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It's hard to look further than the Tentsile when reviewing the most innovative products in the outdoor world.
Even if you don't recognise the name, should you be remotely interested in camping at some point you will have seen a stunning photo of a Tentsile Tree Tent in action. It sticks in the mind with a standout, unique, innovative design and caters to those dreams we've all had about living in a treehouse.
And most of all, it's fun. Sheer, unadulterated why the heck not, fun.
Tentsile's range of hammock shelters is expanding but all are bound by some familiar factors:
- they're triangular
- suspended in the air thanks to a ratchet strap on each corner that attaches to a tree
- when you climb in you can't help but giggle
The video review at the top of the page is for the Stingray, a hallmark product and the Daddy of Tentsile's tree tents. All consist of hammock, ratchets, high tensile tree straps and a tent covering to protect you from the elements, weather or nippy little flying bugs.
Some of Tentsile's products are a little on the heavy side so not ideal for bike packing or self propelled touring, but they're edging towards this market with the Flite+ which weighs in at 3.2kg and sleeps two people. The flite only comes with one ratchet to keep the weight down and looks like a comfortable, viable option for endurance travel, although I haven't tried it myself, yet.
As a fan of seeking out Epic Sleeping spots I think Tentsile comes into it's own when you want to create a magical experience in the outdoors, especially if you're driving or boating into your camping destination and don't have to carry the gear too far (although even then, the Stingray is one of their larger models and weighs less than 6kg all in.)
You can opt out of the tree tents and just go for a hammock floor for two or three people. These are so much more than your average hammock though because they pull tight and can act as a floating picnic platform, lounging bed, a unique place to hang out with mates or a comfortable bouncy platform for a night under the stars in dry conditions.
I slept out on a Trillium Hammock the other night and loved it. Super easy to set up once you understand the ins and outs of ratchets (check out the video at the top of this page for a ratchet tutorial), and accessible either over the side or through the zipped doorway right in the middle of the Trillium, which naturally is easier to access than the outer edges.
The central 'trapdoor' is a stroke of genius, meaning you could stack multiple tree tents or Trilliums or top of each other and scale your way up throughout a self-made treehouse. There are all kinds of ways you can join your tree tents together, too. The options are endless and totally down to your creativity.
My main recommendation when setting up your Tentsile is to ensure that the sleeping surface is level. It sounds obvious but with three anchor points it's easy to have one drop an inch or two lower than the rest, and this can mean you find yourself nestled down in one corner of the tree tent in the morning, or even worse you spend your night crawling back up to higher canvas. This is easy to avoid as long as you be mindful when putting up the Tentsile.
That aside, this is a wonderful addition to any camping quiver and one that will win you plenty of Instagram followers!
Reasons why you should try out a Tentsile:
- Every time they sell a product they plant trees
- When you sleep in the sky there's no impact on the ground (and the tree-friendly straps mean the trees are left with no trace, too)
- If you don't like camping because insects get inside your tent, this will go someone to helping you sleep outdoors bug free.
- You can use it in any forest or woodland with mature trees
- If you like a whole bunch of likes and shares on social media, this is the way to go!
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