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Choosing camping gear can be overwhelming, especially if you are looking for a tree tent, you may not even know what to look for. In this article, I will explain the features you need to consider when buying a tree tent. And I’ll compare Tentsile Stingray vs Connect, the most popular tree tents in the market right now.

For those who’re in a hurry:

• Tentsile Stingray is a 3-person tree tent, therefore it offers more internal volume and head height
• Tentsile Connect is a 2-person tree tent, therefore, it weighs less and packs down smaller
• Tentsile Connect offers more capacity (weight limit) per person
• Tentsile Connect has more pockets and offers better-personalized gear storage
• Unlike Tentsile Connect, Tentsile Slite has a Central Access in the middle (keep reading if you don’t know what it is)
• Both tree tents are equal when it comes to ease of setup, longevity, and waterproofness

Tentsile Connect is a better choice for 2-person camps, Tentsile Stingray, on the other hand, is the optimum tree tent for a family camp.

Tentsile Stingray vs Connect: Specs

Detailed Comparison of Tentsile Stingray vs Connect

Capacity

Winner: Tentsile Connect

Both of the tents have a capacity of 880 lbs. But Tentsile Stingray is a 3-person tent, and Connect is a 2-person tent, so the capacity per person is higher for Tentsile Connect.

Interior Volume

Winner: Tentsile Stingray

Stingray is a 3-person tree tent, therefore, its internal volume is much bigger than Connect, it provides enough space for 3 people to sleep comfortably, and also its head height is 0.2m (7.8″) taller than stingray.

Even though Tentsile Connect offers a smaller interior volume than Stingray, it provides a large enough liveable space for 2 people.

Connect is made for 2 people (maybe with your partner or another camper buddy of yours), while Stingray is more suitable for family camps or groups of 3 people. But depending on the number of people both provide sufficient space.

Longevity

Winner: Tie

When it comes to longevity, one is not superior to the other, both are quite durable.

The floor fabric of both tents is 250D inclined joint nylon-polyester composite which is above the industry standards. Also, the poles of both tents are very durable (8.5mm Anodized Aluminum).

Weight & Packed Size

Winner: Tentsile Connect

First of all, I should mention that both tents are car camping tents, they are quite heavy and bulky for backpacking.

But for the comparison of the two tents, because Connect is a two-person tent, it is lighter with a weight of 20.8lbs. Tentsile Stingray, on the other hand, weighs 24.4lbs.

The situation is the same for packed sizes. While Tentsile Connect packs down to 22 “x 13” x 9.85 “, Tentsile Stingray‘s packed dimensions are 25.5″ x 11.8 “x 11.8”.

If you are looking for a 2-person tree tent for backpacking, I recommend the Tentsile Flite, it weighs only 8.4 lbs. Here you can check out the latest price of Tentsile Flite, or take a look at my article about Tentsile Flite.

Pockets & Features

Winner: Tentsile Connect

You may be buying a tree tent for the first time, in this case I should say that most of those who use tree tents complain that there are not enough pockets, but Tentsile heard this and started to put as many pockets as possible in their latest models.

But for the comparison of Tentsile Stingray vs Connect, I can say that Connect is superior when it comes to the pockets.

Stingray features a Central Access, it’s a triangular entrance placed in the middle of the tent which also has zippers to be also used as a pocket. You can also enter the tent from there. If you’re planning a family trip I should also mention that Central Access is loved by children.

Ease of Pitch

Winner: Tie

Do not think of tree tents as normal tents, although they look perfect, they have a few disadvantages such as difficult setup. First, you must find 3 trees in a beautiful angle, that is the hardest job actually, after that it generally takes around 15 minutes to set up the tent.

At your first tries it might take longer but it has a learning curve, after your second and third time it doesn’t take more than 15 minutes.

For the Tentsile Stingray vs Connect comparison, setup time is nearly the same, 15 minutes.

Water Resistance

Winner: Tie

A test called Hydrostatic Head is applied to measure the durability of tent fabrics against rain. The result of this test is measured in mm, and the higher this value, the higher the tent is resistant to rain. This value usually ranges from 1000mm to 10000mm.

With that being said, both Tentsile Stingray and Connect have a rainfly that is PU laminated with a 5000mm HH rating (which is more than enough to keep you dry). Therefore they’re equally waterproof.

And since tree tents are off the ground, there is no risk of water intake from the ground.

Tentsile Stingray Review

Stingray is the oldest and most popular model of Tentsile. Ideal for family or group camps. It features 3 doors that are special for each person, and also it has a Central Access in the middle.

It offers a great interior volume which is more than enough for 3 people or a small family camping. And due to its 250D fabric and Aluminized poles, it’s very durable.

Tentsile Stingray features a very water-resistant rainfly and since it’s off the ground, you don’t have to worry about water intake from the ground, so you can use this tree tent in rainy conditions as well.

It comes with:

• Tent Canopy
• 5000mm HH (Waterproofness rating)
• 2 x 8.5mm diameter anodized aluminum alloy poles
• 3 x Heavy-duty ratchet buckles (2.5-ton breaking strength)
• 3 x 6m / 19ft polyester straps
• 4 x Low-impact giant yellow screw pegs
• 3 x WaterGates
• Bungee cords
• Spare hooks

Tentsile Connect Review

Tentsile Connect is the ideal tree tent for 2 person camps. It provides ample space and high weight capacity for two people. Tentsile Connect’s 3rd generation model offers a lot of pockets to store your personal belongings.

The fact that Tentsile Connect does not touch the ground and its thick and water-resistant fabric provides a great advantage in rainy weather.

It comes with:

• Tent Canopy
• 5000mm HH (Waterproofness rating)
• 2 x 8.5mm diameter anodized aluminum alloy poles
• 3 x Heavy-duty ratchet buckles (2.5-ton breaking strength)
• 3 x 6m / 19ft polyester straps
• 4 x Low-impact giant yellow screw pegs
• 3 x WaterGates
• Bungee cords
• Spare hooks