As an alternative to traditional PVC marquees, stretch tents are slowly claiming their rightful place in the festivals and events industry. Of course, there’s no denying how aesthetically pleasing they are, but how stretch tents work?
Before making the decision to rent a stretch tent for your upcoming function, it helps to know more about the mechanisms behind their magic. To help, here’s a basic breakdown from our Pop Pro Tents rigging team.
Stretch tent mechanisms
The key factor behind the stretch tent system is the tension created through the fabric and down lines, which work to support the poles. When it comes to that common question of how stretch tents work and stay standing, ultimately, there are three main elements at play:
1) A patented 3-ply fabric, waterproof and UV stabilized fabric that stretches in all directions
2) High-strength Eucalyptus wood poles in varying sizes to support the fabric
3) Downlines, and steel stakes used as anchors
Overall, the structural integrity of how stretch tents work depends on robust anchors which must sustain much higher forces than a framed tent. Although ballast options are available (concrete blocks), we strongly encourage setups that allow staking. By incorporating different pole lengths, you can also have a completely different look and feel.
Installation and take down
When it comes to assembling our stretch tents, here’s how we go about it:
- Stretch out fabric and stake down
- secure and stake perimeter poles
- Insert the internal pole to get the desired shape
Our set-up time really all depends on the size of the tent. Our largest tents (65’x100’) can take up to half a day, while our smaller pop-up options (12’x20’) can be rigged up in less than an hour. Following a festival or event, derigging can generally be completed in less than half the time of the installation. Overall, stretch tents are quite easy to set up and take down, provided you have a trained team like ours on hand.
This basic philosophy behind the mechanisms and assembly proves that stretch tents can be set up in any way desired. Need more info for the question of how stretch tents work? Our team is always on hand to help. Email: [email protected] Tel: 813 316 1113
