Why I WON'T take the Tentsile Flite touring again!

--- UPDATE 2020 --- I have recently used the new Gen 3 Una, Tentsile's new 1 person offering - review video link below. It is a much better choice for this kind of trip and would have served me much better.
I stand by all the points I make in this video but if you are looking for a smaller, lighter tree tent for bikepacking or backpacking then check out...

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I finally got round to filming the second review of my Tentsile Flite + tree tent.
After using it quite a bit and having it with this summer as I've been touring I feel like I can give an honest opinion of it as a practical shelter, tell you what I like and dislike about it and explain why I definitely won't be taking it in any more bike trips.

[NigelMarston]

What you said about people listening to your review and *still* wanting to try the tent for themselves is true... I really do want to have a go myself but there's no way I will spend that sort of money now that you've so comprehensively explained the pitfalls, and for that I'm very grateful. I love the idea of a hammock tent but everything you said is so well explained, I can see I'd be just as irked as you are by it.

This is a real public service message. Thanks for taking the time.

[Richard-mzqu]

Dude, this is a fantastic no BS real review. Thank you so much for taking the time to provide the rest of us your real world experience and the additional tips. Thanks again.

[jameslandon]

What a great review! I'll rethink my plans. A good honest review. Thanks so much!

[charlesleflamand]

probably one of the best and most unbiased reviews I've seen in a long time, thanks for the valuable info!

[gavinhalm]

Great review...As much as I love this tent in a general sense, I would never use it for anything other than car camping...I agree that after a long day of exertion (bicycling, canoeing, etc), the last thing one wants to do is take half an hour to set up a complex piece of sleeping kit like this.

[mavicminipilot]

What do you think about the connect 3.0? I do casual camping and usually don’t hike long distances to set up. How will this wear overtime? Are the straps replaceable? I’m going to buy one soon!

[davidwhite]

Very well thought’s and honestly brought up. I think I would take both tents. A bit more weight but will be a nice work out 💪. Enjoy your life to the fullest mate.

[adamwoodhouse]

Your reviews are fantastic. I subscribed because of your first video on this tent. I still think I will invest in one due to the differing nature of our need for a tent.

[purleybelter]

Nice review mate. What would you suggest is the best 1 man lightweight hammock/tent? Thanks pal

[Wildernessoutside]

I own the connect I've had it for a few years now, and have come across similar issues, its a great tent if you wanna take your kids camping for the night, but setting up is finicky to say the best, there are little hacks to making it easier like adjusting the two adjacent ratchets first and then just pulling tension on the single racket at the back, but unless you have perfectly aligned trees, set up is always a chore, although if you buy a spare rachet and strap you can sometimes use another tree to pull a strap into alignment, but for me going to the toilet at night is a right pain I the arse which kinda puts me off using it as much as I should, I ground camp and hammock camp and the tree tent although fun is the most impratical and most certainly my heaviest set up, one note if your looking for a storage solution give uk hammocks a look they do a small zipped very packable hammock for 20 pounds which you can just attach with a couple of clips to the d rings to keep your stuff in

[codeadamca]

I have the Flite and I love it. I use it mainly on canoe trips, so I only have to carry it on portages. I use it in the summer so it also means I don't even need to bring an air mattress. I sleep much better in the Flite than on the ground, I hate air mattresses.

Just a tip! The WebLock is meant to be used INSTEAD of the ratchet. The web lock slips over time. If you use the ratchet and no WebLock you'll have better tension and the overall weight will be slightly less. Or if you're more concerned about weight, leave the ratchet at home and use just the WebLock.

[conniewaite]

Just found you, good review.you should try the Lawson hammock tent.works on trees or ground setup.a sleeve for cushions too

[BloodRavenX]

Hey dude.You can't really do anything to reduce the time to set up the tent. But I could give you a tip about the mesh bag inside it, and how to actually keep everything a bit organized. First of all, the mesh bag can be connected in the middle of the tent going from head to toes (there are 2 loopholes you can use). Now for the gear inside the tent. I use a small carabiner and I attach it to the loophole you have your mesh bag currently attached to.

[bunba__]

Bought it on sale 50% off so not bad investment. My 10y daughter absolutely loves it. Used it first time on midsummer's bike trip with my daughter. First pitch was a hassle but got it set up around 30min. It really helps if you are not doing it alone. Probably will use this more as a basecamp set up for the young ones and use a hammock/tarp myself.

[zhenyangliou]

If you solo camping often, you can consider about hammock camping. It's lightweight, easy to set up, and you don't have to care about the condition of the ground (Just like your tree tent).

[crashlee]

we use a thick blanket instead of a sleeping pad! so far it’s worked great :) that little net compartment was annoying for us too so we just took it off and placed it somewhere else. the gear we hang from the outside of the tree pitch is close or if it’s far we just out our stuff under the tent. as far as the “backpacking” tent they label it as goes, i couldn’t agree more. it’s never taken me 10mins to pitch this. you have to also adjust and readjust. in the end once you work out the quirks it’s nice. last nice our camp site was surrounded by coyotes (as its breeding season theyre much more dangerous now) we could hear them fighting and whimpering it was TERRIFYING. if we weren’t up in the air i promise we’d be dead. never have i been so frozen in fear than last night. haha i think i’ll always prefer this tent now no matter the hassle because of this happening. 😭😂

[markl]

Honest real world review
Not surprised really, they look “cool” but the complications are too many for few benefits.
I’m a hammock person if possible and tbh can’t really see the benefit of this over a decent hammock/tarp rig. More complicated, heavier, more bulky for little benefit.
Cheers

[kentwood]

Sounds like they need to engineer a way to adjust or fine tune tension from within the tent itself. They should bill it as a one man tent and put a largepocket on the spare corner to stop gear from sliding into you at night. The other idea would be a suspendable rectangular platform (4 points instead of 3) upon which you could set your own tent. That would be heavier probably and more limited to car camping, but it would be fun to be able to put your own selected tent on top!

[bubskisound]

I absolutely love my tentsile connect. I have used it 25+ times and i can set it up in 10-15 minutes in any new place once i've spotted the right trees.
I would never bike around with it though. Way to heavy.

[haraldgrasdahl]

Honest and straight review...and LOTS og tips. Thanx Jethro!