Tentsile Stingray

8.9
8.9 score
[Editors rating (8.9)] = (TheGearHunt) score (8.9)/10


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Editor rating: 8.9 / 10
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Tentsile Stingray Review Facts

Being outdoors offers individuals the unique experience of living in nature, even if it is for a short time. Camping offers this with the advantage of protection, whether it be a camping trailer or a tent, camping offers the outdoors, some relaxation and unlimited access to fresh air.

This makes the body happy and helps ease the mind from the stresses of day-to-day life. Camping is also an opportunity to reconnect with family and disconnect from the internet and social media as well. There are several campgrounds that offer access to water which introduces a whole other wack of interesting and fun activities while being outdoors.

Camping does require protection. Some campers have access to cabins which has the advantage of having a hard room and more access to warm. Those who do not have access to cabins have access to tents and camping trailers as well which protects from the rain. It's important to consider what is important to the camper before buying anything though. If out in rainy weather, often times a camper or a cabin is better. If looking for something smaller or less expensive, tents offer protection and some warmth retention without having to pay a higher price.

This tent is an interesting style, a "hanging" tent. It straps to several trees in order to lift off the ground. This is beneficial as it allows the camper to completely disregard the terrain they are on (from rocks and uneven surfaces) and allows them to hang in the air. Tentsile is a popular camping brand, highly rated by reviewers. This is our review of the Tensile Stingray tent. We hope this article serves you in your next tent purchase.

Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Comfortable sleeping arrangement
  • Easy to setup 
  • Convenient for all terrains 
  • Reliable and durable 
Cons
  • Poor waterproofing 
  • Poor ventilation 

ACCESSORIES

This tent comes with a couple of accessories in order to make using the tent a little easier. This includes the tent itself which is a 3 person tent that is offered in numerous color options. It also comes with poles which string through the tent in order to keep it propped up. It comes with a removable flysheet. The flysheet is a piece of waterproof fabric that covers the tent's mesh to protect the camper from water and rain. This can be taken off in order to offer essentially a full view of the trees and sky above. This gives sleeping under the stairs a whole new meaning. The mesh itself protects the camper from bugs as well which is nice.

This tent comes with a lightweight and durable bag. The bag holds the tent and all the accessories to make transportation and storage easy. It also comes with ratchet buckles with 3 straps to strap the tent to trees. These are, of course, some of the more critical items offered by this product as this will ultimately keep the tent in trees making the product useful. It comes with an instruction manual as well with tips and tricks to hanging this tent in different areas. This tent can also have additional accessories (at an additional price) including a floor hatch cover and drink holder which help with the overall experience.

MATERIALS

The tent itself is made of 210T PU coated polyester material. Polyester is naturally durable making it ideal for camping material. It is also lightweight which is also beneficial as this will help keep the weight of the tent lighter, which is better for transportation but also for hanging in trees long term.

The polyester is then coated for the purpose of waterproofing. This way the water should roll down the outside of the tent rather than seep in or soak into the fabric making the tent wet and heavy. The floor material of this tent is made of a 250D inclined joint nylon-polyester composite which is reinforced. This keeps the floor less droopy when sleeping causing back issues. It also offers some durability.

The rainfly material that is used for this tent is made of 22 by 8-millimeter diameter anodized aluminum alloy. This is associated with the poles of this tent. This keeps the tent propped up and should offer some rust protection. Finally, the ratchets used for this tent are made of heavy duty, industrial grade material. This keeps the tent in the air as well as the campers when they are sleeping at night. Overall, it does appear that this tent is made of reliable and sturdy materials that reviewers were impressed with and is a positive thing.

CAPACITY

This tent is supposed to comfortably hold three people, however, it does seem that it might be a little awkward for three. It's not the actual size of the tent that is the issue but rather the strapping system. It seems that even though the tent does hang comfortably in the air, the way the strapping system works it causes campers to need a little more space and sprawl out a little in order to lay in the tent comfortably. Despite going to support some reviewers found that with their advice they still just weren't comfortable with three people in the tent, unfortunately.

There also isn't enough storage offered in this tent (one pocket), again making this tent a little weird for 3 people. Overall, this tent is quite spacious considering it hangs in the air but is better served for 2 people due to the strapping system.

WATERPROOFING

This tent is made of coated 201T PU polyester which encourages the water that hits the tent to roll off the tent. This does seem to be a bit of an issue with some reviewers. Those who bought this tent and tried it out in the rain noted that this tent does leak, unfortunately.

The tent doesn't hang from the included poles of this tent, it actually hands from the anodized aluminum alloy poles. They run through the seams and into the tent itself. As a result, the fly doesn't seem to separate from the upper part of the tent and this then causes the tent to let the rain in. Wherever the fly accesses around the tent, the rain actually seeps in. This, of course, is a major issue for those in wetter climates.



STYLE

The benefit of the design of this tent is that it is strapped to the trees and off the ground. This means that it can be used in pretty much terrain as it won't be touching the ground. Now, of course, with this issue eliminated that doesn't mean it doesn't come with other limitations. The tent does need to be strapped to trees, three threes to be exact.

Though the tent is supposed to support 3 people it does appear that it is a bit of a struggle to actually make it comfortable enough for three people. This is discussed earlier in this article. Those who bought this tent said that you need to connect the longer end of the strap a little higher up in the trees in order to fully and comfortably fit 3 people.

Another issue that reviewers had with this tent is that the tent only has 1 pocket. This is a bit of an issue when considering the capacity of this tent which is supposed to be for three people. This tent should realistically have at least three pockets (one per person in the tent). Unfortunately, this tent only has the one which reviewers weren't terribly happy with. The style of this tent is really interesting because as the name suggests, it looks like a stingray. This is kind of cool and unique to the tent. It hangs in the trees as well which makes the tent look super unique and futuristic. Those who bought this tent loved its design and so do we!

DURABILITY

This tent is made of several durable materials including a coasted polyester, nylon composite, reinforced seams, anodized aluminum alloy and industry grade metals. The bag is also made of lightweight and durable material in order to keep the contents intact.

Those who bought this tent found that despite its waterproofing issues, that this tent is surprisingly durable. And because this tent is not left on the ground there is less opportunity for the tent to breakdown.
Often things like sparks from fires, the rocks on the ground and other environmental hazards can cause a breakdown of the tent but because this one is in the air it stays out of the way of those things.

It also does appear that the linking between the tent and the ropes is reliable and strong, the connection between the ropes and the trees are also strong and avoid rust buildup as well. Overall, this tent does seem to be quite durable which definitely helps justify the price of this tent.

PROTECTION

This tent is reinforced to hold up to 880 pounds which are impressive considering it hangs in the trees. The tent itself weights about 21 pounds. The manufacturer's website notes that this tent works in all four seasons (except for the Arctic Circle which is amusing). This is discussed a little more below. It offers a no-see-um insect mesh which protects the campers from pesky mosquitos and bees when sleeping at night. The floor is made of a sturdy nylon-polyester composite that is reinforced which, again keeps the campers airborne and not falling down when sleeping.

The fire rating on this tent is CPAI-84 (in US specs) and FR16 (in Canadian). It also offers 3 low-impact screw pegs to keep the tent and camper protected when getting in and out of the tent. It does appear that the company put some real effort and time into ensuring that this product was as secure and comfortable as possible which is really positive. Those who bought this tent felt safe inside it which is an important item to note. It does seem to be made of high-quality materials making this tent a safe choice.

WEATHER RESISTANCE

We discussed water resistance already but is the tent weather resistant? Well, first off, the manufacturer does note that this product can be used in all four seasons. I suppose this depends on where you live. Canadian winters can get pretty cold, can it be used there? No, probably not. The most common note from reviewers is that this tent loses A LOT of heat when the sun goes down. This means that an extra layer may be required keeping in mind that this tent holds 880 pounds.

Another note that reviewers made about this tent is that it doesn't breathe enough. This means that moisture in the tent stays in the tent and when in high moisture areas there seems to be quite a bit of moisture or condensation buildup within the tent. This can cause a little discomfort depending on the individual. This tent, as mentioned earlier, also lacks some waterproofing as well. This tent may be a great fit for some but probably not the best purchase for those camping in high moisture or rainy environments, sadly.

PRICE

This price is a little pricey until you look at the actual characteristics of the tent. It's reliable, durable and hangs in the air. This means that the tent doesn't need to sit on the cold hard ground. It is also really interestingly designed and offers a comfortable sleeping dynamic for campers. Though this is the case and though the website does say that this is a three person tent, those who bought it noted that it is probably better for two people which should be considered before buying this tent. The waterproofing issue is also something to consider before spending the money.

KEY FEATURES

- Quick and easy, 15-minutes setup
- Tear resistant mesh with insect protection
- Fully-removable flynet for protection from the rain or a view of the stars
- Hangs in the air for protection form animals and wear and tear
- Can be used on rocky or uneven terrain
- Durable materials for protection
- Fire resistant and water resistant to a certain degree
- Attractive and interesting design

BOTTOM LINE

Overall, this tent is pretty neat! It looks like a stingray which is a selling feature in itself. It's durable and reliable but there does seem to be some weatherproofing and waterproofing issues which is, of course, an issue with any weather but perfect sunny days and nice nights. There is also some concern about the listed capacity of this product as the tent is supposed to hold three people but really only comfortably fits two people.

Those who bought this tent were happy with how comfortable the tent is and how easy it is to setup. Overall, this product is nice when in nice weather but probably not ideal for areas with high moisture or for more than two campers otherwise this is an interesting product, great for protection from animals and in areas of low flooding.