Straps & Tie Downs

When bad weather threatens to take a structure down, the best thing a person can do to prepare is use some extra straps and tie downs for when the storms hit. These ropes, cords and hooks even out the tension on the existing supports so that there is less chance of the wind damaging the PVC cover or bending the poles inside.

Sometimes the force that could damage the material is coming from the inside. In areas with horses, a powerful kick from the animal can be enough to shatter existing fences and poles and can rip even strong canvas and tarp in seconds. Batten tape is a great alternative to all kinds of other materials that might be used such as wire and wood. It can be strung up on existing fences for extra reinforcement that is stronger than the animal’s rear kick. This is a good piece of reassurance for animal owners that they cannot escape, and is so easy to install that they will look for other places to use it.

Most material structures such as tents and gazebos come with extra loops and holes designed for using as reinforcements in bad weather. Getting the spare loops, string and hooks for these is the reason why most people don’t use them, but it is always worth ordering these in ahead of time, as they will be much cheaper than buying a whole new shelter when the old one has blown away. Tie downs, straps and polypropylene rope are all examples of things that can be used on existing tents to hold them down. If there is nothing strong enough to tie them to, earth anchors can be bought which will fit tightly deep in the soil and resist all kinds of strong winds and storms. With this kind of reinforcement everything will stay grounded even if the weather is being wild.