Storing/Carrying large tent

[Twocubdad]

Last spring our pack purchased one of those large, 10x20 portable tents/awnings you can park a truck under. It's turned out to be surprisingly useful. Two local troops have borrowed it, we used it at day camp, our CO used it for vacation Bible school, an ASM in the troop used it at his daughters wedding, etc. ect. ect. The pack even used it once!

 

Question is if anyone has a good idea for storing and carrying it. This sucker weighs over 100 lbs. easy, and takes two mules and a jackass to move. We've got the tarp, pipe fittings, bungees and guy lines in a big Rubbermaid-type tub. But the hassle is the pipes. There are probably 20 6- or 7-foot by 2.5-inch steel pipes for the legs and roof structure. We've tried bundling them together with the bungees, but can only bundle them into pairs. I've thought about having a local cavas company make us a couple of canvas tote bags large enought to hold pipes with carrying straps. But before I spend that money, I wanted to ask if anyone else has a better idea.

[matuawarrior]

We use duct tape to secure all the pipes together.

 

Legs in one group, center poles in another, and the top poles as the last group. It takes two people to carry each group of poles.

 

 

 

Matua

[le Voyageur]

For our marquee tents, which are much larger than your 10 x 20, we store the poles in large diameter pvc pipes...adding two handles at each end allows for 4 "volunteers" to make the carry....

[packsaddle]

I have observed other troops with the pole ends fitted as a group into cans of appropriate size (coffee usually). Each set of poles of equal length is grouped and capped by a can on each end. The cans have holes in them near the open end. One can on each end, then tied to each other by ropes through the holes in the cans. The ropes are then used as handles. Seems to work well and keeps the wasps out of the ends.

[LauraT7]

I have seen these at summer camp, too - wish we had one -

 

One good tip is to take COLORED duct tape and mark the poles with it - color match the joints for assembly - makes assembling them go much faster.

 

We don't have that kind of tent - we have the big CANVAS with WOOD poles kind of tent - two of them. one is red and about 12 X 20 and the other one is larger - tho I have never seen it. Both have optional walls, and use huge stakes and guy lines (good opportunity for the boys to use those knots!)

 

the canvas parts have bags, but the poles we just stack up.

 

One thing we do with the big tents though - is to rent them out - for parties, weddings, church activities - we get $150 for the red one and $175 for the Yellow&White one - and it's quite a big fundraiser for our troop. Since we include putting them up - they are a better deal than renting one from one of those rental places.

 

 

[andrewcanoe]

Our Troop carrys our carport/dining fly in what we call the coffin . The coffin is a wooden box slightly longer than the longest pipe. We put the tarp/fly on the bottom and pile the pipes and bungee ties on top of that.

[nldscout]

we also have one of these white canopies we bought at Sams club. The manufacturer of the canopy, Powel & Powell Makes a carry Bag for them. Go to the P&P Site http://www.kingcanopy.com/accessories.html

 

Look for the Carry Bag. You need 2 bags to carry all the poles and covers.

 

Paul

[Twocubdad]

That's what I'm looking for, Paul. I'll have to double-check if this is the manufacturer of our tent, but even if it isn't, I'll look for a accessory list. Thanks.