one I used succesfully as well as the Anchor Piers. I never lost a top in some pretty angry desert breezes.

I use the bed of my truck, its a great little set up. And a lot cheaper than one of those EZ-ups. Just with some help of pvc pipe or steel piping, and a cheap $5 tarp, works great attached to my truck.

Haha...the last show I did I used the bed of my Totyota (since gone) on which I had built a PVC enclosure. Worked fine! Don't recommend the Blue tarp though. There is something better for the show. In fact I use to offer a blueprint plan for a mini pick up bed show with PVC. Wonder what I did with that thing...hmmm.

When it got too windy, I unzipped the back walls a bit. It only helped a bit. I had 25 pound dumbbells on each front leg, and (small paint) buckets of cement on the back. The buckets of cement were too small.. I still have my tent though! Probably because I decided to pack it away and set up out of the back of my Matrix (a hatchback). No fancy pvc frame or anything, but people still came to see the thing..

I saw an ez-up that was anchored in 5 gallon buckets on each leg, twisted and destroyed in a parking lot across the street as I was leaving.

Recently in Colorado I noticed some e-z ups at a little craft fair, so I went to get a look at their security. One had what looked like 2 foot pvc pipe, 3" wide, capped at each end, hanging down from the legs. These were full of quick cement or sand or something. It looked good, and funcional. I may try that one.


Eric

IT was silver. What would you suggest..?
Wouldnt mind seeing those bueprints, if you happen to come across them.

On asphalt, one can use the five/six gallon blitz cans from Wally World, filled with water and then use the rachet tie downs. Each "can" weighs around 40 pounds and usually enough to hold the sucker down. Remember to attach the tie down from the very top of the corners.

Also, remember to use a ball bungee around the "top knot" of the tent. It will save your top.

Yes, Doug, I have played every dirty, dusty spot from the great American Southwest to the Rainy Pacific Northwest. But Oregon State Fair is all asphalt as well as Indio and a few others.


A variation of the corner weight is to use a center weight at each "middle' of each side and run your tie downs from the top of the corners to the center of the mid sides. That works pretty darn well.

Of course in F3 Tornados and above, I recommend removing the top and then run for shelter.


:)

ciao babies!

I have used 2.5-foot lengths of 4" diameter PVC with an end cap as anchors. Get long screw eye bolts and put washers on the ends so that they can't pull out. Fill the PVC with rocks, add the eye bolts, and pour in cement. Let this harden, then use bungee cords to hang these from the four corners of the EZ Up. These don't touch the ground, they just hang there.

This has worked well for me when it isn't possible to drive stakes in the asphalt (it usually isn't), and also when the rules of the fair or festival specify that nothing can go beyond your 10 feet of frontage. If you stake with lines out 2.5 feet to either side of a 10 x 10, they call that 15 feet of frontage. No wonder shows are vanishing from the fairgrounds!

Yours,

Paul

I found something that worked well this weekend. I don't know what they are called but they're used for anchoring decks in the ground. They're pyramid shaped concrete blocks with a 2 inch hole in the middle and they weigh about 40lbs each. I took all four legs off the EZ-Up and slide these on, the tent didn't move at all the entire day!

Anchor piers like said above. What I used though mine had hooks instead of holes.

After seeing all the wreckage of EZups over the years,I now refer to them
as "Fairground Tumblweeds".

A truer term was never coined.

Ok for the Flea Market, that's about it. Oh, and a Picnic.