The base isn’t what you expect. It consists of two cloth bags (nylon I think) that measure 12″ x 24″ x 2″ deep that you fill with sand, and then you lay them on top of the base with a fitted nylon cover over them. We just used four bags of potting soil that weighed a bit more than the required amount of sand, and then covered them with the cover. It was easier than shoveling sand into the bags and works perfectly.