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Is the Haven a Tent or a Hammock?
We get this question a lot. The truth is it doesn’t fit super well into either category. It sort of looks (and functions) like both. But regardless of which side of the debate you fall on, one thing is for certain: Haven will make you love sleeping outdoors.
The best way to describe the Haven Tent is essentially a tent with a hammock. This is an important distinction we like to make because it blends the best features of both products. You can sleep comfortably knowing you’re protected (like you are in a tent) AND you can be suspended above ground (like you are in a hammock).
When it comes to camping gear, we don’t really fit the mold and want to explain why. Here’s a deeper look at our tent hammock and the story of how it got its name, the Haven Tent.
When we first came up with the idea for a tent with a hammock, we knew we were on to something special.
After too many restless nights camping, our founder, Derek, started dreaming up the idea for a lay-flat tent hammock. Tent hammocks offer a number of benefits compared to traditional tents and hammocks. Here are a handful of reasons why they are a great option for all campers:
- They’re comfortable. Our tent hammocks are designed to be more comfortable than traditional hammocks because they offer more support, leaving you without a sore back in the morning. They also offer protection from insects. Haven’s tent hammocks come with a built-in bug net, which will help protect you from pesky insects while you sleep.
- They’re versatile. Our tent hammocks can be used in a variety of environments and conditions. They are also very easy to set up and take down, which can be a big advantage if you’re camping in areas with uneven or extremely wet ground. In places where traditional tents would be difficult to pitch, a tent hammock is the obvious answer.
- They’re lightweight and compact. Our tent hammocks are lightweight and easy to carry, making them a great option for backpacking and other outdoor activities. The total dimensions for a packed-down Haven Tent (including a sleeping pad) is 14" x 6" x 8" and it weighs less than 7 lbs!
- They’re extremely durable. Our tent hammocks are made with high-quality materials that are designed to withstand the elements, making them a long-lasting and reliable camping option. To see just how tough our tent hammocks are, check out our load test video here.
Overall, tent hammocks provide a unique, better way to experience the outdoors. They offer superior comfort, ease and versatility.
After seemingly endless hours of designing and rigorous testing, we knew we had created the best tent hammock out there…the next step was figuring out what to call it.
Finding a name for our tent hammock was almost as hard as designing the product itself.
Before we first launched our tent hammock campaign on Kickstarter, we knew we had to come up with a name that was meaningful and accurately encompassed the benefits of our amazing product. Our founder, Derek, made a list of words that he felt most accurately described the tent hammock and started looking at synonyms…comfortable, flying, hammock, tent, protection, quick, light, refuge, etc.
After a lot of back and forth, Derek realized that everything he wanted the product to be boiled down to one word: Haven. Haven is defined as a place of safety or refuge. It’s a place where you can go to find rest, shelter, and protection.
We believe that the outdoors is already a small haven of its own – it’s where our team likes to go to find peace, relaxation and tons of fun. But the truth is no matter how much you enjoy your days outside, a bad night can be a real damper to your experience in the great outdoors.
Derek settled on the word Haven to describe our product in an effort to convey the message that our tent hammock is like the glue that holds all the pieces of an excellent outdoor adventure together. We believe that when you sleep well, you’re more likely to fully grasp the benefits of recreating in nature during the day, making the entire experience a haven of sorts.
Why is it called a Haven “Tent”?
At first glance, most people would probably categorize the Haven Tent as a hammock simply because it hangs suspended above ground.
But we feel like our "hammock" is so unique that we really don’t fit into that bucket. There are plenty of reasons why or product strays away from a typical hammock but here are a few that stand out:
- Haven Tents’ structural design along with an inflatable sleeping pad encourage the hammock to stay flat and open. When you lay down in our tent hammock, your body won’t fold in half and you also won’t feel trapped by the sides of the hammock closing in on you.
- The Haven Tent comes with a rainfly that will keep you warm and dry when bad weather hits. Traditional hammocks aren’t designed to feature any sort of water proofing. With our tent hammock, you can camp in all kinds of weather (even snow!), just like you would be able to do in a three season tent.
- In some cases, the Haven Tent doesn’t look or function like a hammock at all! With the use of a couple trekking poles, it can easily be pitched on the ground as a bivy tent. This is a convenient option for when there are no trees or other objects around that you can use to hang your hammock.
Even though many people would initially think our product is mainly a hammock, a closer look reveals that a hammock is really only one part of what you get in a Haven Tent.
The Haven Tent comes with everything you need in one small kit: hammock, insulated air mattress, bug net, rainfly, tree straps, guy lines, and stakes.
Rather than painstakingly searching the internet to piece together a wonky system using parts and accessories from different brands (trust us, putting a random sleeping pad inside a random hammock is not comfortable), Haven Tents offers a simple, lightweight kit that’s highly functional and easy to bring along on any adventure. And if lightweight isn’t an important factor for you, we also offer a glamping tent hammock with extra features that will increase your comfort even further!
Tents are tried and true.
“I can’t sleep in a hammock.” We hear it all the time.
Our response? Yeah, we can’t sleep in them either. That’s why Haven Tent exists in the first place.
While most people would probably agree that hammocks are great for lounging around for an hour, very few can actually sleep in them. We at Haven don’t even like them very much. The fact that anyone can sleep in a traditional hammock is actually kind of hard for us to believe.
Tents, on the other hand, have been campers’ #1 choice for sleeping outdoors for as long as we can remember. They’re suitable for all types of weather conditions, they pack down into neat little kits, and they are generally more affordable than other kinds of outdoor shelters like RVs and cabins.
We call our product Haven Tent because we wanted to separate ourselves from the stigma of uncomfortable hammock sleeping and start fresh.
Our product isn’t just a hammock…it’s a tent with a hammock.
Campers everywhere can experience the benefits of camping with a Haven Tent.
The process of bringing a high-quality tent hammock to the market was not easy! But it was well worth the work because there’s nothing else like it; the combined comfort of a tent and versatility of a hammock is a match made in heaven.
Despite Haven Tents being a small business run by a few outdoorsy people in Utah, we are extremely proud to offer our tent hammock to campers across the globe. You can now shop Haven if you live in the United States, EU, Canada, Norway, Denmark, Australia or Japan!
Next time you feel like escaping the stress and challenges of the outside world, consider a camping trip with a Haven Tent. It’s not just a tent with a hammock; it’s a refuge that will have you snoozing comfortably on all of your outdoor adventures.
Shop tent hammocks here.
