the world's first three-element tent conquers land, sea, and air

known for its portable treehouse, british company tentsile’s latest creation is a tent designed to comfortably sit within the most extreme pitches. whether up a tree, safely on the ground or floating on water, the all-new tentsile universe has to be the most versatile of its kind.

images courtesy of tentsile

the universe is built to sleep five comfortably, and of course like any traditional tent it can be set up on the ground and much like tentsile’s other products, it can also be suspended from trees (see the videos below). with a 5-foot ceiling, 200 square feet of floor-space, built-in storage compartments, and three porches, the universe is basically a living room.

tentsile tree house tents can be suspended in multi-layered formations

when lifted into its surrounding forest environment, the universe creates a downstairs area which is just as big. by dropping down a fly net the two storey dwelling can reasonably house up to 15-20 people at any one given time.

the tentsile tree tents tree are made to be suspended over the ground, but in dry conditions can also be pitched on the ground like a conventional tent

more interestingly however is its ability to take on water. the tent’s floor is made from 3-inch thick padding, giving it the ability to float in the same way a stand-up paddle board would. by pulling back the vestibules and securing the included rain fly to the tent poles, the structure is transformed into a floating raft. this rigid flooring is what give the tent its standing floor when suspended in the trees. 

depending on the positioning of the surrounding trees, the tent can easily float above water

the tent packs down to a size of 43 inches by 16 inches by 16 inches, and weighs in at 100 pounds. due to make its debut at next week’s outdoor retailer gear show in denver, the tent will soon be available for pre-order in august. it will begin shipping to the public in early 2019 and is expected to cost $1,999.

the tents are designed to be suspended in tension, unaffected by topography or water

alex shirley-smith is the man behind tentsile, an architect whose childhood dream of saving the rainforest led to his work in the treehouse sector. every one of tentsile’s tents is designed to be more environmentally friendly than permanent structures, leaving no damage to its surroundings, namely the trees.

the tentsile tingray and Connect tree tents both come with a fully enclosed insect mesh roof (with opening doors) and removable rainfly sheets so you can enjoy the stars on a clear night

the unique design provides comfortable and spacious accommodation in any environment

videos by SMN film