Keep it down!

The weather here has been exceptionally wet and windy, so much in fact that a large tree fell in my yard. Fortunately there was no serious damage, and I found myself very thankful I won't have to deal with the wind and rain this weekend at my indoor show.  The wind can wreck a craft show booth, and no one wants their tent to end up like this.

Photo credit: Steve and Ruth Bosman via Visual Hunt / CC BY

It happens more often than you'd think.  Someone puts up a tent without weighing it down properly and the wind comes and blows it away, or twists it into a wad of metal.  Its important to take the time to properly weigh down all four legs of your tent!  You'll save yourself the cost of having to replace it if things go bad, and your neighbors' booths from accidental damage.  If you're not sure how to do it, consider these options.

Stakes
When you are on a surface where you can, stake down your tent.  If they weren't included you can use any metal camping stakes.  This is a good starting point, and I very strongly recommend adding additional weights.

Branded weights

I use King Canopy weight bags with my setup. You fill each weight with heavy stuff, wrap it around the tent leg, then stake your tent through a hole at the bottom or tie it off at a hole in the top.  They recommend using gravel or sand in these but I use bricks and they work well.  Since these are made to wrap around the legs and don't have any brand specific fittings, they work on all brands of tents.  Quik Shade and E-Z Up have their own brand specific designs as well.

Cinder blocks

They're cheap, and with a bit of rope are easy to tie to your tent.

Buckets

A bucket of anything heavy can work as an anchor.  Find some sand, gravel, or water, throw it in a bucket with a handle and tie it on.  I'd recommend using a lid too, as it helps with spillage and makes them easier to stack for transport.

Concrete Container

You can fill most any empty container with concrete.  It's a great way to recycle old paint cans, buckets, kitty litter pails and large coffee cans.  A length of 4" PVC pipe with a cap on the bottom can be filled to make good dead weight.  If you use a concrete container, don't forget to add an eyebolt screw in the top.  That way you have a sturdy point where you can tie off.

If you're feeling creative, you can take the extra step of decorating your weights.  A coat of paint works wonders,

What do you think makes the best tent weights?