Imagine yourself camping in a giant tree, suspended high above the ground. If you want to make this experience a reality then you need to stay in these dewdrop-shaped tree tents. Perfect for those adventure-seeking campers who find ‘ordinary’ tents boring. Also, this hanging tent is the solution for campers who don’t feel comfortable sleeping on the ground. Well, considering all the ground crawlers and critters that may get into the tent especially at night.
These awesome raindrop-shaped tents were designed and created by Dutch sculptor and designer Dré Wapenaar. This unique structure is called the TreeTent and it was initially a product concept Wapenaar conceived back in 1998. He was inspired to make the hanging shelters for the Road Alert Group in England. This is a group of activists who strongly opposed the construction of highways through forest. Of course, this activity would involve cutting down several trees to make way for the road construction. In their aim to protect the trees, the protesters decided to live in the trees as long as possible. This is to prevent chainsawers from cutting down the trees.
Wapenaar came up with the idea of creating these tents to provide comfortable shelters for the protesters. These hanging shelters would allow them to stay and keep guard of the trees in comfort. He started with the sketch of the concept featuring a dewdrop-shaped structure. Inside the structure are two levels – the lower main floor and the upper small floor. With a layer of mattress on, both floors serve as comfy beds for occupants. The frame is then enclosed in tent canvas with a roll-up door and transparent windows to provide campers a clear view of the outside.
TreeTent Project Sketch
More importantly, these pods are specifically designed to be attached to giant trees, making each structure appear to become a part of the tree. Since it is suspended above the ground, one would have to use a ladder to access the tent. It can be installed higher up on the tree if the camper prefers to swing in the wind. Members of the Road Alert Group could have greatly benefited from the TreeTent project. However, a representative from Hertshoorn Campsite in the Netherlands saw the sketch and convinced Wapenaar to sell the project to them instead.
The TreeTent project may not have fulfilled what it was originally intended for. But Wapenaar’s decision to sell it to Hertshoorn Campsite didn’t go in vain because the project became a huge success. In fact, the tree tents are still in use today. If you visit the campsite, you will see the unique tents hanging among the branches and leaves like green tears. And the great news is, they are available for rent 5 months out of the year. Each hanging shelter has a main floor measuring 9 feet in diameter that can accommodate two adults and two children. Additionally, the small second floor can comfortably accommodate one person (adult or kid).
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Source: Dre Wapenaar