Tell your story with photos

Submit your best photos to InTents to compete for the 2018 Buyer’s Guide cover.

A 22-hour drive to the Canadian Rockies this past summer required some escapist literature, and “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” the compilation of George R. R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” prequel novellas, fit the bill. Much to my delight, Martin’s renowned storytelling skills extend to his description of tents. Here’s the view of Ser Duncan the Tall as he approaches a jousting tournament at Ashford Meadow:

“Threescore pavilions had already risen on the grassy field. Some were small, some large, some square, some round; some of sailcloth, some of linen, some of silk; but all were brightly colored, with long banners streaming from their center poles, brighter than a field of wildflowers with rich reds and sunny yellows, countless shades of green and blue, deep blacks and greys and purples.”

Unfortunately, Ser Duncan doesn’t own a tent. To put it in today’s terms, our protagonist is undercapitalized. That’s why he’s at the tournament in the first place: to win some coin and catch the eye of a lord in need of a knight. (Spoiler: this plan fails spectacularly.)

All of the recent mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. tent rental industry feel a bit like a game of thrones, minus the dragons, white walkers and the need to spill blood to attract private equity. Nevertheless, the industry veterans I spoke with in recent weeks see these developments in a positive light as the industry matures and increases in its professionalism.

Few could hope to match Martin’s prose, but many can offer tent photos that tell a story to the delight of InTents readers. With that, it’s time to submit photos to the 2018 InTents Buyer’s Guide cover contest. Go to www.InTentsMag.com for more details and uploading instructions. The winning company won’t get to sit on the Iron Throne, but it will get to tell its story on the cover of the industry’s premier publication.