In 2013, Alex Shirley-Smith got fed up with designing custom abodes for his wealthy clients.
As an architect, he decided instead to design a tent that would “elevate the camping experience,” so to speak.
The London-based architect now runs a company which makes tree tents, which are somewhere between vertical-camping and hammock-camping. These tree tents are popping up in most eco-resorts.
They are minimally invasive and are fabulous attractions for people looking for a novel camping experience.
Tentsile tents have models starting as low as $500. Its flagship tent, “The Stingray” can accommodate three people and requires 10 minutes to set up. The tent has a rope ladder for access.
The Stingray was the subject of a Chinese theft fiasco that forced the company to remake its production process. Tenstile now owns a manufacturing company in Ningbo, China. They have created other designs, such as the Trillium hammocks. These hammocks enable you to create a nine-person-bunk-bed-tree-tent.
Shirley-Smith started tinkering with the idea of tree tents five years ago. His first creation was the “Big Mama,” better known as “The Giant.” The structure weighed 85 pounds and wasn’t ideal for manufacturing, but was a great design nonetheless.
Shirley-Smith wanted a more portable tent that was easier to manufacture. He streamlined the design by incorporating stronger material.
The Giant turned into an elegant Sting Ray. The Sting Ray weighs 20 pounds and retails for $675.
The Sting Ray needs three trees, or three stable pillars. The tent is held in tension with ratchet straps.
Customer reviews are mostly positive. Most of Tentsile sales are made through their website. The site accepts Stripe and ships globally.
Tentsile uses some of its profits to protect the trees that it needs for its tents. In partnership with WeForest.org, three trees are planted for every tent that Tentsile sells.
Tentsile also offers camping packages in Finland and Fiji, as well as the Cambodian forest. A 3-day camping trip in Finland will set you back $970 per person.
This ingenious portable multi-person tree tent gives you the opportunity to camp in very interesting locales. You can sleep comfortably in a Tentsile tent, without worrying about things crawling into your sleeping bag as you rock slowly and drift into dream land.
What do you think about elevated camping? Is Tentsile the next big thing in camping? Tell us by commenting below!
