Pop-up Cover Anchor

Football season has begun and for a lot of people that means Tailgating. A must for most tailgaters in a portable pop-up cover like this one. The only problem is that unless it's anchored down, a sudden wind can turn these into a kite. Most places frown on driving stakes into the ground (or asphalt, or concrete...). Here's a way to anchor down your cover that's reusable, and doesn't mess up the landscaping.

Step 1: Making Your Anchor.

It's really pretty simple. Go to your local pet store and get four of those screw-in anchors for staking dogs out in a yard. Then off to your local hardware or big-box store to get a bag of Quikrete cement and four 3.5 quart buckets (usually found in the paint section). Mix the Quikrete into the buckets, all the way to the top.

Now comes the tricky part. Wait until the Quikrete is firm, but not hard, and then screw the anchor into the Quikrete inside the bucket. Now just let it set up overnight.

Step 2: Anchors Away.

Once the Quikrete has hardened you don't even need to take it out of the bucket. Just use bungee cords to attach the anchors to your pop-up cover. I made these about 10 years ago and they're still going strong.

Happy Tailgating!