from BobbyG:
during Burning Corn in 2001, Gary Xaoui had these huge, huge tarps he used for stage canopies, theme tents, everywhere--the whole Stupidfest stage was like wrapped in this stuff.
it was HEAVY and completely waterproof...i'm like, wow, where'd you get this stuff?
it was billboard vinyl. when i saw Gary again in the desert at Burning Person, at the Cataclysmic Megashear Ranch, he was lounging under yet another huge canopy, same stuff. it was some old ad campaign long forgotten...
he told me to call billboard advertisers and ask them when they filled their dumpsters with old ad campaign posters. so this guy in Waukehsa i called, says, "how many do you want?" i'm like, "how many have you got?" "oh, pallet-loads of them..."
each one is 672 square feet. they're 14 feet wide and 48 feet long. each one weighs 75 pounds.
pictures are at:
http://www.burning-wheel.org/freetarps.htm
can you beat that--free, huge tarps? i drove home with about 3500 square feet of material; could have gotten a lot more if i had my trailer with me.
bobby g
Note: These have tons of uses. Just think of dome coverings, temporary flooring, slip n' slides, tunnels, projector screens, camp fences, more. Give your local companies a call and keep your eyes open for local stores or museums displaying large banners, they eventually take them down.
written on October 15, 2002