UK-based tent manufacturer Tentsile has unveiled an all-new suspended tent, dubbed “Stingray,” which the company bills as an ideal combination of hammock and tent. Employing three tree straps, two poles, and a polyester fly sheet, Stingray allows up to four campers to sleep suspended in the air, thus avoiding ground frost and errant rocks – not to mention all those creepy-crawlies which tend to live on the forest floor.

Stingray's more streamlined and compact design is a departure from the large eponymous tent we previously reported on, and has been created in a bid to make a tent more suited to mass-market production.

Stingray weighs 13 lbs (6 kg) and can reportedly be assembled or disassembled in just 5 minutes, so should be more suitable for campers who like to travel light. When suspended, access to the interior of the tent is afforded via its collapsible ladder to either a floor hatch or side door. Additional accessories are also available, including a shoe drying rack, luggage nets, and iPad pouches.

Tentsile boss Alex Shirley-Smith is keen to promote the flexibility of the Stingray, and name drops the United Nations and Australian military as two groups which have shown an interest in Tentsile. Indeed, the design could conceivably serve as a lightweight and relatively low-cost temporary shelter in areas which have been flooded (or where the ground is otherwise unsuitable), so a humanitarian use for the tent does seem feasible.

In order to help bring Stingray to market, Tentsile has turned to Kickstarter, with a minimum pledge of £899 (roughly US$1,400) required in order to secure a tent. Initial units are expected appear in March.

The promo video below features the company’s pitch.

Source: Tentsile, Kickstarter via Inhabitat