Haven Tent Hammock
– Price: $315
– Length: 78” (198cm)
– Width: 24” (60cm)
– Weight: 7lbs (3.2kg)
– Packed size: 14” x 8” x 6” (36cm x 20cm x 15cm)
– Maximum weight capacity: 285 lbs (129kg)
– Capacity: 1 person
– Shape: Hammock
– What we like: Tough, waterproof, versatile
– What we don’t: Heavy for a 1P system. Narrow sleeping quarters.
The Wise Adventurer’s Verdict
This is The Wise Adventurer’s field test and review of the Haven Tent Hammock.
The Haven Tent Hammock is unique in the camping world, and even stands out among other hammock camping options. Haven’s secret sauce is their patented “lay flat” design, which makes this one of the few true hammock camping options in which sleepers aren’t limited to laying on their backs in what is commonly referred to as a “hammock taco.”
Haven achieves this feat with a unique design that utilizes a set of rigid “spreader bars” at the top of the hammock which, combined with the tent’s square floorplan, fitted rectangular sleeping pad, and semi-rigid “support arcs” allows the tent to maintain a flat and square sleeping area when suspended off the ground.
In our field testing, we found that the Haven is definitely a smart alternative for campers who just can’t cope with traditional hammock sleeping systems. The ability to sleep in any position without fighting against the walls of the tent will definitely be worth the investment for some, which is a big deal because hammock camping is something everyone should get to experience and enjoy. Sleeping suspended among the trees lends an open, connected feeling with the forest around you, and there’s just nothing else quite like it.
We evaluated the Haven Tent Hammock with the same standardized methodology that we use to publish unbiased reviews for all our tents. This approach takes an up-close look at everything from material quality to overall value for your money, and if you’d like to learn more about it, you can dig into the details here.
Speaking of details, let’s dive into the details on the Haven Tent Hammock!
Detailed Evaluation of the Haven Tent Hammock
In our testing we evaluated all of the metrics that we believe make any good tent worth owning. This includes important performance aspects like living area and weatherproofing, but also factors in the bigger picture items like all-around livability and the value of the Haven Tent Hammock compared to the competition. As you’ll read below, the results were quite surprising!
Space and Comfort
Hammock camping always feels a bit cramped by nature, largely due to the fact that even in the largest hammocks, you’re essentially being swaddled with material from all directions. We found that while the Haven Tent Hammock is certainly less spacious than a traditional backpacking tent, space and comfort are notably improved over standard hammock camping systems.
This is largely due to the semi-rigid and pole-supported design of the Haven, which, as we mentioned above, keeps the walls stretched out vertically following the same rectangular shape of the hammock’s included sleeping pad. Speaking of the sleeping pad, Haven includes a pad with each Tent Hammock, and buyers have the option of ordering either their standard insulated pad, or a non-insulated “ultralight” pad.
We opted for the insulated pad, which shares the same dimensions as the ultralight pad (including a generous 4” thickness), but adds enough warmth to achieve an R-value of 4 (R-values are lab-tested ratings that determine a pad’s warmth, and the higher the value, the warmer the pad), which is right in the sweet spot for three-season use. With this pad, we found the Haven Tent Hammock to be cozy and comfortable, and when pitched correctly (more on that below), this hammock tent delivers on its promise for side and stomach sleepers alike.
Aside from sleeping comfort, we noted a few other highlights in the field: The first is that despite the hammock’s limited interior space, Haven did a great job giving campers options for storage and organization. You’ll find six mesh pockets inside the Tent Hammock, with large overhead pockets at either end of the tent, and two smaller side pockets on the walls at each end.
We also appreciated the Haven’s structural ridgeline design: By incorporating a continuous ridgeline through the top of the tent’s canopy, Haven provides campers with an easy place to hang their gear inside the tent, safe from wet weather. The canopy sits tall enough to hang a full sized pack inside the tent without interfering with sleeping space, and there’s ample space left over for things like wet socks to dry overnight.
Weather Resistance
Our camping trip in the Haven was blessed with warm sunny weather, but we subjected the Tent Hammock to plenty of “man-made” precipitation, and combined with other user reports of the tent, we’re confident that the supplied rain tarp is rainstorm-ready.
The seam sealing on both the canopy and the fly of the Haven are high-quality, and with proper guying/tensioning of the tarp, water rolls away from the canopy with ease. The ridgeline itself is sealed off on the inside of the hammock as well, so there’s essentially zero chance of water dripping down the line and into the sleeping area.
Ease of Set-Up
We found setting up the Haven Tent Hammock to be relatively simple and straightforward, but it comes with a caveat: You’ll want to watch Haven’s how-to video before attempting it yourself.
Following these instructions, we actually felt that the Haven was easier to pitch than most traditional camping or backpacking tents, and with fewer parts to assemble and guylines to tension, it went up faster than most as well. It also removes the need to find flat ground and clear it of any debris before pitching, which makes finding a spot as easy as finding two good trees with enough space between them.
The same goes for the Haven’s sleeping pad, which is big and bulky, but blows up remarkably fast using the integrated pump sack that doubles as its carrying bag. Filling the pad took about ten pump cycles with the bag, and it’s always nice to be able to inflate a pad without nearly losing consciousness.
Most of our setup time was actually spent dialing in the best angle for a comfortable sleeping position: It’s important to get the “head” side of the tent slightly elevated over the “toes” portion for optimal stability, but once we found our personal sweet spot with the Haven, subsequent setups got much faster.
Durability
Durability is one of the highlights of this tent, and in our testing we found just about everything in the bag to be high quality and thoughtfully designed. The 70D ripstop polyurethane used on both the tent and tarp feels properly tough, and the same goes for the thick aluminum poles, tree-friendly nylon straps, and reflective guylines.
We were impressed by the Haven’s reinforced stitching, particularly at high-stress points like the clip in locations where the straps meet the canopy. Haven specs a thick double-layer of tarp-like material on these corners, and it feels just as tough if not tougher than your typical bunched-up loop of paracord.
Weight and Packed Size
Weight and packed size are the main place that the Haven struggles, but it’s not all bad news here. The system is nice and compact when compressed into the included carry sacks, and fits easily into a backpacking pack with plenty of room left over for food, clothing, a sleeping bag, and all your other backcountry essentials.
Weight is the main drawback here, and considering the entire system weighs in at just shy of seven pounds (insulated sleeping pad included), there’s no getting around the fact that the Haven will add a few extra pounds to your typical loadout. Other hammock camping systems typically weigh closer to three pounds, putting them around four pounds total with a light sleeping pad included, but they’re also nowhere near as comfortable and spec much thinner fabrics than the Haven.
Value
It’s no secret that value is highly subjective depending on your intended use, but we believe there’s a strong argument to be made for the Haven. You’ll have to work around its added weight, which will be no easy task for multi-night backpacking duty, but if you want a good night’s sleep suspended above the ground, there’s nothing quite like the Tent Hammock.
We love that the Haven comes as an “all inclusive” package, and while its $315 price tag definitely isn’t the cheapest way to get into the hammock camping experience, it’s not overpriced for what you’re getting either. It’s rare to find a hammock system that includes a sleeping pad, yet alone one this thick with enough insulation for true three-season use. Nothing else should need replacing either, as the hardwear feels built to last, the suspension straps are durable and won’t scar the trees you use them on, and the rainfly is high quality and works seamlessly with the rest of the Haven system.
We also think it’s worth paying for a system that’s this quick and easy to set-up. Many campers feel there’s a particularly sharp learning curve to getting a dialed-in hammock system together, but again, all you really need to get out and start using the Haven is to watch a short four minute instructional video. It’s also worth noting that the Haven doubles as a one-person bivvy system as well when there are no trees around, which adds considerable versatility to the design. All you need to convert it are two trekking poles or a couple sturdy branches and you’ve got a usable shelter on just about any terrain.
What We Like
Clearly the Haven has a lot going for it, and we appreciate its radically different approach to the free-hanging camp experience.
The biggest plus in our opinion is the lay-flat design of the Haven, which anyone who’s tried to sleep on their stomach in a hammock will understand. Some side sleepers find ways to make it work in a traditional hammock, but if you tend to roll around at all in the night, sleeping in a hammock feels like a constant battle. That’s simply not the case with the Haven’s broad rectangular sleeping platform, which feels much more like sleeping in a one person tent than it does a hammock.
The ability to pitch the Haven pretty much anywhere with a few good trees is also a bonus. There’s no need to hunt around for a flat piece of ground, and no worry about pitching your tent over rocks, sticks, or thorns that might damage your floor or make for an uncomfortable night’s sleep.
We also love Haven’s “all-in-one” approach to hammock camping, which gives you everything you need to get started with the exception of a sleeping bag or quilt. The fact that everything included in the kit, from the straps to the tarp to the tent itself, looks and feels high-quality and built to last, also adds solid value to the entire package.
What We Don’t Like
Our main complaint with the Haven is its weight: At just shy of 7 pounds, it’s easily the heaviest hammock camping system we’ve used. To be fair, that weight includes Haven’s custom-fit insulated sleeping pad, which weighs in well above average at over two pounds, but even as a stand-alone system the Haven weighs nearly five pounds, making it twice as heavy as other popular systems on the market from brands like Kammok and Hennessy.
To add insult to injury, you can’t shave weight off the Haven by swapping out your favorite backpacking pad: The lay-flat functionality of the tent is dependent on the pad closely following the shape of the hammock floor for structure, and there’s effectively no such thing as a “lightweight” pad that large.
We’ll also mention that while most hammock sleeping systems weigh a bit more than a traditional one person backpacking tent setup, the difference is typically only about one pound. Considering that a good one-person backpacking tent typically weighs around 2 pounds and high-quality sleeping pads with similiar R-values (the latest Nemo Tensor, for example) weigh under a pound, the Haven is more than double the weight of a traditional set-up.
Alternatives
- Kammok Mantis all-in-one: A high-quality hammock tent with proven performance. Weighs less, holds more weight, and costs less, but can’t match the Haven’s comfort.
- Hennessy Expedition ASYM: The Expedition is simple, but it’s dirt cheap and boasts proven weatherproofing.
- Haven Tent Hammock XL: Identical design, but with more shoulder room and interior space that’s better suited to heavier/wider users.
The Bottom Line
The Haven Tent Hammock is a unique take on the hammock camping experience, and one that campers who value comfort over weight and packability are sure to appreciate. As an all-in-one system that comes with everything you need to get started, the Haven represents a value-added option that delivers proven three season performance, excellent build quality, and reliable weather protection.
There’s no denying that the Haven is arguably the heaviest hammock option out there, which will limit its backpacking use to weekend trips and shorter hikes for most users. It’s worth mentioning that the Haven’s flat bottom and vertical walls make it more of a “suspension tent” or “tree tent” than a camping hammock though, and while suspension tents like the Tentsile UNA or Treez Omega are still a particularly rare breed, the Haven is arguably the most affordable and approachable of the bunch.
