Haven Spectre Review: A Rough Start, but a Really Good Hammock My experience with the Haven Spectre got off to a spectacularly bad start. Almost immediately, the zippers on the bug screen failed. I was told my Spectre may have been part of the early stock with the faulty zippers that have been fairly well documented. That wasn’t exactly a great first impression, and it does raise the question of why any of that older stock was still being shipped. To Haven’s credit, customer service ultimately took care of me quickly, although the process was a little strange. I initially emailed photos of the zipper failure but never received a response. I eventually called the customer service number, which basically connected me with a guy who told me to text him. We went back and forth by text, I resent the photos, and he got the replacement approved. It worked, but he never really identified himself, so the whole thing felt oddly informal, like I was texting some random guy about my hammock. Still, the important part is that Haven stood behind the product and sent me a replacement Spectre with what I was told were the improved zippers. The Replacement Zippers I’m no zipper expert, and visually the new zippers look pretty much identical to the originals. That made me a little nervous about taking the replacement back into the woods. Fortunately, my first trip with the replacement was completely uneventful, which in this case is exactly what I wanted. The zippers definitely seemed to operate more smoothly and had fewer of the little hang-ups I experienced with the original Spectre even before its zipper failed. Maybe they really are different. I honestly can’t tell by looking at them. So far, though, zero problems. I’m still going to be watching them closely because the entire bug-net system depends on those long zippers functioning properly. The Spectre Itself Is Excellent Once I got past the zipper drama, I was reminded why I wanted the Spectre in the first place. It’s an extremely comfortable and well-thought-out setup. One of my favorite features is the ridiculous number of storage pockets. There seems to be a little spot for everything I bring into the hammock. I especially like the storage underneath the Spectre, where I can keep shoes and other gear off the ground without cluttering the sleeping area. My old traditional hammock had essentially zero built-in storage, so this feels downright luxurious by comparison. The 30-inch-wide inflatable pad also provides much more usable space than that number might suggest. I fit comfortably with both of my small Chihuahuas, and the flat surface makes the entire interior genuinely usable rather than having everything slide toward the lowest point. The Biggest Upgrade Is Actually for My Dogs Interestingly, I didn’t buy the Spectre because I was unhappy with the comfort of a traditional hammock. I found my old hammock extremely comfortable. What really attracted me to the lay-flat design was what it could do for my dogs, and in that regard the Spectre has been a game changer. In my old hammock, my two little Chihuahuas would inevitably get squished together in the middle. It worked, but moving around was awkward for them. In the Spectre, they can literally walk around. One can be near my feet while the other is at the opposite end. They can change positions without climbing over one another or fighting the natural tendency of a gathered-end hammock to pull everything toward the center. And there’s another benefit I hadn’t fully appreciated before buying it: the view. Because they’re standing or lying on a flat surface and the bug net is almost completely see-through, they get a fantastic panoramic view of the campsite. They can sit inside the hammock and survey the surrounding woods for squirrels, chipmunks and whatever other tiny woodland criminals require Chihuahua surveillance. For camping with small dogs, this alone has been a huge upgrade. I’m Still Learning to Love the Whoopie Slings The Whoopie Slings seem like a great idea, but I still find them strangely unintuitive. Every time I think I’ve figured them out, the next setup somehow leaves me scratching my head again. I’m willing to accept that this is probably more of a “me problem” than a Whoopie Sling problem. They’re lightweight, compact and give you plenty of adjustment. I can understand why people like them. I’m just not completely sold yet. The Spectre is still relatively new to me, though, so I’m going to keep using them for a while before deciding whether I want to switch to a suspension system I find more intuitive. The Packing System Feels Cheap This is one area where I think Haven could do considerably better, particularly given the price of the Spectre. The stuff sacks are pretty lackluster. Both the inflatable mattress and the hammock itself can compress considerably smaller than the supplied bags encourage you to pack them. The bags technically get the job done, but they don’t feel particularly refined or thoughtfully designed. Ironically, the packing system that came with my roughly $60 traditional hammock is better designed. For a premium hammock system, Haven should provide premium compression/storage bags that take advantage of how small this equipment can actually pack. That’s especially important for people like me who are carrying the Spectre for bike camping, where packed volume matters almost as much as weight. The Bug Net Is Much More Breathable Than I Expected One concern I had before buying the Spectre was breathability. I came across a number of reviews claiming that the bug-net material didn’t breathe particularly well, and those comments made me tentative about ordering the Spectre. Looking at how fine and sheer the material is, I could understand why people might worry about airflow, especially when camping in hot summer weather. My experience has been completely different. I’ve found the bug net to be extremely breathable, even in very warm conditions. With the rain fly pitched well above the Spectre, or removed entirely when the weather allows, I can feel air moving freely through the hammock. I’ve never had the sensation of being sealed inside a tent or surrounded by material that traps warm air. That was honestly one of the biggest and most pleasant surprises I’ve had with the Spectre. Obviously, everyone’s tolerance for heat is different, but based on my experience, breathability would not be something I’d warn a prospective buyer about. If anything, I’d say the opposite. The combination of the extremely fine mesh, the nearly 360-degree view, and the amount of airflow makes the Spectre feel remarkably open for something that completely surrounds you with bug protection. In warm weather, that openness is a big part of what makes the Spectre work so well. I’m Not Sold on the Rain Fly Unfortunately, while I think Haven nailed the breathability of the Spectre itself, I’m much less enthusiastic about what happens when you put their rain fly over it. I haven’t had the opportunity to use Haven’s rain fly in a serious storm yet, so I can’t fairly judge its actual weather performance. What I can say is that I’m not particularly fond of the design philosophy. One of my favorite things about hammock camping is the separation between the hammock and the tarp. Unlike being sealed inside a conventional tent, you can pitch a large tarp well above you and still get tremendous airflow. That’s how I prefer to camp. I currently use an approximately 11-by-9-foot rain fly pitched well above the hammock. It gives me a huge protected area while allowing plenty of breeze through the campsite. Sitting in the hammock during a summer thunderstorm with the sides wide open is one of the pleasures of hammock camping. The Haven fly sits much closer to the Spectre. I can understand the advantage in genuinely nasty weather. If the wind is driving rain sideways, being able to pull everything down into a tight “storm mode” could be extremely useful. And because the Spectre itself provides essentially no rain protection, I’ll probably continue carrying the Haven fly as insurance. But under normal rainy conditions, I expect I’ll continue using my larger tarp. For me, the Haven fly sacrifices too much of one of hammock camping’s biggest advantages: airflow. Durability Is Still the Big Question This is probably my biggest remaining reservation about the Spectre. With the bug net fully zipped, the nearly 360-degree view from inside is fantastic. It barely feels like there’s anything between you and the woods. But that also means you’re surrounded by an enormous amount of very sheer material, along with some very long zippers. After my first Spectre failed almost immediately, it’s difficult not to wonder how all of this will look after dozens of camping trips rather than just a handful. That’s something I simply can’t answer yet. Overall Despite the terrible first experience, I’m happy with the Haven Spectre. The replacement has worked exactly as it should, the lay-flat design is extremely comfortable, the storage is excellent, the bug net has proven far more breathable than some reviews led me to expect, and for camping with my two small dogs it has been a massive improvement over a traditional hammock. There are definitely things I would change. Haven needs to inspire more confidence in the durability of the zipper system, the included storage bags should be much better for something this expensive, and I wish the rain-fly system took greater advantage of the openness and ventilation that make hammock camping so enjoyable in the first place. The Whoopie Slings and I are also still negotiating our relationship. But none of those things change the fact that once I’m actually lying in the Spectre, with my gear organized into its various pockets and two Chihuahuas happily wandering around looking for squirrels through the bug net, the fundamental design makes a tremendous amount of sense. It’s an innovative, thoughtfully designed hammock system with a few areas that don’t feel quite as polished as its premium price would suggest. For now, the replacement zippers are working perfectly. Whether the zippers and that enormous expanse of sheer bug net hold up over the long term is the question I’ll be watching most closely. Only time will tell. In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy the hell out of it.
