Tentsile vs. Troika- Are either worth trying as a camping "Hammock"

[Cruiser51]

I never noticed this thread until now, since i have been using the Tentsile Fltye, for backwoods/canoe camping for a few years, I guess i will chime in.

I would definitely class this as a "floating tent" and not a hammock.

The actual tent part is quite light, but the suspension and ratchet (especially the ratchet) are heavy. I am not going to go weigh parts, but I estimate the ratchet alone weighs ~4 pounds, the straps are quite long and I am also estimating a similar weight for all of them ..... so it is a relatively heavy shelter for any sort of camping that involves carrying.

I did change up a few things .... changed up the straps to suitably sized amsteel, as I didn't like the way the straps tied off, also got Dutch to make me up wider tree straps as I found the supplied straps could leave impressions in the trees. With the changes it was somewhat lighter and left no discernible damage to the trees.

As far as infield performance, once it is setup ... it gives a very flat lay and the slight give is almost like a mattress. I used mine in conjunction with a 9 cm Exped Downmat and was comfortable to about -10C ... this is the same mat I use when in my tent. As far as insulation goes, think more tent and less hammock .... I can't see an UQ being successful, while a mat works fine. As far as an UQ being "far warmer (and comfier) than any tent/sleeping bag combo", well that just isn't reality IMO, I have done both and each has it's strengths and weaknesses.

The tarp they supply works and will take some pretty nasty weather ... but it is close fitting and somewhat annoying to get in and out of and likely could have been a bit better designed (maybe a beak for exit and entry).

You do need trees, but it is surprising to me that i really never had too much issue finding trees that would work, that is likely due to the long straps giving a lot of area to find trees in.

I have moved on to GE hammock, mainly due to weight considerations ... while the hammock is comfy and warm, the Flyte is also comfy and warm ... it really comes down to the "comfy" you are looking for, if that's a bed like experience, the Flyte is as close as you'll get IMO, if it's that cushioned/cocooned feeling, then a hammock.

Brian

[W8lkinUSA]

If you sleep suspended between trees, then it's likely a hammock.

Tentsile is so cool, but impractical for me. I have enough difficulty finding two trees, so forget about finding three trees..

[danieljohnson]

I do plan on writing up my whole experience as a kind of case study and including what I learned about set up to make that easier (plus the video, if I ever figure out how to work my new video editing software). I'll add it here if I ever actually get it all done.

I finally got this done. It ended up being a lot longer than anticipated, but I added a huge section on setting up the tree tent, since I found that to be the biggest frustration the first time I used it.

It's here: https://hammocked.com/blogs/news/tree-tent-case-study

I just want to make clear: I am not advocating for this particular model at all. It's just the one I bought (for the reasons stated) and used for this experiment.

In fact, I would probably go with a different model, if I could do it over again. I feel the advantage of having only one ratchet (less weight) is outweighed (pun intended!) by the disadvantage of it making setup more difficult. I also hate that there is not a single storage pocket in the tent. Would it have been so hard to add those? Without them, all your belongings, like water bottles, roll toward you which is a bit annoying to say the least.

Overall, I think tree tents are a great invention, but they are not a replacement for hammocks. Different uses entirely, in my opinion. For me, the tree tent replaces a tent, because I can sleep better in it. If I had kids, I think it would also make a lot of sense to keep it in the backyard as a type of fort or tree house. I took mine to my sister's place recently and my nephews went crazy over it.

[Rouskof]

My experiment to lighten the Tentsile suspension and use it with underquilts: https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...220&styleid=12
It makes it a viable option for a group of backpackers.
I wrote Alex at Tentsile about it but he never answered. Hope he checks this thread again. These tents would be awesome with custom made underquilts...

[Phantom Grappler]

I do not own either and have gotten on one for a minute.
Not a “camping” hammock for me because:
Rainworthyness? Will it keep me dry?
Weight, Bulk
Large open space and 3 trees needed
Flat hang angle increases chances of pulling tree onto me.
If you like fun—-it’s probably the most fun rig available—possibly you and your wife would be comfortable!

[Haapasaari]

Hmm.. I’ve got a Tentsile Connect and I love it. It’s heavy, but I love it anyway. The reason? It’s fun, its comfortable, it looks cool and it’s a really well made piece of gear! Since I’ve learned how to set it up, I have dropped two of the three provided ratchets from my setup, and that saved me something like 3 lbs and some of the bulk.

I was thinking about the underquilt thing too, but I’m not so sure it would be practical at all. At least for their bigger tents anyway. And the other thing is, I find their Skypad (by Klymit) really well designed and comfortable too!

The only thing that bothers me in this treetent is the ability, or rather lack of it, to set-up/take-down in the rain while keeping the tent dry. At least I haven’t figured out how to do it. An extra tarp? More bulk, and you would have to set it up quite high.

Well for me the Tentsile is for fair weather camping with the family, while my hammock is for all the other situations.

[danieljohnson]

I was going to respond to Phantom Grappler that it does seem like the rain fly would keep you dry (I haven't yet used it in the rain, though), but then I read your post.

The only thing that bothers me in this treetent is the ability, or rather lack of it, to set-up/take-down in the rain while keeping the tent dry. At least I haven’t figured out how to do it. An extra tarp? More bulk, and you would have to set it up quite high.

I didn't even consider having to set it up and/or tear it down in the rain. That seems like it would be a HUGE pain. I don't see any way to keep it dry under those circumstances, apart from the extremely impractical high-hanging extra tarp....

[Rouskof]

I installed mine without problem in the heavy rain with the extra tarp as illustrated in the aforementioned thread.