BWCA Tentsile Tree Tents Boundary Waters Gear Forum
Chat Rooms (0 Chatting)  |  Search  |   Login/Join
* For the benefit of the community, commercial posting is not allowed.
Boundary Waters Quetico Forum
   Gear Forum
      Tentsile Tree Tents     

Author

Text

Majohnson73
senior member (90)senior membersenior member
  
07/25/2014 09:03AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
anyone have any experience with these? they
look neat as hell.

http://www.tentsile.com

 
      Print Top Bottom Previous Next
07/25/2014 09:20AM  
They have been discused in the past...but so has everything else so thanks for remining "us!" They do indeed look cool.

LINK
 
07/25/2014 11:44AM  
A tent you could enjoy in a storm... Like being at Valley Fair.
 
07/26/2014 09:06PM  
Look pretty cool but wondering how they would have worked in the storm last Monday night, when one of the trees went down.
 
07/28/2014 10:31PM  
I don't know about you, but I don't like the idea of stuff running around underneath me when I'm sleeping. The potential poke in the back at 0'dark thirty gives me the heebee jeebees!

BUT, they are awfully cool and hard not to want one!
 
andym
distinguished member(5340)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
07/28/2014 11:41PM  
Cool looking, but.... A hammock hangs basically as a catenary with no tension other than that of one person's body weight. These tents require enough tension to keep the floor flat with the weight of two or three people. Somehow, especially with the shallow root structures in the BWCA, that seems like less than a great idea. But hey, they plant three trees for every tent they sell. But do they plant them where their tents damage them?

From their FAQ:
Q.Are you bringing out a one man version? A.No. We love hammocks and have no intention of stepping on the toes of companies we admire.

Q.Are you going to produce a lightweight version? A.Not yet. To create the right tension for a Tentsile tree tent, we use 2.5 tons ratchets. Each of these are 1kg / 2.5lbs so.... buy a hammock.

Those are some strong ratchets!
 
zooshooter
distinguished member (157)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
07/29/2014 04:34PM  
For the above stated shallow root issue, I would never take one of these anywhere other than an older growth forest. As a hammock hanger I've looked into the pull forces of hammocks hung at varying angles and I can say that the pull forces that something like this will generate with 3 people in it kinda blow my mind, not to mention the damage that that much force will do to a tree.

You'll never catch me in one of these. All it takes is one person to sit down on the wrong semi-pointy-cornered object and your floor can split in two to let you and all your gear out onto the ground. That coupled with the sheer weight of them...for that weight I could get a muuuuch better tent.
 
07/29/2014 06:13PM  

Seems to be a novelty item rather than a practical tent. Maybe if I win the Lotto.
 
andym
distinguished member(5340)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
07/29/2014 11:31PM  
quote zooshooter: "You'll never catch me in one of these. All it takes is one person to sit down on the wrong semi-pointy-cornered object and your floor can split in two to let you and all your gear out onto the ground. That coupled with the sheer weight of them...for that weight I could get a muuuuch better tent."


That pointy object would violate their warranty, "Reasonable use does not include damage caused by behaviour that would cause damage to a conventional tent or are outside the guidelines as stated in the Tentsile Instructions: No usage of fire in or around the tent, no use of sharp objects including but not limited to, knives, tools etc, shoes should not be warn inside the tent."
 
07/30/2014 03:22PM  
Laying among the debris field that used to be my stuff, underneath the ruins of my "treehouse," having just been rudely awakened by a fall to the ground, I have to believe that "Gee, I sure hope I haven't voided the warranty!" is going to be well down the list of things going through my mind.

And I think it's probably best to consider this thing a treehouse for people who are hopeless with power tools.
 
pastorjsackett
distinguished member(1204)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
07/30/2014 07:17PM  
lavvu.com
 
Sheepdogged
distinguished member (102)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
03/10/2017 12:18PM  
My buddy slept in the Tentsile Connect this past fall (2016) and it was the most perfect setup he's ever been in. He stayed in the Tentsile (green) and I stayed in the Treble (blue). Now that I've stayed off the ground for a trip I don't think I'll ever go back to tenting. Hammocking is okay but not for sleeping at night because I like just a bit more space to spread out.

 
OldFingers57
distinguished member(4990)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
03/10/2017 02:40PM  
My concern would be in finding a campsite that has trees located well to be able to set up the tent correctly.
 
andym
distinguished member(5340)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
03/11/2017 12:09AM  
Interesting to see them setup in what I presume is the BW or Quetico.

That does seem like a great site for them. I also know some sites that I love but where there just aren't that many trees.
 
ozarkpaddler
distinguished member(5163)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
03/11/2017 04:19AM  
quote nctry: "A tent you could enjoy in a storm... Like being at Valley Fair. "


If I was younger and more agile maybe? But I was thinking of the one stretched above the river in the first photo (NOT because of the model) and remembering all the flash floods and big river rises I've dealt with over the years. Gives me the heebee jeebees thinking about being part of a big nylon dam in the middle of the night!
 
Sheepdogged
distinguished member (102)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
03/15/2017 10:32AM  
We had these set up on Clear Lake just East of Ely. The campsite is ideal for these but I can tell you that we did research on specific sites through bwca.com to make sure it would work. What I can also tell you is that almost every site I have gone to in the bwca has had a place for these. With three connect points you can set up within trees that are more than 20ft apart. Unless you go to a burn area site you should be good to go.
 
LiquorPugs
member (10)member
  
03/15/2017 12:32PM  
I own the Tentsile Connect (pictured in Sheepdogged's post above). I honestly can say that I will take tent up to the BW with me 9 out of 10 times (the only time that I'd consider my other tent is if weight is at an absolute premium).
I was able to drop all three ratchets from my Tentsile setup and cut the weight in half, but it's still a 'hefty' 8 lbs or so.
I have yet to find a location where one of these wouldn't work. The nice part is that you're not restricted by uneven ground. So while a small site might only have one or two decent tent pads, it's not hard to find a half dozen configurations between three trees over spots where there might be roots/rocks/etc on the ground. The only locations where I'd imagine any trouble finding a spot are in recent burn areas without any trees.
I prefer it to hammock camping as you still have room to stretch out, sleep on your side (not worry about reverse taco), and store gear in the extra interior space just like a normal tent.
Absolutely love the thing.
 
Grizzlyman
distinguished member(792)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
03/15/2017 03:16PM  
I have to say I was a skeptic but after seeing the website and a few testimonials here- I think I like these.

I get that they're heavier- but honestly I'm more concerned with space. How much space does one of these take up?
 
andym
distinguished member(5340)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
03/15/2017 04:32PM  
How did you drop the third ratchet? Are they just not really necessary?

Also, I wonder if one of these could be set up as a ground tent when necessary with a few stakes instead of trees. That would give the flexibility for those rare sites where they won't work.

I'm still a little worried about some of the shallow rooted trees in the BW. I think the tentsile manual says to use trees that are a minimum of 15" in diameter. That's a pretty good size tree. Smaller ones might be fine but continued use could pull one over. Not sure if this is a real concern or not, just something that comes to my mind.

It's also a little funny reading a tent manual with a few pages devoted to possible hazards and injury, including the suggestion not to use the tent during a lightening storm. My other tents didn't seem to need those pages.
 
Sheepdogged
distinguished member (102)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
03/17/2017 02:14PM  
The Connect has a 53 sq ft floor area and is considered a two person so there is plenty of space for one person and all of their gear. Heck, you could fit two people in there with gear stuffed at the foot and still be comfortable but LiquorPugs found it just as easy to hang his bag from a line underneath the Tentsile so it stayed upright and dry.

Yes, you will need to find sturdy trees but that isn't hard in a forest.

Dropping the ratchet is as easy as just not using it and tying the ratchet line the same way you do the other two lines.

Best part is if it rains, and you know it will, you don't have to worry about sitting in a puddle of water, ever.
 
LiquorPugs
member (10)member
  
04/05/2017 01:00PM  
quote Grizzlyman:
I get that they're heavier- but honestly I'm more concerned with space. How much space does one of these take up?"


They come in a small duffel bag, and with the ratchets removed there's plenty of extra space for other items. I stuffed a tarp into my duffel, along with some other camp essentials. Stakes, rope, etc.

When they're strapped up, it's pretty simple to judge how much space you'll need. And the straps are so long that the trees can be close to fairly far apart. It takes a few trial and error set ups in different locations, but after a few times it's as simple as it gets.

quote andym: "How did you drop the third ratchet? Are they just not really necessary?"


We also had that Treble hammock (in blue) with us and Treble uses a pretty ingenious way of strapping theirs up that's fairly simple. So I custom ordered some straps with double D-rings and used a similar method. Fairly nice hack if I do say so myself. – Side note, I gotta give props to that Treble hammock. Crazy comfortable. Only issue is it doesn't have a bug net, so not very practical for those muggy/buggy Summer nights.
 
Sheepdogged
distinguished member (102)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
04/05/2017 01:50PM  
Perhaps it would be a good idea to find out if the Outdoor Adventure Expo hosted by Midwest Mountaineering, April 28th is having any sort of display of tents/tentsiles. It would be a great opportunity for a lot of folks.

(I have no affiliation with Midwest Mountaineering or Tentsile. Just a fan of camping)

Fwiw.
 
LiquorPugs
member (10)member
  
05/02/2017 01:07PM  

Tentsile camping, end of April on Clearwater Lake.
 
Grizzlyman
distinguished member(792)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
05/02/2017 06:03PM  
quote LiquorPugs: "
Tentsile camping, end of April on Clearwater Lake. "


Cool pic!

Btw was that your first time with the tentsile?
 
LiquorPugs
member (10)member
  
05/03/2017 07:22AM  
quote Grizzlyman: "
quote LiquorPugs: "
Tentsile camping, end of April on Clearwater Lake. "



Cool pic!

Btw was that your first time with the tentsile?"


Thanks!
No - The first time I used the Tentsile in the BWCA was on Clear Lake last October. See Sheepdogged's photo in this thread about 10 previous to this one ...
 
      Print Top Bottom Previous Next