The Portable Treehouse

They call it a “portable suspended habitation unit.” It functions like a hybrid between a tent and a hammock. We think of it as a portable treehouse apartment.

It’s the Tentsile.

Suspend one between trees and the Tentsile provides a cocoon-like sleeping and living area above the forest floor. It might not be “the world’s most versatile tent” that the manufacturer claims it to be. But it is one of the coolest glamping (glamorous + camping) products we’ve seen.

Three models of Tentsile are available:

The 2-person unit is strung between two trees and weighs 5 to 8 kg (11 to 18 pounds). The interior is very much like a double hammock, except that the tension stretches it outwards so that (unlike a traditional hammock) the people sleeping won’t roll into each other. There’s also a storage space underneath the sleeping area.

The 3 to 4 person unit his strung between 3 trees. Each of the arms contains a hammock. The central area can be used for storage and meals and as an area for a fourth (presumably short) person to sleep. Weighs 15 to 18 kg (33 to 40 pounds).

The 5 to 8 person unit weighs 33 to 45 kg (72 to 99 pounds) and so requires that many people just to carry the thing. This unit is similar to the 3 to 4 person unit except that it is double layered—imagine a sort of hammock-tent bunk bed.

Every unit size as a canopy that can be removed for ventilation (and star gazing!). The system is also modular, allowing units to be combined to create a single Tentsile condo that can fit up to 14 people.

Once it is strung up, you can climb into your Tentsile using the included rope ladder.

Getting the Tentsile strung up in the first place . . . that requires climbing trees the old fashion way. You’ll need two or three mature trees properly spaced apart and with a sufficiently clear area between them. And, of course, it takes some strength, skill and patience to tie the cords such that things don’t go horribly wrong once all the occupants climb inside.

Hanging the hammock-tent will become much less of an issue once Tensile develops a stand that allows for set up on any flat surface, sans trees. (See the beach concept photo, below).

In the meantime, campers will have to put in the work to properly suspend their Tentsile portable treehouse. Afterwards, they can kick back in a portable wood-burning spa.

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2-Person Tentsile Camping Photos

Other Tentsile Photos

The Tensile with the concept stand

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