Welcome to my review of the Haven Tent Hammock. This unique lay-flat hammock is one of those products that seems like a good idea, but I was worried that it might be too good to be true. Some have even called it a “gimmick”.
I have enjoyed camping, bushcraft, and sleeping outdoors for over 40 years. I was excited to try the Haven Tent Hammock since it has all the benefits of sleeping off the ground without forcing you to sleep on your back. The Haven Tent Hammock is really more of a suspended tent than a hammock.
I have a Haven Tent XL Hammock, and so far, I have slept in it in two different places over two separate weekends. I can say that sleeping in this tent is amazing. It is the most comfortable way to sleep outside, hands down.
Since it hangs between two trees, the angle and condition of the ground don’t matter. It can be hilly, rocky, muddy, or infested with insects. It just doesn’t matter.
In this review, I will detail my experience with this hammock, share the tips I learned, and give you everything you need to make the decision if it is right for you.
Keep reading to find out how you can save 10% off!
Haven Tent Hammock Review
I always have trouble sleeping the first few nights when camping. In a tent or tarp shelter, finding level ground is always an issue in my area. It seems like I always wake up and find that I have slid somewhere I don’t want to be.
Realizing that your feet are cold because you have slid out the end of your shelter is a rude awakening!
Hammocks have a huge advantage over ground shelters since the slope or condition of the ground doesn’t matter. I like to camp near mountains and lakes, and finding a flat spot to camp is always an issue.
But, with a regular hammock, the lay is an issue for me. I am a side sleeper. Sleeping on my back is nearly impossible unless I am just exhausted.
So, when I saw that Haven Tents had a lay-flat hammock, I thought it could be a perfect solution.
It is.
Available Hammock Models
Haven Tents has three models available, the base model, the XL, and the Safari.
The Haven Tent original base model is the smallest of the three and the lightest. The total kit weight is 6 lbs. 15.5 oz and the sleeping pad is 78” x 24”. It has a maximum weight capacity of 285lb, which includes not only the occupant but any gear inside the tent as well.
The Haven Tent XL model has a sleeping pad that is 6” wider and 2″ longer than the base tent. While 6” doesn’t sound like much, it does make quite a bit of difference. It is a little heavier overall at 7 lbs. 10.5 oz., and has the same weight capacity as the base tent. The price is not that much more than the original, so unless weight is a concern, go with the XL.
The Haven Tent Safari model has the same size sleeping pad as the XL and is made with a 300d Polyester Canvas. It is for people that do not plan to carry the hammock very far, such as car campers or hunters with ATVs. It would also be a great long term bushcraft shelter since it is super durable. It weighs 12lbs. 6 oz and has a maximum capacity of 350lb.
What’s Included
When you purchase a Haven Tent Hammock, it comes with everything you need. Yes, Everything.
Not only does it come with the tent, sleeping pad, bug net, and rainfly, but it also has two tree straps, carabiners, guy lines, and tent stakes.
You can literally just walk out into the woods and set it up. It has everything you need except for a sleeping bag or blanket.
Transporting the Haven Tent Hammock
The Tent and Sleeping pad are stored in separate bags that are similar in size. The tent bag has straps to wrap around the sleeping pad to create one unit.
I prefer to hook it to the straps on the bottom of my Osprey Backpack. See our full review of the best bushcraft backpacks for more on my backpack pictured below.
You can also choose to split the two bags up. You could put one in your backpack or strap them separately to the sides of your pack. I like the bottom of my pack since it keeps my center of gravity low.
How to Setup the Haven Tent Hammock
Setup is, in some ways, easier than a regular backpacking tent.
With a backpacking tent, you, of course, need flat, clear ground. With the Haven Tent Hammock, the condition or slope of the ground doesn’t matter.
What you do need are two trees or some other type of sturdy structure. The two anchor points must be about 10 feet to 20 feet apart. You can set up this tent on the ground as well (see my alternative setup details below.)
The tree straps that come with the hammock have loops on both ends. The loops for hooking the hammock on the strap are on one end of the strap.
I really like this design since the straps are reversible. If I want the hammock to be close to my anchor point, I use the end of the strap with the loops. If I want it farther away, I use the opposite end.
This gives me a lot of flexibility in how I set up the hammock. And it doesn’t have to be centered between trees.
I have seen some say that you need trees that are at least 15” in diameter. This is not true and wildly inaccurate. Trees that are around 3” – 4” in diameter are more than enough, especially if they are hardwood.
Of course, you don’t want to anchor to a tree that is dead or seems weak. This is a camping skill that I discussed in our Bushcraft Skills guide is campsite selection. One point to make sure of is you don’t set up under any dead trees or branches that may fall.
After you find suitable trees, you simply clip the tent carabiners in and then insert the spreader bars. These spreader bars are what make the Haven Tent Hammock a lay-flat hammock. They hold the tent open and create a rectangular shape for the sleeping pad to rest in.
After the spreader bars, you inflate the sleeping pad. The bag that comes with the sleeping pad can be used as a pump to inflate the pad. This is another ingenious design. Especially in a survival or bug out situation, items having multiple uses are a must to save space.
Once the pad is inflated, you simply place it inside the tent and insert the corners under the flaps inside the tent.
After the pad, you can attach the rain fly if you plan to use it. To do this it must be attached around the carabiners that hold the tent up. This can be a little tricky after you have the tent hanging, especially if you already have items stored inside the tent.
I recommend attaching the rain fly to the carabiners before you hang it the first time. The rain fly has toggles on it, so you can roll it up when you are not using it. I also take a couple of pieces of cordage and tie it up to the ridgeline a little tighter to keep it out of the way.
After attaching the rain fly, simply guy out the corners with the included guy lines and tent stakes. In the woods, I usually just use my utility lines to guy the rain fly out to nearby trees or limbs.
The included guys lines work great with the tent stakes and have an included tensioner. The only disadvantage is they are harder to use around existing trees or limbs since you must pull the line out of the tensioner to wrap it around the tree. If you are using tent stakes, simply place the loop from the tensioner over the tent stake.
After I have the tent set up, I like to adjust the height to a good sitting height so I can get in and out of the hammock easily. I just sit in it with my feet on the ground and adjust accordingly.
You also want the head end of the hammock to be slightly higher than the foot end. I usually just lay down in it to see how it lays. It is easy to adjust the height, just loosen up the loop around the tree and slide it up and down. The is no need to unhook the carabiners.
Finally, make sure the ridgeline is tight. This is easy by just moving the carabiners up to the next loop on the straps. There is no need for any mechanical advantage here, I usually just move it up to the highest loop I can get it in without pulling it super tight.
Check out this video from Haven Tents on how to properly set up the tent.
The Haven Tent Sleeping Pad
The sleeping pad that comes with the tent is made specifically for each model. It is an integral part of the design. So while you may be able to find a sleeping pad that is similar in size, it is really best to use the included sleeping pad from Haven Tent.
You can buy the tent without the sleeping pad, but I would advise against it. The pad provides a more stable and flatter sleep surface.
One of the biggest negatives of sleeping in a hammock in cold weather is there is minimal insulation under you. The cold air will suck the heat right from your body. The included insulated pad is rated R4. For reference, most homes have R13 insulation in the exterior walls. Add a blanket or sleeping bag, and cold weather is no issue.
Since the hammock is above the ground, the wind can move underneath you, increasing convection and heat loss. A trick I like to use is to suspend the hammock a little lower than usual. Between the rainfly toggles on the bottom of the tent, I use my paracord utility lines to create a length of line at the bottom of the tent. I then suspend a lightweight wool or survival blanket from the lines to block any wind from the sides.
To find out the best wool blanket to use in cold weather, see our full guide to the best wool blankets for camping.
To make inflating the pad easier, Haven Tents has a power pump available. This little pump is rechargeable and very handy. It has multiple uses (which I really like), and you can use it as a power bank to charge your USB devices as well. It can also power the LED lights that Haven Tents offers. See the accessories below for more on both of these.
The Bug Net
The bug net is a must in the warmer months. It allows me to keep a nice flow of air through the tent and keeps the mosquitos and other biting insects off of me at night.
It is easy to zip up from inside or outside the tent with double zippers. During the day, I like to roll it up around the ridge line.
I like that it is also removable. There are a couple of snaps that hold it on the tent, simply unzip it all the way and unsnap it.
One thing to keep an eye on is to make sure you don’t zip it up with it under the ridge line. The ridge line is very handy for hanging items on when you are in the tent, and after you get all settled in the dark it is a pain to have to unzip it and reposition it.
Inside Storage
As I just mentioned, the ridgeline is handy for hanging items inside the tent. I like that the tent comes with two toggles already attached to the ridgeline. These toggles are tensioned against the ridgeline, so they stay where you put them.
You can also use carabiners to hang items from the ridgeline, but they slide up and down it very easily. If you move around much in the tent, the ridgeline tends to sag in the middle, causing anything you have hanging on a carabiner to slide to the middle.
The toggles are great for hanging your pack over the foot area of the tent. This keeps your pack dry and in easy reach while you are in the tent. I also like to hang a lantern and my boots up while I am sleeping.
Each end of the tent has three mesh storage pockets for items that you want to be able to get to easily. I have found that these are more than enough. For me, one tends to become a trash can of sorts for wrappers and other loose ends.
The Rain Fly
There are two rain flies available. One is lighter in weight and weighs about ½ pound less than the standard one. Both are waterproof and rated at 4000mm.
Both have reinforced corners and attachment points with grommets. The grommets are big enough to allow 550 paracord with a stop knot in it to pass through, which is important to me. I don’t want to be fumbling around trying to fish a line through a tiny grommet.
In a bad storm, you can close up the tent with the rain fly and attach it to the toggles on the bottom of the tent. I did find in windy conditions, the rain fly tended to “inflate” around the tent when the wind got under it. In driving rain, this allowed some rain to blow in from the ends.
This was while I was using the tent on the ground in “bivy mode” (more on this below), and I didn’t find it to be an issue in the trees. This is because when the tent is hanging there is more tension which pulls the rain fly tight.
Material/Durability
The tent bottom is made from 70d ripstop polyester, and the sides are 40d polyester. The tent itself has 3000mm waterproofing and is reinforced in key areas.
The Haven Safari takes this a step further and is made from 300d Polyester Canvas with 4000mm waterproofing. This makes this model super durable.
I can say that I was worried taking the Haven XL down and rolling it up on the side of a rocky trench was going to puncture the tent or pad. But it is surprisingly durable, and I have not had an issue.
The zippers are heavy-duty and really much larger than they need to be. I’m sure they will never be an issue, even though I tend to be hard on zippers and always seem to get things stuck in them.
Alternative Haven Tent Hammock Setup
The main advantage of this hammock is you are suspended off of the ground. But, of course, this requires hanging it between trees.
But what if there are no trees in the area? Not a problem!
You can simply take two trekking poles and place them on each end of the tent. Then, use the guy lines and tent stakes to make a “Y” on the opposite side of the trekking pole. Attach the guy lines to the Carabiners with a larks head knot, and place the handles of the trekking pole through the larks head.
This process takes some time since you can’t get much tension on the first pole until the second one is in place. So, it is back and forth between them until you can get the tent suspended properly.
After you have it standing, adjust the height of the trekking poles until the tent is just barely off the ground.
If you don’t have trekking poles, you can do the same with a couple of sticks that are about 2” in diameter. It is best if they are green saplings or branches, but larger deadfall works OK, too, if is not too brittle.
The easiest way I have found is to take some paracord and make a prusik knot on the sticks above the top of the tent. Slide the knot up the stick and tie off the ends with a square knot or fisherman’s knot.
Then simply attach the carabiner to the loop and move the prusik knot up or down the stick to set the height. Then, guy out the stick out just like you would the rain fly.
The great thing about the prusik knot is that it will stay where you put it with just tension. To move it, you don’t have to untie anything, just remove tension and slide it where you want.
If the ground is very soft, the stick will tend to sink. In this case, you can cut a “V” on the bottom of the stick. Cut two similar sticks about 12” long and lash them together. Slide them under the vertical stick so that the bottom “V” rests in between the two sticks.
Haven Tent Hammock Accessories
Haven Tents also has a few accessories for their tents. While not absolutely necessary, they are thought out very well and are very handy in certain situations.
Haven Tent Power Pump
The Power Pump which I mentioned above, is a rechargeable pump and power bank that can blow up the sleeping pad in about 40 seconds. If you plan on using the tent for a few days and moving each night, this is super handy. It is also a power bank that you can use to charge your phone or to power the light strip below.
Haven Tent Power Pump
Sleeping Pad Inflator
3600 mAH Battery
Charge or Power USB Devices
MSRP: $32.00
Haven Tent Ridge Light
The Ridge Light is a LED light strip that perfectly attaches to the ridgeline of the tent. With this, you don’t have to fumble with a lantern or flashlight at night. It is also dimmable, so it is not too bright to affect your vision at night. You can also just leave it in the bag for a lantern effect. To power it, you will need a separate power bank like the power pump above.
Whoopie Slings
Whoopie Slings are a great addition to the tent and make setup even easier. They extend the distance you can span the tent by 12 ft. They also include an adjustable loop. So instead of tying knots, you just pull the loose end of the line to tension it. They weigh only 2 ounces, so there is really no reason not to have these.
The Works Bundle
Haven Tents has the Works Bundle that has all three of the items above. The bundle will save you about 20%. If you are going to buy one item anyway, I see no reason to not just go ahead and get the bundle.
Haven Insulated Pad Cover
For cold-weather camping, this insulated pad cover doubles the amount of insulation provided by the insulated pad. It also makes the sleeping pad softer, protects it from damage, and can be used as a pillow. It also reduces the noise that you make when you move around on the bare pad.
Haven Tent Hammock Pros and Cons
There are many good things about the Haven Hammock Tent. In my experience, it is the most comfortable way to sleep outside. You can use it virtually anywhere. Either hanging from trees where the ground slope or condition doesn’t permit a regular tent or on flat ground like a regular tent.
The lay-flat design allows you to sleep on your side or stomach, and the insulated pad keeps you warm.
This tent takes all of the negatives of hammock camping away and keeps the positives.
But there are a few cons to using this tent as well.
Of course, since it is still a hammock, only one person can use it. If you are camping with your family or friends, you will need more than one.
Also, the base hammock and sleeping pad weigh nearly 7 pounds. With the lightweight rainfly, you can cut that to 6 ½ pounds. Considering this tent is for only one person, the weight is considerable. If you are a backpacker or like to hike a long distance to camp, the weight could be too much for you to be able to consider this tent.
If you do not plan to hike very far to camp then the weight is not an issue. I usually only hike a few miles to camp, and the weight is not a problem. If you are a hunter and have an ATV or camp near your truck, this tent is great.
If you do not like enclosed spaces, the inside of the tent is smaller than most tents. Considering that you will probably only be inside of it when it is dark, it may not bother you. My wife does not like tight spaces, and being inside the tent with the rain fly down during the day makes her a little uneasy.
The tent stakes and guy lines are not my favorite, but I prefer to use my own anyway. See my guide on the best tent stakes for camping for better ones if you camp on rocky ground.
If you move around a lot at night, the sleeping pad can tend to shift some. If you wake up to a gap between the side of the tent and the pad, you can use your elbow and legs to take some weight off of it and shift it back. This takes some time to figure out but can be annoying in the middle of the night the first few times.
PROS
Very Comfortable
Setup Anywhere
Waterproof
Insulated Pad
Ridgeline Toggles
Storage Pockets
CONS
Weight
Only for One Person
Tent Stakes
Haven Tents Hammock Discount Code
Overall, I recommend the Haven Tent Hammock to anyone who has trouble getting comfortable sleeping outside. It is also great if you camp where it is hard to find a suitable spot for a regular tent.
If you are looking for a lightweight setup to hike or backpack a long distance with, this is probably not the tent for you.
The combination of the lay flat design and being suspended off of the ground make this tent the most comfortable way to sleep outside.
From a survivalist point of view, the multi-use capability is a huge plus for me. I can set it up virtually anywhere, which makes it a great survival tent as well.
You can save 10% off of your order (tents only) by using our discount code at Haven Tents at checkout:
Discount code: “SURVIVALSTOIC”
Check out our other camping and Bushcraft Guides and Gear Reviews. Also, check out our Survival guides and stay prepared!
