Tent Prep for Weather Rain and Storms
Preparing for April Showers … and More
There really is nothing like watching the winter melt into a beautiful spring. Unfortunately, as anyone with meteorologist friends can attest, this mixing of warm moist air and the indigent cold zones is why spring is so very … moist. Rain, wind and rain, and storms in general tend to make spring events a gamble when you’re planning for any outdoor activities. To help, Celina has pulled together a list of preparations that can help you keep the party goin’!
General Weather Prep
For minimal preparations, say a small rain storm, there are a few products that every installer should have on hand. Tent sidewalls are the great for protecting against rain and wind, and can be installed in seconds. Have enough to enclose your tent on standby just in case the event encounters some less desirable conditions.
If rain becomes more insistent, your walls may need a little help. Water Gutters, vinyl troughs that attach to the tent fabric’s interior rope line, can help to keep water out from the adjacent sides of tents that are set up next to each other. These guide the water that would fall in between to the outside edges of the tent footprint.
Improved Staking
Moderate preparations take more time to install, and should be considered for any occasion where inclement weather is not only possible but forecasted. Each tent from Celina comes with stakes and guy lines for the minimum amount of staking for a safe installation. This can be improved by adding additional lines and stakes, or beefing up the existing lines with gang staking.
Additional Stakes – for each new line you will need to have a stake and complete ratchet assembly. These can be added to existing staking points (corners and side pole/leg locations). Most locations can securely support three separate guy lines at the tent attachment point.
Gang Staking – with the addition of stake plates, you can improve the guy line’s holding power by transferring more of the tension across a larger area of ground. Watch our video on gang staking for more information
Portable Flooring, snap-together surface covers, can also be used but do require installation time. Flooring can keep you and your guests from having to slog through mud and muck if the rains do not let up after a few hours. Celina carries different styles for all situations.
Evac Routes/Safety Areas
There is a tornado season, you guys. A time when more tornados happen than any other year. And you know when it starts? March. When is this blog being posted? March. COINCIDENCE? Not really.
When you’ve planned ahead and gotten all of the necessary installation details complete, be sure to have a planned evacuation route just in case the weather decides to turn it up to 11. Tents should not be used for protection; they are temporary structures, and as such can become hazards in and of themselves in the event that heavy winds out-pull your tent’s anchoring. Know where people can go and the fastest route to get there in case the tent needs to be evacuated.
With a little pre-installation prep, you event can be a success even if the weather wants to make it otherwise. Celina’s Knowledge Center contains a wide range of articles on tent accessory usage and safety, and as always we can be reached by phone, (866) 761-1192, or email sales@gettent.com if you have any further questions on tent and event accessories. We look forward to hearing from you!