For years, the Haven Tent has been known as the most comfortable way to sleep outside. Our patented lay-flat design has won over thousands of campers who were tired of being bent like bananas in traditional hammocks or crawling into cramped ground tents. But for ultralight backpacking and ounce-counters, our original models—while incredibly comfortable—have always pushed the limits on weight. (Here we are changing the game... again!) With the launch of the Haven Spectre, we’re entering the ultralight backpacking conversation with a system that cuts weight dramatically while preserving what makes Haven unique: unmatched outdoor sleep comfort.
Haven Spectre - Sedona, AZWhy We Built It
Our original Haven Tent, Haven XL, and Haven Safari were built for people who prioritized comfort, even if it meant carrying a few extra pounds. And while many thru-hikers and backpackers were willing to make that tradeoff, we knew there was a large (and vocal) portion of the ultralight backpacking community we hadn’t yet reached.
Haven Spectre enters the chat. It delivers the same lay-flat comfort, insulated structure, and modular setup—now in our lightest, most streamlined package ever. We reduced the base weight of the system by nearly three pounds compared to Haven XL, with total kit weight (tent body, pad, and rainfly) at just 4.3 lbs (1.95 kg).
This is a tent system built for those who move fast, cover miles, and don’t want to sacrifice recovery or sleep quality along the way.
How We Did It
Hammock Body
We didn’t want to reduce the weight of our system at the expense of safety or durability—especially in the hammock body, which does the heavy lifting (literally). Early tests with ultralight materials always ended with concerns about longevity. Then we discovered MONOLITE, a high-strength monofilament mesh fabric. We gor our first sample from Ripstop by the Roll, and found it to be incredibly lightweight, breathable, and—most importantly—strong.
With some creative engineering, we landed on a unique design that essentially builds a hammock within a hammock. This double-layer reinforcement adds support where needed without overbuilding the entire body. In our field tests, this design held up incredibly well—even under stress test loads exceeding 2,300 lbs.
We also optimized every piece of the hammock:
Replaced seatbelt webbing with UHMWPE straps (Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene)
Switched to carbon fiber spreader bars
Custom-engineered a new lightweight buckle for the lounge strap
Reduced the gauge of the zippers to trim additional ounces
These changes helped drop significant weight without compromising usability or performance. See a full break down with Ultralight Backpacking expert, Devin Ashby from @BackcountryExposure.
Air Mattress
The Haven system depends on a thick, insulated pad to create structure and keep the sleep platform flat. With Spectre, we introduced a new True Level Pad optimized for warm-weather performance. It carries an R-value of 2.5 and significantly reduces weight compared to the original.
The pad packs small and inflates quickly using the integrated pump sack, which doubles as the stuff sack to save space and simplify setup.
For cold-weather adventures, we recommend upgrading to the True Level Pad with an R-value of 5.3. This upgrade increases the Spectre pack-weight by 7 oz | 198 g.
Rainfly Options
Because the Spectre hammock body is not waterproof, we needed a rainfly that could provide full protection—including wrap-around coverage in colder or windier conditions. The Spectre rainfly is a new design that:
Offers full end-to-end coverage
Can be guyed open for airflow or wrapped tight for storm mode
Rolls up compactly and detaches easily
It’s available in two fabric options:
20D Silpoly: Lightweight, affordable, and very packable
.51 oz Dyneema: Premium ultralight backpacking material, semi-translucent, and incredibly strong (hydrostatic head >5,000 mm). *We've partnered with US manufacturer Dutchware Gear for the production of this rainfly.
With either option, you get modular protection that adapts to your needs on the trail. See the video below to see our rainfly options in more detail.
Component Overhaul
After rethinking the major elements, we turned our focus to the rest of the system. Everything got lighter:
Carbon fiber spreader bars (instead of aluminum)
Ultralight carabiners
New Spectre Straps: 33% lighter and 85% longer than our previous straps, giving you more flexibility in site selection
All of these tweaks contribute to a pack that’s smaller, lighter, and more trail-ready than anything we’ve built before.
Wait there's more!
With Haven Spectre, you don’t just carry less—you feel more connected to your surroundings. The semi-transparent MONOLITE mesh paired with the Dyneema rainfly gives you 360º visibility that feels more like a floating shelter than a closed tent. You’re protected, but still immersed in your environment.
Whereas ultralight backpacking gear normally focuses on what your giving up, here you’ll find:
Six mesh storage pockets for gear and essentials
A built-in bug net
A detachable gear sling for off-the-ground storage
Compatibility with our Haven Ridgelight for built-in tent lighting, and other Haven Tent accessories.
It’s the little things—comfort, visibility, storage, airflow—that make this more than a tent. It’s a sleep system.
Haven Spectre with Haven RidgelightA New Era of Ultralight Backpacking Comfort
There’s always been a badge of honor among ultralight backpackers: the lighter your pack, the rougher your nights. But there has to be a better way! With Spectre, you can have both.
Comfort and weight savings. Strength and simplicity.
Spectre is live now on Kickstarter. Join us in redefining what ultralight sleep looks and feels like.
👉 Back the Haven Spectre on Kickstarter
Get there light. Sleep like home. Wake up ready.
Derek Tillotson | Creator of Haven Spectre
Bonus. What's in a name?
Why Spectre? Sure, it sounds cool… but where did it come from?
When I set up the very first prototype, I had a flashback to cartoons where a character dies and their ghost floats up—an ethereal, transparent version of themselves. That’s exactly what I saw: the ghost of a Haven Tent.
But “Ghost” didn’t quite have the vibe we were going for. Specter sounded cooler. And with the UK spelling? Even better.
Spectre it is. Float with us.
We all float down here.
