Tensa4 is the commercial version of the original “tensahedron” design shown by one of Tensa Outdoor’s founders on Hammock Forums.
No good trees available or allowed to hang from? Or maybe you just want to hang closer to where your friends are, or to your motorcycle, or where the light and wind is best. Maybe you’re in a motel and not feeling great about the bed, or stuck in an airport long enough for a snooze. Needing only a single low-tension guyline to maintain balance, Tensa4 sets up quickly everywhere from on top of a twin or truck bed, to steep slopes, to sandy beaches, to concrete slabs. Get off the ground, no matter what!
It will accommodate any gathered-end hammock on the market, up to 12′ long, as well as some bridge (Warbonnet Ridgerunner) and transverse (Amok Draumr) hammocks. Unlike many portable hammock stands, ours supports full-size hammocks with a deep 30° sag for comfortable sleeping on the diagonal, while still offering good seat height.
The stand works fine with tarps for complete shelter. 11′ tarps are ideal; longer require modest ingenuity to tension properly, with a tarp extension kit forthcoming to provide more headroom and length.
The product is four poles made of 28 segments of custom-made telescopic anodized aluminum tubing, four pole connectors, two guylines and anchors, one ridgeline, one baseline, and a bag. Easy to use, 1″ (25mm) webbing with cinch buckles for ridge, base, and guylines. Can double as tree suspension.
Check the Tensa4-Stand-instructions-2019 for setup detail.
Weight rating: 400lbs
Product weight: 11 lbs
Packed size: 19″ x 5″
Tarp Extension Kit:
Tarp extensions for the Tensa4 hammock stand let you pitch tarps higher, for more headroom. They also accommodate tarps wider than 11′, up to 13′ with gathered-end hammocks, for more complete coverage. See the setup instructions for detail.
You can use tarps with Tensa4 without anything extra, but these extensions give better results, for modest additional weight and bulk.
Extension set consists of two 19mm shock-corded 7000-series aluminum poles with end pegs, and two mounting assemblies made of grosgrain, LineLoc 3 tensioners, cordage, and hooks. A set fits inside the Tensa4 carry bag, about 12 ounces/340g.
Hugh –
Dave’s review mirrors my experience as well. Definitely practice once or twice in your yard or a large room before doing it at the end of a long day in the field. But once you figure out the best lengths and angles the set up is pretty quick after the learning curve! I also got the tarp extensions which work great too. I hung my BB XLC and Thunderfly Tarp on it and both fit perfectly with a tight tarp ridge line and a good “hangle”
Richard Besser –
Looks interesting. Some years ago I bought a British set up of no tree hammock camping: the Handy Hammock. Was dissipated when I tried using it on beaches in Baja. Even with 12 2′ stakes it would not work!
This one seems to have an advantage over the Handy hammock in that a lot of weight is transferred to the ground under you. Have you tried it in loose sand?
David Schlosser (verified owner) –
This is a well built piece of gear. Before assembly, the stack of loose parts looks a bit overwhelming and it appears impossible to put together. Once I started building it, it made sense and started to come to life nicely.
The instruction pamphlet is not too revealing, so you may have a few false starts. If you are heading out camping, I strongly recommend a home trial assembly since doing this for the first time with less than ideal lighting may get really frustrating. After one build, it should be up and running easily.
I couldn’t help but imagine some poor parent in a campground after a long drive going mental if that is the first time doing this.
I would buy again and recommend this stand. It is lightweight, breaks down into small pieces, and looks quite sturdy.