Hanging without trees - Backpackable support poles - What features do you want?

[raftingtigger]

Hello Everyone: First let me say congrats to Tensa Outdoors for bringing to market an amazing product that hangers everywhere should get. This is especially useful in the many places sans decent trees like the great American South West (Especially AZ, NM, UT). Don't even think about hanging from a giant Saguaro Cactus. That is a felony in Arizona.

Addressing the needs of everyone with a packable carbon fiber tensa4 is an admirable goal. If I were to buy one I think I'd like it to see support the same weight as the Aluminum model. I am fairly well over 250, and so a robust stand for me is a necessity. Depending on how much more the carbon fiber unit would cost with equivalent payload capacity and robustness to the original Tensa 4 would be key factors in my decision making process as to whether to buy this backpacking hammock stand or not. Good luck to the Tensa 4 team as they endeavor to bring to market their new lighter, more compact back packable Tensa 4 system.

Aw Shucks Tyroler, you're going to make us blush.

Just for the record, we aren't yet even prototyping a carbon fiber Tensa4. What we are exploring is a carbon fiber trekking pole that uses 2 strong anchors per pole.

[100 Ton]

Just for the record, we aren't yet even prototyping a carbon fiber Tensa4. What we are exploring is a carbon fiber trekking pole that uses 2 strong anchors per pole.[/QUOTE]

^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Oh, yeah...I really need this!!!

[johnnumbers]

I thought the prototype tensa was carbon...

[SteelSkywalker]

idk about price and features but I support this project and I think it would be pretty cool.

[30Degrees]

I hope you figure it out. I found a company that had carbon fiber hiking poles. They had to be a double wrapped to support weight according to the maker and the total would have been $500 for 2 poles and the Amsteel with 6 lines and anchors. I kindly said no thank you. Would have been extremely light but that’s a lot to pay. I have been trying to find something out there but carbon has been so expensive. I hope you crack the code. ��

[LizBF]

My hubby (200 lbs) & I (140 lbs) do bicycle touring. We've recently moved to the Phoenix area, so this is timely. Weight is an important factor for us too. All of your stated criteria look good to us!

[bigbenny]

Hi raftingtigger, I'm a fan of your work with the NG Trekking Pole system and of Tensa4.

I don't yet have hiking poles and would like to get some. I would like them to double-duty as a stand at one end for when I can only find one natural anchor point and need a second one. I want the system lightweight and compact to be suitable for backpacking. I think your current goals align with mine.

I saw this interesting thread where a member used two carbon fiber poles and no tensegrity https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...rekking-Poles/. I'm currently overweight and about 105KG (232lbs), so I think I'm currently too heavy for that to work.

I like the genius design of tensegrity but I think it will become a pain to setup and tear down after a while so I like the simplicity of just using two poles tied together at the top. If one pole is strong enough even better.

When do you think the product will be ready for beta testing or on sale?

[raftingtigger]

Hi raftingtigger, I'm a fan of your work with the NG Trekking Pole system and of Tensa4.

I don't yet have hiking poles and would like to get some. I would like them to double-duty as a stand at one end for when I can only find one natural anchor point and need a second one. I want the system lightweight and compact to be suitable for backpacking. I think your current goals align with mine.

I saw this interesting thread where a member used two carbon fiber poles and no tensegrity https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...rekking-Poles/. I'm currently overweight and about 105KG (232lbs), so I think I'm currently too heavy for that to work.

I like the genius design of tensegrity but I think it will become a pain to setup and tear down after a while so I like the simplicity of just using two poles tied together at the top. If one pole is strong enough even better.

When do you think the product will be ready for beta testing or on sale?

I'm alpha testing right now (March 2019). Current design failed at 58" and 305#, but it is leading to a better and stronger design. That better design is in my learn CAD right now and almost ready for CAD simulation (a step I have NO clue on how to do yet.... processing). The alpha poles are going with me on a short backpacking trip in a couple of weeks. I have slept on them in my upstairs hammock lab (called living room).

The biggest problem is trying to keep up with shipping and making all the little pieces for the rest of the Tensa Outdoor products and proposed products, that and my real job as an urgent care physician assistant.

I wish I could say they would be ready for the beginning of summer, but that is pushing it. Best idea is to stay tuned to the Tensa Outdoor newsletter.

[Baka Dasai]

I'm interested.

The main issue that concerns me is the ground anchor(s). I live in Australia, and the ground here tends to be very rocky and/or very hard. It's usually difficult to get an ordinary tent peg into the rocky ground let alone a couple of those big orange screws. I'd probably utilise big rocks or the base of small trees to to anchor the pole where possible. I can see I might have to carry some very long pieces of amsteel for this.


Typical rocky Australian landscape

I'd also often be camping with my partner and son; 3 hammocks. Rather than carry three sets of poles I'd prefer to rely on finding one tree (usually not too hard, whereas finding two trees is difficult here). I'd use a pole at the head end of each hammock, and attach the foot end of each of the three hammocks to the same tree. That could make for some tricky tarp setups...

I'm gonna buy a Tensa4 shortly cos I figure the strength of the ground-anchoring requirement for it is much less than a noground-style pole. The tensa4, split in half, could work for the two adults (using a tree at the foot end), and then I could add a single noground-style pole for our son.

The tensa4 will be great for all car-based trips. And it's just cool.

[raftingtigger]

I'm interested.

The main issue that concerns me is the ground anchor(s). I live in Australia, and the ground here tends to be very rocky and/or very hard. It's usually difficult to get an ordinary tent peg into the rocky ground let alone a couple of those big orange screws. I'd probably utilise big rocks or the base of small trees to to anchor the pole where possible. I can see I might have to carry some very long pieces of amsteel for this.


Typical rocky Australian landscape

I'd also often be camping with my partner and son; 3 hammocks. Rather than carry three sets of poles I'd prefer to rely on finding one tree (usually not too hard, whereas finding two trees is difficult here). I'd use a pole at the head end of each hammock, and attach the foot end of each of the three hammocks to the same tree. That could make for some tricky tarp setups...

I'm gonna buy a Tensa4 shortly cos I figure the strength of the ground-anchoring requirement for it is much less than a noground-style pole. The tensa4, split in half, could work for the two adults (using a tree at the foot end), and then I could add a single noground-style pole for our son.

The tensa4 will be great for all car-based trips. And it's just cool.

Yes, all of the above are workable solutions and none require the strong anchors the NoGround system does. However, that is considerably heavier than I would want to hike with.

The ground you show has ample creative strong anchor points. I have been experimenting with 300mm Ti stakes (with or without a boom) and am impressed with them. They certainly hold in places the Orange Screw won't (and visa versa).

UPDATE on the project: My Alpha poles work nicely as both trekking and hammock poles. Poles do not need to be as long as I thought even with long hammocks, proper sag, and a good sit height. This helps with both the weight and strength. Several Beta poles have been ordered. When those arrive and are fitted out we will recruit a few Beta testers (on the heavy side). Assuming that goes well we will move on to first production commercial poles. We have decided on the name Trekking Treez for the product.

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