On average, 95 people die each year from flash floods in the U.S.
One night, a fellow named Robert was driving home from Dallas. It was dark outside and he admits he couldn’t see much.
Robert approached a road he knows often floods when it rains. Even though it was raining the road wasn’t closed off.
So, Robert decided it was safe to keep driving.
It was a costly mistake.
Before he knew what happened, Robert’s vehicle was swept away by floodwaters.
“It’s a surreal experience floating away in a flood on the roof of your car and not knowing what’s about to happen,” he said.
As the water pushed his vehicle, Robert got on the roof and held on.
He was close to a tree and decided to make a jump for it. When he landed, he was able to climb up the tree.
Luckily, he was able to get a few feet above the waterline, so he didn’t spend the whole night in the water.
But, Robert spent the entire night stuck in that tree.
He didn’t have any survival gear with him since he wasn’t expecting to be carried away in a flood.
So, he was stuck in the same position all night long, surrounded by spiders and poison ivy.
But, other than a few bug bites, he survived the ordeal.
The McKinney Fire Department’s Swift Water Rescue Team rescued Robert the next morning.
Now, if you are bugging out and encounter floodwaters, climbing a tree might be your only option.
But being stuck in a tree for hours and hanging on for dear life, can take a lot out of your body.
Hopefully, you never find yourself in this situation.
But, if you had enough heads up that water was coming, this is where a tree tent could come in handy.
These types of tents have gained popularity over the past few years.
Campers, hikers, survivalists, and those who want to be prepared are using them.
Tree tents are lightweight so they can be carried in a backpack.
A tree tent is basically what it sounds like.
It’s a tent set-up in a tree, rather than on the ground.
Unlike a hammock, a tree tent is designed like a ground tent. And it’s meant to completely protect the people inside.
With a tree tent, you no longer have to worry about that one rock that is sticking into your back while you sleep.
Plus, you can get rid of your mattress pad or ground cover.
And like a treehouse, you access tree tents by a rope ladder.
Considering this, here are a few tree tents you may wish to check out.
Tentsile Stingray 3.
This is a three-person tree tent with a maximum weight of 880 lbs.
You can access the tent through a regular door or a center hole ladder.
The floor of the tent is made from 240 Denier polyester webbing, reinforced with over 20 meters of seatbelt webbing. It’s very strong.
The mesh exterior of the tent keeps the bugs out and it includes a rain fly to keep you dry.
The Stringray 3 sells for $675 new.
Aelph Omega.
Most tree tents can only hold two or three people.
But the Omega tree tent is about 9 feet by 9 feet, so there is plenty of room for people and gear.
The tent breaks down to 12 lbs so it’s not too heavy to pack with you.
The Omega includes a rain fly made from ripstop nylon to completely protect you from the weather.
It also comes with domed tent poles for a taller interior, which makes it feel more like a ground tent.
The Aelph Omega sells for $1,500 new.
Tentsile Connect.
The Tentsile Connect is a basic two-person tent.
It has a 240 Denier nylon polyester floor, and insect resistant mesh walls.
The walls are made with waterproof polyester to keep moisture out.
The Connect comes with industrial-grade ratchet straps to hold the tent in place.
And the straps are easy to adjust for different setup areas.
The tent has four doors and the maximum weight is 500 lbs.
The Connect sells for $500 new and is one of the best options for your money, but is still expensive for a tent.
Tree tents are often more comfortable and easier to carry than regular ground tents.
And they don’t require the same amount of poles as a traditional tent.
The only big problem with tree tents is that you obviously need to have trees to suspend from.
But, if you live in, or travel to, an area with plenty of trees, then a tree tent may be a good option.
