If you combined a hammock, a tent and a treehouse, you’d get a Tentsile Tent. Trained architect Alex Shirley-Smith teamed up with product designer and co-inventor Kirk Kirchev, to bring his concept of a portable, three anchor point suspended shelter to reality and Tentsile Tree tents were born.
Tentsile Tree Tents
above: The men behind Tenstile, Alex Shirley-Smith and Kevin Kirchev
Tentsile Tree Tents were conceived as a treehouse that you can take anywhere. They offer an incredible new way for you and your friends to experience the great outdoors in style, unparalleled comfort, unrestricted by ground conditions and with increased separation from wetness, bumps, bugs and other icky inconveniences.
all images and info courtesy of Tentsile, their Facebook page and instagram account
In late 2013, they launched with the Stingray, the most expensive and impressive of their products. Which was soon followed in 2014 by the connect. Thus year, 2015, they launched two “super-hammocks”: the Vista and the Trillium.
The Tentsile Stingray
The Tentsile Stingray is a 3 person tree tent (a.k.a. portable treehouse) that offers users a uniquely communal and comfortable outdoor experience away from inhospitable ground, ground based insects, snakes or other predators. SLEEPS UP TO 6 PEOPLE!
The Stingray comprises a spacious triple hammock interior covered in a rip resistant insect mesh. It is accessed via a floor hatch in the centre or via the large front door. It can be suspended between 3 trees or other large objects like columns, trucks or boulders.
If features a removable flysheet (in a range of colours) for unbeatable views. The rainfly can be pegged outwards to the ground, creating a large 160sqf / 14sqm of covered porch area.
The Stingray tree tent can also become a multi-story camping base by adding 3 standard hammocks (not included) to the 3 corner D-rings. This way, you can have 3 adults in the tent above and three more in the hammocks below – you can have an enormous amount of space over two levels.
The flysheet flaps can be rolled and toggled out of the way but can also be folded under the tent and hooked to the central hatch thus creating a 2nd wind break and an 8cm thermal buffer of air to the underside of each hammock.
Price: $675 USD
The Tentsile Connect Tree Tent:
The Tentsile Connect is our lighter 2 person (can sleep 3 by adding a hammock beneath) tree tent also known as a portable treehouse. They come with a removable fly sheet (available in a choice of 5 colours), and offers you and your partner the chance to connect with nature and with each other in a completely new way.
The Connect also clips to other Tentsile Connect tents to create suspended super-camps of 3 or more tents (see Tentsile Trilogy). This way you can add a sheltered central communal space and conquer the forest canopy.
Lighter, cheaper, modular, versatile and truly, this really is the best piece of equipment for any wild camping. It can be suspended between 3 trees or other large objects like columns, trucks or boulders.
If features a full insect mesh top ( with 4 doors ), a removable flysheet for unbeatable views and the rainfly can be pegged outwards to the ground, creating a large 120sqf / 9sqm covered porch area to become a multi-story camping base!
The flysheet flaps can also be folded under the tent and hooked to each other, creating a 2nd wind break and an 8cm thermal buffer of air to the underside of each hammock.
Price: $495 USD(subject to change)
The Tentsile Vista
The Tentsile Vista is a 3 person tree tent or “portable treehouse” that offers users a uniquely communal and comfortable outdoor experience. With the Vista you can remove the roof completely to enjoy the world around you. The removable fly sheet roof comes with its own poles and detachable full insect mesh for maximum ventilation and unbeatable views. The Vista’s floor is a spacious triple hammock (same size as the Stingray), accessed via a floor hatch in the centre of the floor or via all the sides. It can be suspended above any ground conditions.
The rainfly roof stays up and away from the floor extending outwards and creating a large 110sqf / 10sqm of covered porch area beneath the tent. The insect mesh also creates a dry shelf for storage of personal belongings or wet items that need drying out.
Spare floors can be purchased that allow the Vista tree tent to become a multi-story camping solution, able to sleep 9 adults or more! Simply add extra standard Vista floors (not included) to create extra levels beneath the tent like a super-large multi story bunk bed. This way, you can have three people in the tent above and three people on each level below! You can have an enormous amount of living space over 2, 3 or 4 levels.
Note: The Vista roof cannot be fully sealed and is therefore not suitable for extreme weather or very heavy rain.
Price: $595 (was $650) USD subject to change
The Tentsile Trillium Hammock:
With the Trillium hammock, the tree set-up configurations become almost unlimited. Stack 1, 2 or 3 under your tent to create the multifloor outdoor living environments. Trillium hammocks can be used to add sleeping space for additional numbers of fellow campers, or simply to expand the space of your tree tent for extra gear, shoes, dogs and wet stuff.
Used on its own, this platform is the most hardcore triple hammock on the market. Reinforced by 20+ metres of seatbelt and secured by heavy duty ratchets and webbing it provides unprecedented safety stability comfort and of course – the most exciting view in the forest.
The Trillium can also be used to replace a damaged Vista floor. It has all the fittings to accommodate the Vista poles.
Price: $250 USD subject to change
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images courtesy of the Tentsile site, their Facebook page and their Instagram