Always transport and store the canopy removed from the frame and neatly folded.
Hi Steve,
This is very good advice.
I have a couple of KD canopies that I've had for at least 15 years, and the fabric smells a little funny (coated nylon does that after a while), but still work just fine. Additionally, my big concert series client has been providing a random FOH canopy for me from their inventory for about that long, and after getting tired of having to cover their canopies with a tarp to cover all the little holes, I persuaded them a few years ago to buy a new one every year, give it to me for use that summer, and then add it to their tent inventory, repeating the process next year. That way I always had a new one each season.
Their practice is to leave the skin attached to the frame for storage, and we did the same with their new canopies. I noticed that every new canopy had holes in it after a month or two, when my own canopies were still solid after many years of use. The difference had to be removing the top for storage.
Last year we made a point of storing the canopy separate from the frame, and it was still intact at the end of the season. Btw, I think that folding the canopy increases the likelihood of perforation compared to stuffing into a bag, as the creases become worn from repeated folding in the same place vs. creating random creases each time you stuff it into a bag.
Always nice to see your posts.
Take care,
Dan
