Lie Flat on the Ground or in the Air: Haven XL Hammock Tent Review

I’ve spent many nights in a standard sling-style hammock. For a long time, I believed that sling hammock camping was the pinnacle of outdoor sleeping, as it’s ergonomic, comfortable, and minimalist. But recently, I discovered the Haven Tent hammock, and I’ve realized that those sling hammocks were just an evolutionary step to the next (more refined) expression. 

I’ve taken various versions of the Haven XL Hammock Tent on backpacking trips in Colorado and New Hampshire and multiday sea kayaking adventures exploring islands off the coast of Maine. There were plenty of trees to choose from. And since we moved camp each night, I got plenty of experience setting up the Haven XL using various tree spacing conditions, sleeping in the Haven XL, and striking camp to move on.

In short: The Haven XL Hammock Tent offers a fresh take on hammock camping. The hanging tent design allows you to lie flat no matter where you’re hanging out. It’s easy to set up, protects you well from wind and weather, and can even be set up on the ground as its own free-standing tent. Single hammock campers and anyone looking for a comfortable way to camp off (or on) the ground should check out the Haven XL.

Haven XL Hammock Tent Review

The original Haven Tent launched on Kickstarter in September 2019. The Haven XL followed in the brand’s second year, and the more durable version, the Safari, followed in the third year. This spring, Haven launched a lightweight backpacking-specific model on Kickstarter called Spectre, which I’ve been excited to check out.

The great thing about any hammock is that flat ground isn’t required. The hammock can be suspended at any level over any sort of terrain to ensure perfectly level sleep.

But when trees or other anchors aren’t available, the Haven can be set up as a tent on the ground. That doubles this tent’s versatility for different adventures. Access to trees is preferred, but not required.

The only extra gear needed for ground setup is a set of trekking poles or even sticks, as long as the ground can take stakes. The poles never hold your body weight. They just add support, keeping the upper part of the Haven, the mesh, and the rainfly from collapsing inward.

Actually Lies Flat

If you’ve done any sort of hammock research, you have probably seen a few other products that claim they allow the user to lie flat. Or, you have managed to master (or have convinced yourself you have mastered) the diagonal lay technique in a standard sling-style hammock to get your body flat. If you haven’t done this research, don’t worry — I have.

I do believe the diagonal technique works pretty well once mastered. I have had a lot of blissful nights sleeping that way. But it always takes some adjusting and wriggling about to get comfortable. After testing the Haven XL on multiple trips, I can guarantee there is no squirming around to find that balance. It’s built right into the structure.

I’ve also tested hammocks with spreader bars with only marginal success in providing a true lay-flat platform. The Haven Tent’s build is like an upside-down suspension bridge, with the cut of the fabric and the pull of the spreader bars. Add to that the shape of a perfectly fitted rectangular sleeping pad, and the lay-flat magic formula is complete.

Setup, Camp Life, and Strike

Setting up the Haven for the first time will take longer than any subsequent setup, especially if you’re brand new to hammocks. The most unique aspect of the process is attaching the rainfly. But once the rainfly is in place, it doesn’t need to be adjusted until you want to completely remove it.

Exterior Features

The rest of the process is pretty standard for hammocks. You wrap the straps on the trees and clip on the Haven XL. The optional Whoopie Slings allow for micro-tension adjustment and anchor points that are farther apart. But the beauty of the Haven design is that it doesn’t need to be super technical to work.

Once set up, there are a few options for managing the rest of your camping gear. There’s not a vestibule, but with the rainfly guyed out, there’s quite a bit of protected space underneath. With enough vertical space consideration, you can cook under the fly and store gear overnight.

If it’s not raining or you’re not worried about gear left out getting wet, it can be hung from the straps around the tree to keep critters from getting curious.

With the fly battened down, there’s still a little space directly under the Haven that stays dry unless the rain is really blowing sideways. Finding the best solution for any given camp situation always requires a bit of compromise and creativity.

On my sea kayaking trips, I used dry bags to store all of my stuff. I could hang those from the guyline, and everything in those stayed dry regardless of the weather.

Interior Features

On the inside, there are six mesh pockets of three different sizes. I have even used the spreader bars to stash my boots inside the Haven. You can also clip a pack or other gear to the ridgeline inside the tent to store and protect gear.

On some adventures, there might be some long hours at camp. For this, the Haven team developed the Lounge Strap. This cinches the underside of one end of the tent to create a comfortable lounging position to read or just hang out.

When you’re ready to lie all the way flat again, just release the strap (while in the tent). Then, you’re all set for a flat night’s rest.

Striking the Haven is fast and easy. With a bit of practice, it can even be done in the rain while keeping essential gear (sleeping bag and clothing) dry. By keeping one end of the Haven attached to the anchor point, the whole kit can be stuffed into the storage bag without ever needing to hit the ground.

Severe Weather

The Haven handles severe weather conditions very well. First, by being off the ground, there’s no concern for rainwater runoff flowing in like with a tent on the ground. The rainfly for the Haven can be extended out in low-to-no wind conditions to provide a wider area of rain protection.

But if the wind picks up and starts to blow rain sideways, the fly can be lowered and will completely cover each side. Or it can be configured to just cover one side if it makes sense to leave the leeward side open.

Loop and toggle connections are built in. They helped batten down the hatches and prevent the fly from getting blown open. Also, in very windy situations, the Haven will sway a little, but I was never tossed around much. It was never uncomfortable. In fact, I really enjoyed hearing the rain beat on the Haven while I was snuggled in and cozy.

For winter camping, Haven offers an insulated pad and an insulated pad cover. Under-hammock insulation is the biggest factor. Standard sling hammocks have come up with underquilts to mitigate this. I’ll admit I have not taken the Haven winter camping. But I won’t hesitate to do so when the next opportunity comes up.

Room for Improvement

At just over 6 pounds, the Haven XL is a lot to take backpacking. But as mentioned, Haven just launched the Spectre — a lightweight version at just over 4 pounds.

It’s also tough to keep your gear protected in severe weather without a vestibule. Again, the Spectre looks like it has a gear sling, which would add some storage hanging directly below the sleeping pad. But I have yet to see how well that works. The Haven really only offers in-tent storage (which is kind of limited) and under-tent storage (which is somewhat vulnerable to the elements).

Finally, it’s kind of a bummer that this tent only fits one person. There are two-person hammocks out there, and it would be awesome if Haven could figure out how to make this design a duo.

Haven XL Hammock Tent: Conclusion

The Haven has now become my go-to option for camping on my own. It is absolutely the most comfortable way to sleep, and it’s fast and easy to set up and strike. I get under shelter sooner and stay dryer longer than when I’m setting up or striking a regular tent in the rain.

The Haven offers such an amazing sleeping experience that I have even taken all 7 pounds on backpacking trips. It’s not ideal, but that’s hw much I enjoy sleeping in it.

Single campers who like to sleep elevated off the ground, and who want full weather protection while doing so, should check out this tent. Admittedly, it’s a little heavy for backpacking. But the comfort this lay-flat sleep shelter provides, and the versatility of being able to set it up in the air or on the ground, make it a really useful addition to almost anyone’s camping setup. Just don’t plan on sharing the shelter with anyone else.