Just when you thought you’d seen it all, you gaze up at the expansive blue skies as you hike through the backwoods of Montana and see … a tent floating in the trees? What? No, your sleepless night in the woods isn’t making you hallucinate. There truly is a tent in the trees, but it’s cleverly suspended between trees to create the perfect aboveground sleeping space. Enter the Tree Tent—the newest camping accessory that is taking camping to new heights!
Tent camping isn’t easy. Let’s just be real about it. First of all, if you’re hiking, you have to lug your tent and all of its accessories with you through the woods on your back, along with all of your other camping necessities. Then when you stop to set up camp, you have the task of finding the flattest, smoothest ground possible for your tent’s resting spot. If you’ve ever tried to find flat ground that’s free of rocks in the woods, you know how hard this can be. Then there’s the issue of bugs. And spiders. And snakes. And larger, scarier animals. In the great outdoors, they’re everywhere, and unfortunately, you’re on their turf in the woods.
What if I told you that you can avoid these tent-camping headaches by choosing to elevate your adventure with a tree tent! Only sloped, rocky ground for as far as the eye can see? No problem! Are snakes and fire ants running wild where you need to call it a night? Who cares! With a lightweight tree tent, you can climb to your safe place in the woods and leave the bothersome parts of camping behind!
How Does a Tree Tent Work?
Is it a tent? Is it a tree house? It’s both! Combine the portability of a tent with the altitude of a tree house and you have a tree tent. Similar to a tree house, the surrounding trees are used to anchor and support the weight of the tree tent, but this version is completely mobile and flexible. Not for the faint of heart, tree tents add an element of danger and risk to a camping adventure. As stated on one tree tent manufacturer’s website, only go as high with your tree tent as you’re willing to fall from. Gulp!
Nevertheless, they are pretty stable and safe when set up correctly. And they offer an epic elevated experience that a grounded tent can’t even come close to! Using straps and ratchets, the tree tent is tightly secured between three trees (or other very heavy objects) so that the floor of the tree tent is pulled taut for a flat sleeping surface. Tree tents come in all sizes, ensuring that a solo camper or a small family can all enjoy the experience of sleeping in the trees!
Is It Really Just a Hammock?
While some skeptics may think a tree tent is just a hammock in disguise or one dressed up to look like something fancier, it is not a hammock. There are a couple differences when you compare the two. First of all, a tree tent gets its shape and foundation from three separate tie-down spots, usually giving it the shape of a triangle and reducing the dreaded “roll over” that usually happens when you try to climb in a hammock. A hammock only secures in two different spots and it usually looks like a sling. While most hammocks are made up of just one piece of fabric that envelopes you, a tree tent normally comes with the floor, a roof, and possibly a bug screen. Tree tents also use poles, much like how normal tents do, to keep its shape. The use of a hammock and a tree tent vary too. While most people use a hammock for a nice afternoon nap or to lounge in to read a good book, it’s not normally a place where people curl up for a good night’s sleep. A tree tent, however, is the perfect place to snooze under the stars. Its flat surface supports your back and the covering overhead keeps annoying bugs at arm’s length.
A Tree Tent for Any Budget
Like with a lot of things, you can go as basic or as fancy as you want with a tree tent. A basic, super-lightweight tree tent will run you around $300 and will sleep 2 people. It may have more than one “door” and possibly a bug screen. If you’re looking for a more heavy-duty tree tent, you can spend upwards of $650 for one that can fit a small family. The more expensive models also include multiple “doors” for easier access, accessory compartments for storage, mesh coverings, and poles. If you intend to go backpacking and want a lightweight one that’s easy to transport, go with a less expensive model. However, if you want to take your RVing adventures to new heights by pitching one in a tree at your campsite, then it’ll pay off to spend more on a roomier one.
Have you ever taken your camping adventures to new heights with a tree tent? Do you have any advice you want to share with us and our readers? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
