Tents

Tentsile Una Hammock Tent | Review

Is it a tent? Is it a hammock? Is it neither, or is it both? All we know is that this is a very fun way to spend a night in the wild

Why We Chose It: Innovative, well-made, fun.

We couldn’t resist calling this in to try out for consideration for our Outdoor 100 product series after we spotted one on Instagram (where else?), and, after testing it out in the Brecon Beacons, we decided it’s definitely worthy of inclusion.

Now, we’ve got to admit, we were expecting it to be a little bit gimmicky; a kind of play thing rather than something that people actually sleep in. But actually, we were surprised by its practicality.

“All the materials are super strong, making the Tentsile Una capable of bearing a load of up to a whopping 150kg.”

It involves a sleeping platform made from a super strong nylon & polyester fabric with a strong metal buckle on each of its three corners. To string it up, these buckles are fastened to long webbing straps which are wrapped around three trees situated in a pyramid shape. A bug-proof mesh with a single hooped pole seals in the user, and a fly sheet is suspended over the top. All the materials are super strong, making the Tentsile Una capable of bearing a load of up to a whopping 150kg, and, thanks to a supplied ratchet, it’s possible to have a very taught and secure hang.

The total weight is 2720g, which is on the heavy side and not really something you’d really want to go backpacking with (but it would be feasible). The packed size isn’t too big though – it’s about the same as your average four-person tent we’d say. As something for car camping – or basically adventures that don’t require much walking – it’s a fun way of spending a night and for sleeping very, very comfortably.

The sleeping platform is made from a super strong nylon and polyester fabric. Photo: Chris Johnson

Bungee cord keeps the flysheet taut. Photo: Chris Johnson

Tester’s Verdict

Will Renwick, Outdoors Magic Editor

“I didn’t look at any instructions online before I put this up this for the first time and this might show in the pictures you see here. I would have checked while I was doing it, but the Brecon Beacons forests aren’t good for phone service. Anyway, on that first time, I managed to get it all set up in about 25 minutes which I was quite happy about, and I found it more straightforward than I was expecting it to be.

“That said, it’s still trickier to put up than any tent or hammock. You need to find three trees that are all very strong, and less than 90 degrees from each other. I’ve only pitched this in forestry, and while it’s never taken me long to find a spot, I imagine it would take a long time in normal deciduous woodland. A few cow hitch knots are required then you want to ratchet one of the ends to get the whole think nice and taut. There are useful diagrams on the stuff sack that show you the techniques for both of these things.

“One of the trickier parts, I found, was getting the flysheet tight enough to be able to ensure you’re well covered and that water can run right off it. There’s a useful video online that shows exactly how to do this, and I definitely should have watched this when I put this up on the occasion pictured. To do it properly, all of the corners of the flysheet are fastened to the three main webbing straps by bungees tied in a similar pattern to a roman sandal. You then peg down the sides of the flysheet to the ground using two bungees and then, with the remaining bungee, lift the end of the flysheet that covers your legs by tying it upwards to a tree.

“Ultimately it offers a really unique and fun way to spend a night in the wilderness.”

The pictures don’t show this because I mixed up my bungees and was left with one that wasn’t long enough to reach the tree. Again, the moral of the story here is to check one of the instructional videos before putting this up. While it might sound complicated, after the first time putting this up, it’s all actually straightforward and even quite rewarding – the finished product is something very stable and reliable.

“And the Tentsile Una really is very, very comfortable to lie and sleep in. I’d recommend using your sleeping mat in it, and have found my Therm-a-rest fits in fine. You can also buy a specially made one from Tenstile.

“On their website, the brand says that the Una is fit for four season use, and I wouldn’t really argue with that, though if it gets exposed to very strong cross winds, the fly might lift a bit, and it’s not going to handle bucket loads of snow very well. You’d definitely want a warm sleeping mat underneath you also.

“This is different alright, but it’s definitely well made, and ultimately it offers a really unique and fun way to spend a night in the wilderness.”