[MR] EZ up type tents

[Karen]

Tangwystel asked:

> Can anyone share their love/hate stories with their EZ up type tent?

Actually, we've got an EZ-Up.  We've used it as a dayshade at events where we 
lacked the vehicle space to bring a pavilion, or if the effort of setting up a 
larger pavilion wasn't going to be worth the effort for the amount of time we'd 
be spending at the event.

No, we don't fuss with adding "period" canvas.  No, I don't recall hearing 
anyone (outside of my inner orphenticity-critic) griping about how 
"non-authentic" it was, either. ;-)

It's a cheap and relatively quick-to-acquire and quick-to-setup 
dayshade/shelter, and it'll probably last long enough for you to use while you 
make or save up for or acquire something that you prefer (either because it's 
more historically accurate, or allows you to store & display your wares better, 
or because it just looks prettier) ;-)

For what it's worth, you can go to http://larsdatter.com/merchantbooths.htm and 
find lots of images of the sorts of temporary structures & shelters that 
merchants used at fairs in the Middle Ages.  You may find a booth structure that 
suits your needs, in terms of display and storage.  (See also 
http://larsdatter.com/merchantstalls.htm for more permanent sorts of 
shop displays, rather than temporary shelters.)

(And -- oh, HERE'S fightin' words -- doesn't the 14th century girdler's booth in 
the Egerton Genesis at 
http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/ILLUMIN.ASP?Size=mid&IllID=10811 look
 an awful lot like a small EZ-Up?) ;-)


Karen Larsdatter
www.larsdatter.com