Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Gear Forum :: Tentsile Tree Tents
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LiquorPugs |
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. |
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Grizzlyman |
I get that they're heavier- but honestly I'm more concerned with space. How much space does one of these take up? |
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andym |
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. |
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Doughboy12 |
LINK |
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Sheepdogged |
(I have no affiliation with Midwest Mountaineering or Tentsile. Just a fan of camping) Fwiw. |
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Sheepdogged |
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. |
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Sheepdogged |
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lindylair |
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Majohnson73 |
look neat as hell. http://www.tentsile.com |
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nctry |
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LiquorPugs |
quote Grizzlyman: 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. |
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AndySG |
Seems to be a novelty item rather than a practical tent. Maybe if I win the Lotto. |
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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. |
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Squid |
And I think it's probably best to consider this thing a treehouse for people who are hopeless with power tools. |
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pastorjsackett |
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Sheepdogged |
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OldFingers57 |
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andym |
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. |
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ozarkpaddler |
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! |
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LiquorPugs |
Tentsile camping, end of April on Clearwater Lake. |
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andym |
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! |
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Ole496 |
BUT, they are awfully cool and hard not to want one! |
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andym |
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." |
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Grizzlyman |
quote LiquorPugs: " Cool pic! Btw was that your first time with the tentsile? |
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LiquorPugs |
quote Grizzlyman: "quote LiquorPugs: " 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 ... |