TENT FAQ’s

During the last twenty-plus years we’ve set-up a lot of tents in a wide spectrum of locations and situations. From pristine backyards to tricky, odd shaped decks to dirt pads in the middle of nowhere Nevada, collectively we’ve seen most of what this area can throw at us. Here are just a few of the most common tent questions that we are asked with answers that might help you if you’re planning an event.

Q: Are there any legs in the middle of your tents?

A: All of our tents have unobstructed interiors - meaning there are no ground level center poles to obstruct your function. The interior is clear from the ground level to near the top of a standard tent leg (about 7 1/2’ in most tents). The center masts on our Festival style tents rest on cables so that you have the maximum amount of square footage available for your event.

FESTIVAL TENT INTERIOR

20’ x 30’ Qwik-Top Tent

Q: Can I set-up my rental tent?

A: All Camelot tents are set-up by Camelot personnel. We are committed to installing safe tents that are anchored for the range of weather that the area encounters. Our experienced tent installers not only help to ensure a safe event but also allow us a greater level of quality control with our inventory.

Q: Do you carry pop-up tents?

A: We do not carry any type of pop-up or ‘E-Z-Up’ style tents which are most commonly seen at craft fairs or farmers markets. Our smallest base unit is a 10’x 10’ frame tent with steel fittings, anodized aluminum poles and heavy grade 15 ounce black-out vinyl fabric. They are much sturdier than a typical pop-up tent.

10’ x 10’ Festival Style Tents

Q: Can we roll-up our sidewall?

A: In short, no. Our policy is to have the wall fully up and installed or fully off. Over the years we’ve found that rolled-up wall sounds great but doesn’t work out very well - especially if your trying to get them down during an event or even worse, during inclement weather. The biggest problem with rolling down walls in the event of poor weather is that you have the worst of both worlds, flapping unrestrained wall offering no protection from the elements for you and your guests all while creating a safety hazard.

Almost all of our inventory is next generation type tenting with a tensioned catenary system running through the valance of the tent. Rolled-up wall reduces the effectiveness of this system and is not something you need to be dealing with while fighting the wind. All of our staked tents have a steel cable running through the bottom of the sidewall to reduce billowing and prevent flapping. In our experience with sidewall we’ve found the best option is simply FULLY ON or OFF.

Q: Can I hang things from the tent?

A: Often customers will ask if they can attach lighting or decorative fabric to the tent frame and generally it isn’t a problem. If you can give us the weight of the object(s) which you intend to hang we can give you guidance as to if the tent will be able to accommodate them and the locations and methods to attach those items. Weights above 15 lbs. and lights which radiate heat are items that need care when attached to a tent frame. Securing items with chain, ties or wire may create rub points on the fabric roof which can cause holes if not properly covered.

Lights and fabric attached to a tent.

Q: Can I attach a banner to a tent?

A: Banners on tents can be tricky, especially if there is wind and the banner is not properly secured. Adding a banner may cause an unanticipated wind drag on the tent potentially degrading the tent anchors. If you are intending to attach a banner above the eave line of a tent please give us the dimensions so that we can advise you if it will work with the tent. We also have frames that we can build to accommodate your banner which can be properly secured and anchored. Give us a call for quotes.

We don’t recommend attaching signs or banners to the vinyl fabric ‘canvas’. If a puncture, rip or wear hole is created we will have to bill you for the fabric repair.

Q: Can I join two tents together?

A: Yes. Many times tents are lined-up together, but when they abut one another they are still separate tents that will have a small gap between them. In this region we can often have no precipitation for months - so two tents together to protect from rain is sometimes a non-issue. But if there is the threat of rain or a thunderstorm or you’re trying to keep the inside of a tent warm we have a vinyl gutter that can alleviate the drip or cascade from the water running off of the roof between two tents. The gutter, though, only works on evenly spaced tents of similar size (i.e. 20’ & 40’ wide tents with 20’ leg spacing, lined up uniformly) and depending how long your tent is, you may have to account for drainage at the middle legs. When planning your event take into consideration the typical weather of the season and if joining two smaller tents together is a viable option for you.

We have frames to attach banners to our tents.

Q: Are your tents water-proof?

A: Our tents perform very well during rain showers, but we cannot claim them to be water-tight or water-proof. During light rains you will see virtually no leaks from the roof and even during heavy rains the top fabric will shed most or all of the water running off of the tent - which brings us to the real problem of rain. Depending on what type of surface your event is on, particularly asphalt or concrete, you may experience water saturation creeping in under the walls of the tent. The tent may be performing as designed, shedding water and protecting your guests, but you may still have a wet floor. If you are anticipating heavy rain definitely consider installing a floor system to allow water to drain underneath your event.

A VINYL GUTTER BETWEEN TWO TENTS

WHEN JOINING TWO TENTS TOGETHER THERE WILL BE A SMALL GAP BETWEEN THEM.

Q: How much space do I need?

A: Every event is unique. There are some consistent rules of spacing that can be applied to an event lay-out but ultimately the look and flow that you desire for your event will be the largest determinant of how many people and what type of activities occur under a tent. Please take a look at some of our event planning guides and tent sizing charts or call a Camelot Event Specialist to begin drawing out your event.

Q: Can I use patio heaters in a tent?

A: Tall, radiating heaters (a.k.a. mushroom heaters) are not allowed in tents. Most jurisdictions follow fire codes that do not permit radiating heaters anywhere near vinyl tent tops. We have and only recommend blowing heaters with diffusers that sit outside the tented area to heat a tent. Melted tent tops constitute a full replacement charge. As an aside, open fires are not permitted underneath any tent and large bon-fires near the outside of a tent are not advisable as hot embers may land on a tent causing burn holes.

Q: How long will it take to set-up my tent?

A: There are a large number of factors that go into the speed of a tent set-up. Size and style of tent, access to a site, distance the components have to be carried, weather conditions, anchor type (i.e. how hard the ground is, water pressure), ground obstructions, decorations, lighting - all these elements, and many others, contribute to the time that it takes to properly install a tent. Unfortunately we cannot account for every contingency encountered at a site and our best advice is the more prep work identifying potential hang-ups that is done before a crew arrives generally the faster a tent will go up. If you are unsure if your site is tent friendly, call a Camelot Event Specialist to arrange for a site-evaluation.

Q: Why do you prefer morning set-ups?

A: Located on the eastern slope of the Sierra we typically are subject to afternoon thermal winds that come up about mid-day and which don’t normally abate until the sun sets. Thunderstorms are also typically an afternoon phenomenon. We are very conscious of the weather, especially the wind, and do as much as we can to avoid setting-up or taking-down tents during breezy conditions. The most dangerous time when setting-up or taking-down a tent is when the tent body is lifted or lowered and the intervening time it takes to properly tighten the guy lines to keep a tent stable. If there is any concern about the safety of our personnel, the property where the tent is or the general public we reserve the right to not set-up or take-down a tent. We are proud of our safety record and no matter how festive or ‘important’ an event is, it’s not worth a life altering injury or even death to get a tent up or down.

Q: What’s the difference between a tent & a canopy?

A: Basically for us, nothing. A ‘canopy’ simply is a shade structure without walls whereas a ‘tent’ has walls. Our tent systems can accommodate either functions. So if you hear us predominately using the term ‘tent’ it is simply because the basic tent systems that we use are the same with you adding or not adding walls.

THE MOST DANGEROUS TIME WHEN SETTING-UP OR TAKING-DOWN A TENT IS WHEN THE LEGS ARE OUT AND IT’S BEING RAISED OR LOWERED.

Q: How high (tall) are your tents?

A: From the ground to the perimeter, the most common tent leg height is 8’ although we do install 10’ legs as well (figure about a 6”- 10” drop though, for the roof fabric overhang). The roof peak heights range from just under 11’ high to over 27’ depending on the size, style and leg height of a tent.