Sugarplum Tent Company - Frame Tents vs. Pole Tents - Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia

What Style Tent?
by Davis Richardson
Owner, Sugarplum Tent Company

Frame tent, pole tent, tension tent or clear span structure tent? This is a question I'm often asked, and the answer depends upon the application and the event site. For those installations on patios, asphalt, or concrete, frame tents or clear span structures are the only sensible options. However, for many applications, a pole or tension tent is not only preferable, it is the wisest choice, and offers the greatest flexibility and cost effectiveness.

A high-peaked pole tent offers elegant, classic lines and graceful peaks.

A clearspan structure with clear vinyl top can be both elegant and dramatic.

Frame tent BEFORE adding a
taffeta liner.

Frame tent AFTER adding a
taffeta liner.

A pole tent is anchored in the ground by staking. This maximizes the tension and creates a nice, taut appearance. In recent years, the standard ropes on pole tents have been replaced by high tension ratchets or winches. Thus modern pole tents are often referred to as tension tents. Within this category are also found the dramatic, sweeping tents with taller poles. These are sometimes called high-peak tension tents, and offer customers wonderful interior views as well as strongly engineered tents capable of handling substantial wind, rain or snow loads.

A frame tent is more self-supporting, but the biggest misconception is that a frame tent doesn't need to be staked. If a gust of wind comes along, a frame tent will take off like Mary Poppins unless it's securely tethered down. While this can be accomplished with a few well-placed stakes, more often than not, it is accomplished with water barrels or concrete blocks -- creating a far greater eyesore than the stakes.

Another significant difference between frame tents and pole tents is the price. Frame tents are more time-consuming to install and often cost more. Another major difference -- and one of great concern to the client -- is the aesthetics. A pole tent has classic lines, graceful peaks and dips. It is unfettered and clean underneath. Frame tents may eliminate the need for center poles, but looking up from under a frame tent, one sees a mass of aluminum piping (see photo below).


This frame tent shows the supporting hardware underneath.	The view from under a traditional pole tent.

The size of the event is another consideration. Since frame tents are usually limited to a 40-foot structure, they can't handle a huge crowd or event. But on the other hand, they're the perfect choice for an event requiring a number of smaller tents, such as a street festival or craft show.

Like pole tents, frame tents have also evolved with the introduction, primarily from Europe, of the heavy-duty clear span structures. Much like buildings with integrated vinyl skins, these structures are an excellent product for long-term, heavy duty installations. The structures are self-supporting and require no perimeter staking.

In summary, if you're being sold a frame tent for a job on grass, ask why you can't consider a pole tent. In might be because the company you're using doesn't have pole tents, and is trying to maximize the profit by charging the higher freight a frame tent commands even when you don't need one. Look around. Any reputable tent company will handle frame tents, pole tents and clear span structures. Use the appropriate one for the job at hand. For my money, you should not overlook the classic, simple elegance of a traditional pole tent.

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Sugarplum Tent Company
17125 Darnestown Road
Boyds, Maryland 20841
(301) 869-2054
FAX (301) 972-8554

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