Every industry has some specific lingo that is helpful to understand in order to make an informed decision. We put together a Top 6 list for common lingo terms used in the pop up tent business:
1) Bolt-on-Top -- A bolt-on-top is a bolt on the frame that attaches to the canopy. A bolt-on-top is important because it prevents the canopy from flying away during wind. To give you an example, the EZ Up Eclipse II 10x10 has a total of 4 bolt-on-tops (one on each side). But be careful because not all tents have a bolt-on-top. It might be a little difficult to see because they are small, but below is a picture of a tent with a marking showing the bolt-on-top:
2) Peak -- The peak is the top most triangle (or in a larger tent, quadrilateral) portion of a canopy. A tent has 4 peaks.
3) Valance -- The valance is the rectangular portion of the tent that drops down from the peak. A tent has 4 valances.
4) Railskirts -- Railskirts are also know as half-walls or sideskirts. They are attachable to any side of the tent (with the railskirt hardware). Railskirts are very popular with restaurants, food booths, radio stations or anyone wanting more exposure. Railskirts can also be used as barricades to mark a path at any corporate or racing event. For a 10x10 tent, railskirts are 10 feet wide by 3 feet tall.
5) Sidewalls -- Sidewalls also go on any side of the tent. Unlike railskirts, sidewalls cover an entire side of the tent and don't require any extra hardware. If you just have a sidewall on the back side of the tent, it is called a backwall (but of course, each side is interchangeable if it is the same size). For a 10x10 tent, sidewalls are 10 feet wide by 7 feet tall.
6) Toggles & Pull Pin Sliders -- Toggle leg adjustments are used to adjust the height of the tent. When you are putting the tent up, pull-pin sliders automatically lock. And when you are trying to break down the tent, pull-pin sliders quickly release to make the process easy. Not all tents have the toggle assembly and EZ pull-pin sliders -- without them, it is much harder to set the frame up and down.
