Ok, I have my first show of the season in 2 days, and thanks to the advice on this site, I have been ramping up my game a bit. At the moment this means that I have a tent I have never used before and is rather bigger than my other one.
I got the canopy up fine, though it definitely helped to have my husband on the other end to pull it out. But the sidewalls are completely baffling to me. There seems to be no way to attach it firmly to the frame that doesn't twist it around in some way. I'm not sure I can explain it very well right now because my head it kind of zoomy and tired. Is there a video out there somewhere of the way this is supposed to work?
This is the Impact Canopy from Hutshop with 4 sidewalls - I learned about it on this site, and have been quite excited about have a little more space, and also keeping the breeze under control. I'm afraid at the moment I'll have to do without the walls though until I figure out what's going on better. I've been working on improving my weight system too, I've even acquired business insurance, which covers everything the craft-show insurance does and more.
I sell mostly online, by the way, so that accounts for how long it's been since I did a show (last fall). Can anyone help with some more concrete advice on these silly walls? My show is on Sunday, so tomorrow it my day to shove everything in the car and get it ready to roll.
I'd appreciate your advice, or at least a little moral support.
Replies
Robin, I'm so pleased that my rambling confusion helped you! My "first" show was a bust for me since I chickened out on account of the weather that day. I had another show a week later though and that went well enough. My husband was there to help me get things all set up, but at least we had had a little experience with it by then (practice-style). I considered that day a success in part because the weather conditions were not ideal, but the sidewalls really proved their worth. The wind and rain would puff a little now and then but I had a pretty safe little home set up.
Thanks, by the way, to all the advice about everything on this site. I have really just been learning by reading a lot here, and it's so nice to have someone else's ideas on so much of this stuff.
As far as the tent goes, it definitely works better for me to put up the walls first, before the top is tight. The directions that were sent with the tent were rather useless, and the video I found and shared here was really the only thing I found showed the whole process from start to finish.
Hi Donna! So glad you wrote back. And very happy that you found your first show - as well as subsequent ones, I hope - successful. Are you still using that tent and finding it to be a good product? I just purchased the same one and should get it in a few days, where I will practice setting it all up in my back yard. Good to know about putting the walls up first. of course I will have to put the top on first, right? I've been watching the video you linked, plus any others I could find. Spoke to the rep at hutshop who fortunately had a sense of humor and patients for all my questions.
What a process, eh? Nice to have a forum to go to. Now that you're a seasoned user, and I'm about to become one, any more advice you can think of would be very welcomed.
Thanks!
Patients? She had patients??? I should know better than to think or type just before bedtime.
What have I gotten myself into?
:)
Robin, it's sweet of you to call me "seasoned" after only one go 'round. My next show is in July - I'm not really filling my summer with shows like some folks around here. Good luck to you as well.
Another quirk I had to get used to by the way, is that if you want to use the awning, both the frame and the roof have "correct" side to face front. The roof has a line of velcro which holds the awning, and the frame has some hole for the poles to point out. Have a fabulous time!
A small stepladder is a useful accessory. With the professional tents, the roof goes up before the walls are attached, because it's too damn heavy to lift otherwise. If the tent is taller than 7', you'll need a ladder to get to those zippers.
Okay, I think I just wanted to let you know I'm out here. I've found a video on YouTube now which shows a different model, but same idea. Yes, yes, I know I could have looked there first, so sorry to bother you with it. I don't thinks it's immediately clear that the walls go up before the tent is pulled all the way out. It may help quite a bit to know this.
Donna, I am also about to do my first outdoor show of the season and had a borrowed canopy from a friend but had to buy my own walls. Sadly, the friend didn't know how to put the walls up either and i got so discouraged, i cancelled the first show i was planning to do. I just read what you wrote about walls go up before tent is pulled all the way up! My friend and i almost got into a fight because i was SURE that was how to do it and he was sure it was not...anyway, you have helped me, thank you. I'm giving back the tent and buying my own. Now, I'm going to look at the video you posted. sometimes, there is just TOO much information to digest. Hope your summer is going well so far.
btw, how did that first show go?
Thanks, Larry, for getting back to me. Yes, there are tabs and zippers and attach to each other. But they seem to get tangled up in the frame. Do I zip up the walls as one whole unit first, and then attach them or is it better to do them one by one. I am beginning to be really fearful of how the wind could take these walls and make them into a nice kite. The instructions are so general as to be useless. I'm really wishing for a video to show how this thing is supposed to work, or, short of that, some better instructions.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next