Tentsile Blog

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ISPO Shanghai last week

Little did we know that an hour later we would face a similar plight. Walking around the show we soon realised that we were the only western brand tents there.
juillet 10, 2015 — Kirk Kirchev

Why Take Workers on Holiday?

The workers mostly came from small villages 5-7 years ago and have been working in other factories in the area – some in pretty bad conditions, but mostly have been treated well since they work hard know their stuff! They didn't care much for us at first. Westerners running a Chinese factory, what's the difference? Many Westerns are already there and many, run the factories in the same way as Chinese owners would because it's cheap and no one complains.
juillet 06, 2015 — Alex Shirley-Smith

How to hug three trees at once: Inside a tent designed for maximum ecotherapy.

At the end of the day, it is hard to measure the impact that Tentsile has on the world, except through the experiences of the Tentsile user community (many of whom are active bloggers). For every tent sold, the Tentsile company plants three trees through the organization, WeForest.org. It’s a good start, but the rest is up to us: the users and explorers. Happy camping...
juin 06, 2015 — Alex Shirley-Smith

The Issue of Quality

When we spend our hard earned cash on an expensive product we expect it to be top notch, right? We work hard, we save hard, and we think very carefully about what we spend our money on. Yet, when the thing you want to invest in is a new invention, a new concept, something that pushes the boundaries of progress, when that something is an innovation that adds to our human experience, sometimes we need to show patience and trust, and nurture these ideas, and give them time to develop and grow.
mai 11, 2015 — Alex Shirley-Smith

Just Another (Fa)bric in the Wall

But there is a fine line to tread between pioneering innovation and reputation. Quite simply, there are enough people waiting out there for a chance to rip you down without a thought towards how hard you have worked to get to where you are. A fine line. Our job is to walk that line, always ensuring quality, novelty and safety, without compromise. And so we put the question to you: ‘walls’ or no ‘walls’. You help us decide.
mai 04, 2015 — Alex Shirley-Smith

Geeking Out About Fly Sheets

There has been much hype about the lightweight SilNyl (silicone coated ripstop nylon). When if comes to shaving a few ounces off your flysheet/rainfly it certainly looks promising. 
avril 30, 2015 — Kirk Kirchev

Treehouses to Tree Tents

Well, we have done our part to forward the mission to achieve this. But more importantly, we have found that most people want to be mobile. That is the ticket. A treehouse represents adventure, secrets, hide aways, playfulness, a magical immersion into the landscape, perhaps even escapism from the “normal” world. A different perspective.
avril 27, 2015 — Alex Shirley-Smith

Updates From The Factory

This week we finally got the long awaited patent examination report which means that we can now keep copycats in check. We've also got a top gun lawyer and he is doing a sterling job.
avril 19, 2015 — Alex Shirley-Smith

Tentsile is Two Years Old But I'm Still not in a Hammock!

This week, Tentsile turns two years old. So firstly, we'd like to thank all of you for keeping us alive. 
avril 15, 2015 — Alex Shirley-Smith

Tree tents and orangutans: Tentsile's going to Sumatra!

In April last year, our photographer friend, Andrew Walmsley, had a life-changing experience on a trip to Sumatra. Supported by Sumatran Orangutan Society, he spent several days in the field with the Human Orangutan Conflict Response Unit (HOCRU), part of the Orangutan Information Centre's team of dedicated conservation experts.  As the team trekked through humid rainforest and rubber plantations, slipping into rivers and slapping away mosquitoes at every turn, Andrew documented their progress - from the start of their search to the moment they captured an adult male orangutan for re-release into a safer forest.

One of the riskiest and most difficult parts of the rescue process for any orangutan is bringing it from the tree safely down to the ground once it has been located and darted.  In this case, as the team waited with a net tensioned out between their outstretched hands beneath the tree the big male clung to, their location on a slope and the density of the trees around them made it almost impossible to tell where he would fall.  Although they caught him safely, it was a close-run thing, as large animals under sedation don't fall gracefully or land lightly and neatly, and things could have ended very differently if the net had been a few inches out.

To this end, a team of arborists from Sawpod will be jetting off to Sumatra on Easter Sunday to spend a fortnight training the HOCRU team how to climb trees and rescue fellow climbers (or orangutans) using accredited techniques.  Andrew is going along to document the process and will use his images to raise awareness of the lengths charities like Sumatran Orangutan Society and Orangutan Information Centre go to to protect the remaining members of a Critically Endangered species. Not only that, but he's taking a little piece of Tentsile with him - we're supporting his journey and donating a Stingray to the team so they can have an arboreal platform from which to monitor orangutans as they prepare for rescue.

To find out more and support the team's incredible work, check out Sawpod's donation page, look up Sumatran Orangutan Society and Orangutan Information Centre on Facebook to get a sense of what the team is up against. We'll bring you more photos and stories from the field as the trip progresses.

mars 28, 2015 — Alex Shirley-Smith