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  1. #1
    Pheonix6579's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Citrus County, FL
    Hammock
    Warbonnet Ridgerunner
    Tarp
    Walhallah 12ft
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    LocoLibre/JRB
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    DIY Whoopies
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    489
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    5

    Tensa 4 Stand: A 30+ Night Review

    I will start by saying it was a pleasure dealing with the folks at Tensa when I ordered this stand. They had great communication and were a pleasure to work with. I got this stand about 4 days before I started a cross-country trip ( FL to VA to CO to UT to FL) which would be about 35 days total. I planned on using this stand for a good amount of the trip, however fortunately/unfortunately circumstances allowed me to use it literally every night of this trip.
    I really wanted to like this stand, I really did, but I really wanted to like my TATO stand as well. But, even though a lot of people do, I really do not like the TATO stand. I have had a lot of issues with mine (mainly stability issues involving wind, and yes it’s set up correctly). I was weary that I would have those issues with the Tensa as well. But here is my gosh darn most honest review on what I think of this stand after putting it through its paces. I’ve set this thing up in driveways, basements, backyards, and about 7 different campgrounds/RV parks.

    SETUP- My first setup was a bit rough. Took some figuring out to do, but I got the gist of it with the included directions. The first week I had the stand I used the method of only one anchor on the foot end. This does work well, but I’m clumsy, awkward, and uncoordinated. One night, I had a cramp kick in in my calf and in the process of getting out I got tacoed in the stand, along with my underquilt, hammock, topquilt, and fronkey bugnet. It was a hot mess. I went out and picked up another orange screw, and for the rest of the trip I anchored both ends and the stand held up as solid as a rock. I could move freely in the hammock without the fear of being trapped in my bugnet again. As far as stability goes, we had some pretty crazy wind in CO. Strong enough to blow over my families staked out tent. However, that stand held strong through it all. Setup time and take down became a breeze by the end of the trip, less than 5 minutes. The “needle” on each end of the UCRs made life easier. The toggles held well. The packed size of the stand is remarkable, considering the weight capacity. Fit right in with the rest of my setup, without taking up any extra precious cargo space (unlike the TATO).

    FREEDOM- of course having a stand you can setup pretty much anywhere, but the size of this stand fully setup opened up the possibilities. In a couple of places, the sites were very small and we were sharing one site with a large RV and my wife’s 10 man tent. Space was limited, but in every case I was able to setup just fine.

    THINGS I LOVE
    the size and weight, both packed and deployed. I could also move the stand while deployed easily for fine tuning when needed.
    The simplicity of it all. I am still amazed at how it all just works. Setup me take down can be done in 5 minutes or less.
    The build quality of everything was top notch.
    The small touches on the UCRs, makes the setup all the easier (though I’m debating on switching the center one out for a fixed eye dog bone)
    Cost. Yes, $300 is quite a bit for a stand. But I paid $350 for my TATO, and I will take this stand over that one any day. Money well spent considering performance
    Reliability- With only minor user generated error/failure, this stand stood up the entire trip night after night and did what it was supposed to do. Even pushed close to the weight limit for 30+ days, still holding up like a champ.
    The Tensa crew was top notch to work with.
    THINGS THAT COULD BE BETTER/THINGS IM STILL WORKING ON
    I am still working on getting the stand in a configuration that lets me comfortably setup my tarp. I do think with this stand a diamond, asymmetrical, or standard hex would work better. It seemed the doors on my superfly were causing the issue on either end. I setup my tarp a few different ways, but I am still working on finding the “best” way forward
    I will say that handing in the driveway really did a number of on the end rubber pieces. But they are really easy to replace.

    Overall, I am more than impressed with this stand. It has exceeded my expectations in every way. In most cases I am truly blown away with how well it performed and how compact it traveled. Never once on my trip did I doubt the stands ability to perform and hold my big but up (well once I started anchoring both ends. I am sure with more time I will figure out an optimal setup for a tarp. Down the line I will look at selling my TATO and probably picking up another one of these.

    Thank you again to the Tensa crew for getting me my stand for this trip. In all honesty, the trip would have been pretty terrible without it.


    Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

  2. #2
    Senior Member QFT's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Colorado
    Hammock
    Dutchware 11' netless
    Tarp
    SLD Trail Haven
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    Myerstech dyneema
    Posts
    450
    Cool, thanks for the review, it's very helpful.

  3. #3
    Senior Member Smckinney0031's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    London Ky
    Hammock
    Juniper or Walhalla
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    Trailheadz winter
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    20° Etherial
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    Straps/Breeze buck
    Posts
    1,214
    Great review, thanks for posting!!

  4. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Portland, Oregon
    Hammock
    banana-shaped
    Tarp
    greenish
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    yes
    Suspension
    disbelief
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    1,024
    Thanks for the review Pheonix6579! Your bag of cash should arrive shortly.

    Sooner or later, probably sooner, we'll offer additional anchors and guylines a la carte, in view of the distinct preference of some to guy both ends. It may be that Raftingtigger and I are overly attached to the niftiness factor that only one guyline is *required*, such that we're obscuring the general truth that securing both ends is sometimes still a good idea. Still, I hope everybody at least tries single-side guying, hanging a pack or similar off the head end and/or relying on a tarp's separate staking for extra stability before running a second guyline to the head end of the stand.

    If you guy both ends with significant tension, say to pry the stand open wide enough to support a 12' tarp, we're worried that that may reduce the safety factor built into the 400-lb weight rating. Well, we know it does, but not how much of an issue it might be. Besides, maybe everybody needs an initiatory Tensa taco experience to really relax, realizing that the worst case just ain't so bad!

    Beautiful country. I love the uke shot. Trees all around. I find that I'm often setting up the stand with trees around just because I'd rather not get conifer sap on my tarp or straps, nor whack away brambles, nor be further away from a fire or stream or whatever else, nor suffer an unfavorable wind direction: freedom, as you say.

    It looks to me like your poles are crossing a little more than usual. Note that the flatworm toggles on the base and ridgelines are lark's headed on. You can move them closer to the ends to get a more snug fit with less crossover, more effective pole length. Yours may also be loose enough to wrap around twice before toggling.
    Last edited by Latherdome; 07-14-2018 at 23:22.
    --
    Tensa Outdoor, LLC, maker of the Tensa4, Tensa Solo, and Tensa Trekking Treez hammock stands: http://tensaoutdoor.com/

  5. #5
    New Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2019
    Location
    Cedar Park, TX
    Hammock
    Dutchware Chameleon
    Tarp
    Dutchware UL Xenon
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    Loco Libre UQ/TQ
    Suspension
    Spider Straps
    Posts
    7
    Thanks for the extended review of actual use. Looks like I have a Tensa stand to buy.

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Location
    U.S.
    Posts
    451
    Quote Originally Posted by Latherdome View Post
    I find that I'm often setting up the stand with trees around just because ....
    Sounds like me. More often than not I just go with my stand because it's so dang easy and I don't have to hunt around for trees in the right orientation to where I want to be. Kind of nice too being able to move it "whole" if the wind shifts on ya.

    Pretty much echo Pheonix6579's remarks. "Very" nice piece of kit, great buying experience, personal service was top notch and the attention to detail from tip to tip is outstanding. Now that boomstakes are a selectable option with a stand purchase... I really can't come up with anything I would change. Took a few times really dialing in my tarps, but once it's sorted it's a snap to replicate setups over and over without much thought. I use tarp extensions, have solo kit's, went with UCR options and 40cm boomstakes. Rock solid and well worth the coinage.

  7. #7
    New Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    richmond, VT
    Hammock
    BBXLC / sparrow
    Tarp
    superfly
    Insulation
    wooki/burrow/
    Suspension
    straps
    Posts
    43
    i was unsure about whether or not i needed this thing, and i sunk about $80 into parts to DIY for a non-telescoping version.

    what i learned after a couple of weeks of use was that i did in fact need this thing. it is what i hang my hammock from while i am in my house at the moment. it is what i hang my hammock from if there are no suitable trees, or if i just don't like the direction the trees would have me face.

    do not worry, though. my $80 rig was not a waste- it enables me to bring a friend with me to go hammocking in an open field and now my friend needs a tensa4, too.

  8. #8
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Plant City, FL
    Hammock
    Dutch Chameleon
    Tarp
    Dutch 12' Winter
    Insulation
    CRO, J'R'B
    Suspension
    Dutch web/ beetle
    Posts
    297
    Great review buddy. I have set my Tensa stand up a few times but have not stayed in more than 20 minutes. I'm usually just trying to practice setup and tear down time. I purchased the straps with mine and then made the ucr's to go with the stand.

    I think i still need the tarp extensions to go with the stand. Hopefully Barry will be bringing some to Hangcon.
    AJ if you want to make that dogbone figure out the length and we will make it at the hang.

  9. #9
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    Saskatoon, SK
    Hammock
    Amok Draumr 3.0
    Tarp
    Amok
    Insulation
    Synmat 9 LW
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    cinch buckles
    Posts
    1,702
    echoing the others, good review, good pictures

  10. #10
    New Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Location
    Birmingham, Alabama
    Posts
    1
    Thank you for this review whilst an older post, I've been hammock camping for the last 4 years, I purchased the ENO stand and then later the GrandTrunk stands to use as a more permanent setup at the house when I want and whilst the ENO is great and I like that it has the add on 'tent type' cover (big bucks tho unless like me you wait for a sale and a military discount) so I can afford that and pay over time, and initially liked the freedom it afforded, like most the more I Hammack camped and bought new equipment, tarps, gear, and all the 'toys' that go with Hammock camping, I wanted more freedom and a more portable but stable solution, especially for backpacking or just a quick decision on Saturday morning that I want to jump in the SUV and drive somewhere to go hang for a night solo or with mates and get out in nature. The ENO limits what you can do due to its weight (car camping primarily), which is heavy, and can be cumbersome. It's given me a lot of joy to hang, don't get me wrong and I have fond memories and will continue to set it up around Christmas on my back deck (hopefully on a chilly night) add lights inside, bring a book, some Christmas tunes inside and snuggle down to enjoy an easy holiday hang for a night or 2. Recently I've come across the OneWind Hammock/gear and took some Christmas funds to invest in parts of their setup for a light/ultralight kit and somehow came across a post on the Tensa4. Long story short, I bit the bullet and purchased the stand last night and can't wait to get in both the Onewind gear and the Tensa4 to set them up together. I appreciate your review as it was A LOT of money, given the current economic environment and I was worried about set up but more importantly stability and safety. Your review on the wind stability and using it over a month gives me peace of mind I made the right decision for this investment. I'm not sure what the term UCR's mean, but am going to research that now so I understand how it relates to this stand .

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