We require some equipment... here are our suggestions for affordable options.

This post includes Amazon affiliate links.

At some of our events, we require equipment to participate. The required equipment is for both consistency and safety. That equipment includes:

1. A straight, vertical leg canopy tent. We highly suggest a white canopy tent as some events we plan (Camden Commons and Shop Small Saturdays) will only allow a white canopy.

We’ve bought and tried this tent option and it’s definitely the sturdiest, most affordable option we’ve found. Any canopy tents you purchase at Walmart will last you a few events before presenting problems while setting up. This option has lasted us an entire season and still seems brand new! It’s half the price of some of the more popular options like Eurmax and ABCCanopy.

Pro tip: If your tent legs have any slant, that tent is not allowed! Those legs end up taking space in your neighbor’s allotted area.

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2. Heavy sandbags are a must to keep that tent in place. We require 25 lbs per leg that actually attach to your tent leg with velcro or zip ties, but highly suggest a heavier option. For our tent rentals, we’ve purchased the 140 lb option. They’re a higher quality and have a thicker material so you can throw them around a bit without worrying about tears to the fabric.

Pro tip: once you’ve added sand, zip tie the zipper pulls together so they have less of a chance of unzipping and spilling.

Bonus buy: if there’s any chance you’re popping up in the grass or dirt (some FPS spaces will have grass), having some tent stakes with you is a huge plus for keeping your tent in place if there’s wind. These stakes are a small, just in case add-in to your market kit.