Can tents be installed on asphalt or concrete?

This article is part of a series of posts with further explanation on many of our frequently asked questions.


Tents can be installed nearly anywhere including concrete and asphalt. There are two ways to do this. The most popular options is drilling holes into the asphalt and repairing them after the tent is removed. Staking in asphalt is the most economical way to secure a tent. This is done by drilling a hole that's about one inch in diameter and driving a stake into the hole. After the stake is removed, we fill the hole with crushed stone and top it off with asphalt. We tamp down the asphalt and it's almost as good as new.

One inch diameter tent stake hole

Patched tent stake hole

Alternately, we can install a frame tent with weights and not puncture the asphalt at all. It's also a good way to avoid damaging underground utilities. Tents are secured to very heavy concrete weights. Below is a picture of a weighted tent.

This tent could not be secured with stakes due to underground utilities.

This tent could not be secured with stakes due to underground utilities.