Elevate your camping experience and get high with a suspended tent

By Derek Markham (@derekmarkham)

FOR TRULY UNIQUE CAMPING accommodations, Tentsile's 'portable treehouses' enable you to sleep in comfort up among the trees.

Whether you're a treehugger, a tree-climber, or just an outdoors enthusiast with a penchant for doing things a bit differently, these tree tents from Tentsile are sure to raise some eyebrows while also raising your bivouac above the ground.

I first covered the Tentsile portable treehouses about four years ago, but considering that since then, the company has improved upon its designs and brought the costs down considerably, coupled with the fact that we're deep in the middle of camping season, these suspended tents are well worth another look.

Originally conceived as "treehouses that you can take anywhere," Tentsile's "tree tents" are an easy-to-deploy camping shelter that are far and above the coolest way to spend the night in the woods. These suspended tents are like conventional hammock tents on steroids, and if you've ever spent the night in one of those, you know that while they may be a convenient and lightweight option for sleeping among the trees, they're not exactly built for comfort.

The offerings from Tentsile, on the other hand, are designed with comfort in mind, with flat floors and rugged three-point tree attachments to minimize sway or movement (which is most definitely not the case with standard hammocks), as well as insect mesh and rain fly to keep both bugs and moisture off of you while enjoying a night in the great outdoors. All you need to supply is the location with plenty of trees to choose from, plus a little bit of adventurousness, and your days of hanging from the forest are on their way.

The largest Tentsile model, the Stingray, measures 14' x 14' x 14', weighs just 19 lb, can accommodate 3-4 adults (maximum load of 880 lb), and be set up in about 15 minutes, at a cost of about $650. The Connect model, which is a two-person tent, offers many of the same features as the Stingray, and the same load capacity, but at a lower cost ($450) and a bit lighter of a weight and smaller packed size. Tentsile now also offers its lightest model yet, the Flite ($350), which is a 7.3 lb two-person tent that can handle about 420 lb of capacity, and also includes an insect mesh top and removable rain fly for comfort and convenience.

The one caveat is that while it might seem like the coolest thing ever to suspend one of these shelters far above the ground, it may not be the best choice for those who don't have adequate training, safety gear, and experience to handle an extremely elevated camping site. In light of this, Tentsile recommends setting up its models at a height of no more than 4 feet above ground.

Tentsile also makes and sells two- and three-person hammocks (also designed to be anchored to trees or other stationary supports), as well as accessories for both the tents and the hammocks, and offers a one-year warranty on its products. Used with permission from www.treehugger.com

Family fun activities when travelling to New York this summer!

HERE ARE JUST a few great destinations or companies to visit to ensure you have a great time in New York when you go. The CityPass from NYCgo.com has all sorts of great deals and prices, so be sure to check them out prior to leaving.

AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY |

Explore human cultures, the natural world, and the universe with a visit to the attraction voted #1 in New York City by Zagat Survey "U.S. Family Travel Guide"! See world-renowned dioramas, the 94-foot-long blue whale, and incredible dinosaur halls. Don't miss features in the LeFrak IMAX theater, with screenings in spectacular Digital 3D and 2D film, or the stunning new Hayden Planetarium Space Show Dark Universe. Visit their website at www.amnh.org.

CENTRAL PARK ZOO | More than a million visitors a year flock here for quality time with some 130 species that inhabit this 6.5-acre corner of Central Park. Visit the frigid penguin house to see the gentoo and chinstrap penguins waddle, and try to spot king penguins. At the Amphibian Crisis Centre, children can observe jungle frogs, poison-dart frogs, Surinam toads and tons of other little critters. Your fam can also gape at a giant indoor ant farm complete with interactive "I Spy…" challenge. Visit their website at www.centralparkzoo.com.