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Outdoors

Tree-hanging tent provides above-ground shelter

By Bridget Borgobello
March 08, 2012
Tree-hanging tent provides above-ground shelter
This strange looking tree shelter was created by a team of British designers to provide portable habitation for campers
This strange looking tree shelter was created by a team of British designers to provide portable habitation for campers
View 17 Images
The ultra-portable shelter employs tension forces to provide a suspended habitat that is protected from wildlife
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The ultra-portable shelter employs tension forces to provide a suspended habitat that is protected from wildlife
Since the Tentsile tent is suspended above ground level it can easily be erected over waterlogged ground, desert sands or rocky landscapes
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Since the Tentsile tent is suspended above ground level it can easily be erected over waterlogged ground, desert sands or rocky landscapes
Tentsile is easy to assemble and can be suspended in a number of locations
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Tentsile is easy to assemble and can be suspended in a number of locations
The Tentsile shelter features a collapsible frame with webbing straps that are made from fire-retardant, UV- and water-resistant polyester fabric infill panels
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The Tentsile shelter features a collapsible frame with webbing straps that are made from fire-retardant, UV- and water-resistant polyester fabric infill panels
The Tentsile shelter features a collapsible frame with webbing straps that are made from fire-retardant, UV- and water-resistant polyester fabric infill panels
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The Tentsile shelter features a collapsible frame with webbing straps that are made from fire-retardant, UV- and water-resistant polyester fabric infill panels
Tentsile is a dangling tent that offers similar comfort to a hammock and can be used in a number of environments
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Tentsile is a dangling tent that offers similar comfort to a hammock and can be used in a number of environments
The ultra-portable shelter employs tension forces to provide a suspended habitat that is protected from wildlife
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The ultra-portable shelter employs tension forces to provide a suspended habitat that is protected from wildlife
A simple rope ladder allows easy access to and from the tent and ensures no unwanted "visitors" will be making their way in during the night
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A simple rope ladder allows easy access to and from the tent and ensures no unwanted "visitors" will be making their way in during the night
Tentsile is available in three different sizes, catering to 5, 8 or 12 occupants
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Tentsile is available in three different sizes, catering to 5, 8 or 12 occupants
Tentsile offers campers the comfort of a hammock, dangling between the trees
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Tentsile offers campers the comfort of a hammock, dangling between the trees
The tent is easy to assemble and can be suspended up high in the tree tops or slightly hovering over ground level
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The tent is easy to assemble and can be suspended up high in the tree tops or slightly hovering over ground level
Tentsile is a dangling tent that offers similar comfort to a hammock and can be used in a number of environments
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Tentsile is a dangling tent that offers similar comfort to a hammock and can be used in a number of environments
The frame is held in tension by elongates which collect at each of the three high level anchor points
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The frame is held in tension by elongates which collect at each of the three high level anchor points
The frame is held in tension by elongates which collect at each of the three high level anchor points
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The frame is held in tension by elongates which collect at each of the three high level anchor points
This strange looking tree shelter was created by a team of British designers to provide portable habitation for campers
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This strange looking tree shelter was created by a team of British designers to provide portable habitation for campers
The unique inverted pyramid shape creates an elevated position that offers protection from flood risk, sand storms, earth tremors and wet or cold ground
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The unique inverted pyramid shape creates an elevated position that offers protection from flood risk, sand storms, earth tremors and wet or cold ground
This strange looking tree shelter was created by a team of British designers to provide portable habitation for campers
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This strange looking tree shelter was created by a team of British designers to provide portable habitation for campers
View gallery - 17 images

This strange looking tree shelter was created by a team of British designers, to provide portable habitation for campers while also minimizing material usage. Dubbed Tentsile, the shelter is a dangling tent that offers similar comfort to a hammock and can be used in a number of environments. The portable shelter employs tension forces to provide a suspended habitat that is protected from wildlife, including insects and snakes, while at the same time providing a secure shelter from the elements. The tent is easy to assemble and can be suspended up high in the tree tops or slightly hovering over ground level.

The Tentsile features a collapsible frame with webbing straps and infill panels that are made from fire-retardant, UV- and water-resistant polyester fabric. The frame's tension is maintained by elongated sections at each of the three high-level anchor points. By utilizing this three-dimensional force, the shelter reportedly offers stable, adaptable and lightweight accommodation for campers.

The unique inverted pyramid shape creates an elevated position that offers protection from floods, sand storms, earth tremors and wet or cold ground, while leaving a minimal footprint behind. Since the Tentsile tent is suspended above ground level, there is no need to clear areas of dense foliage and it can easily be erected over waterlogged ground, desert sands or rocky landscapes. A simple rope ladder allows easy access to and from the tent and ensures that no unwanted "visitors" will be making their way in during the night.

A simple rope ladder allows easy access to and from the tent and ensures no unwanted "visitors" will be making their way in during the night
A simple rope ladder allows easy access to and from the tent and ensures no unwanted "visitors" will be making their way in during the night

Tentsile is available in three different sizes, catering to 5, 8 or 12 occupants. Besides their use in camping, the tents could also conceivably serve as low-cost emergency accommodations or wildlife safari lodgings, or could even see military use ... but with that being said, Tentsile may also be the easiest treehouse a dad could set up for the kids in the backyard!

The company has yet to publish the prices of these hovering habitats, but inquiries can be made on its website.

Source: Tentsile via Treehugger

View gallery - 17 images

Tags

OutdoorsTreehouseCampingForestShelterTentTreehousesHammocksTentsile
23 comments
Bridget Borgobello
Bridget Borgobello
Bridget is an experienced architecture, travel and design writer who has been contributing to New Atlas since 2010. Based between Melbourne and Rome, she and has a keen eye for innovative design, green technology and space saving solutions. Bridget is fluent in Italian and enjoys covering major events in Italy, including the Milan Design Week and Venice Biennale.

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23 comments
Jon A.
That could work really well up until the point where it kills you dead.
Mr Stiffy
I never liked camping in amongst lions, bears, wolves, cape buffalo, hippos, elephants......
There is a great reason why monkeys live in tree tops - in case you have forgotten.
Slowburn
I'll camp decently with a toilet and diesel engine.
Joshua Frazer
Looks pretty awesome. Reminds me of jungle hammocks and cliff hanger bivouacs.
Putting it up that high, getting in and out seems a bit dangerous. Even a foot or two above the ground is enough to keep out the creepy crawly critters though, which is nice.
mommus
it rather assumes you have three large trees arranged in a perfect triangle or the appropriate size.
Mr Stiffy
@ Joshua Frazer
Putting it up that high, getting in and out seems a bit dangerous.
and
@Jon A.
That could work really well up until the point where it kills you dead.
I have a bed that has a meter of clearance under it, cause I live in a flood prone area - AND I used to use a 4 legged steel stackable type of chair to climb into it....
That was NOT really OK , and one day when alighting from it, the probing foot, found the corner of the chair instead of the center, and as I put my weight on it - from a bit of an angle and over the chair went and down I came - fortunately there was the concrete floor to break my fall as well as the friction effect of dragging the blankets and all off the bed with me.
I had a rather nice ex cathaholic glass fronted picture frame laying on the floor to soften the impact and the glass made a 6" long skin graft off my ass as well.......
So that was the day I stopped kidding myself about defiencies in design and make a proper stepped and locked on stair set.
As far as that tent goes - just looking at that picture of the woman getting in or out of it and I thought - Yeah these guys ARE right - it's a death trap.
Fall out break your neck etc...
On things like that you REALLY must have is a secure platform to stand on before you climb out AND you really must have "Hand ropes" (fiber version of hand rails) as well as the rope rung ladder.
With this set up - all it takes in ONE mistake and it's a broken neck or other serious injury....
This "fall out vaginal style" entrance / exit and the teeny little rung ladder is just asking for a fatality.
You people who designed this tent - I hope you read this - but your either going to make it so easy to either kill themselves OR sue you out of existance....
You MUST, I repeat MUST redesign the death trap door and rope ladder design.
Other than that - it's quite good.
liam
@Mr Stiffy
I have no idea where which continent in the world you might be trying to camp if you are worried about all those animals, unless you tried camping in your local zoo! Thats like americans being worried about getting eaten by Tigers while on "Safari" in Africa and then booking into 5 Star game lodges here. Cracks me up every time.
Gotta go, I have to run away now (in my loin cloth) form the Lion that is fast approaching!
waltinseattle
excelent long stay hunting blind!
Von Meerman
"desert sands or rocky landscapes"
...How often do they have trees capable of supporting such a thing?
I didn't think ground critters like snakes were a problem, so long as the doors could be sealed with zips and velcro and such.
Carlos Grados
Makes camping seem even less appealing than normal! Although if you were camping in wetlands this could help.
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