Review: Six Moon Designs Haven 2P Tent (Tarp + NetTent Bundle)

How I Tested The Haven

So far I’ve used the Haven Tent during six nights on the trail across two short backpacking trips with my husband: the Ruby Crest Traverse and a (staggeringly scenic) loop in the Wind River Range. Weather was clear on the Ruby Crest, but the Winds brought some fierce rain and hail.

I’ve also tested my older Haven tarp, without the inner NetTent, extensively during two thru hikes of the Colorado Trail and Arizona Trail. Though the design has been updated slightly and this review is about the new inner + outer bundle, those months spent living in the Haven tarp factor into this review as well.

Weight

At 34 oz combined for the inner and outer, the Haven is light for its class.

Compared to double wall tents with dedicated poles, the Haven is much lighter. For example the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2, a popular lightweight but fully featured freestanding tent, weighs in at 43 oz trail weight.

On the other end of the spectrum, single wall trekking pole shelters run lighter. The notoriously light Zpacks Duplex Zip Tent weighs only 20 oz but costs $729. Gossamer Gear’s The Two is much more affordable at 24 oz and $320. Both those shelters share features with the Haven (A-frame shape, trekking pole support, dual side entry) but lack the advantages of the Haven’s double wall design.

The most direct comparison is probably the Durston X-Mid 2, another double-wall trekking pole shelter that weighs in at a very similar 35.4 oz. The interior layout, which uses a trapezoidal floor, is quite different from the Haven and I don’t have personal experience with it.

Packed Size and Stuff Sacks

For a two person tent the Haven is quite compact. Six Moon Designs lists the packed size of each component as 11-12″ long and 4.5″ diameter. My husband insists on stuffing them both together into the stuff sack made for the tarp, which means the entire 2-person tent is around 12″ x 4.5″

My biggest gripe about the Haven Bundle is that the inner and outer come in separate stuff sacks, and neither is large enough to comfortably hold both parts together.

We usually leave the inner clipped to the outer when we pack up, to save time with the next setup. But getting both parts into one of the stuff sacks takes some serious patience. He has that patience, but I don’t. A larger sack would be a nice addition for those of us who want to pack the whole bundle in one piece.

Design

The Haven is an A-frame design with the ridge supported by two trekking poles. Four corner stakes and two side stakes support the main structure, with the option for additional guy-out points on the flat faces (for interior space) and edges (for storm-worthiness).

If you don’t hike with trekking poles or want to use the Haven for other activities, Six Moon Designs offers a set of ultralight carbon fiber poles.

The Haven’s shape is similar to other ultralight shelters like the Zpacks Duplex and Gossamer Gear The Two, but with an important difference: those shelters are single wall while the Haven is double wall, with an entirely separate mesh inner and waterproof outer. This offers better ventilation and condensation control, and the versatility of using each part individually.

The outer tarp works well on its own. In fact I used my original Haven this way (paired with water resistant bivvies) extensively. Each side has a roomy vestibule with center zip, so both flaps can be tied up and out of the way for ventilation and views.

But the magic of the Haven Bundle, or Haven Tent as it’s now called, is the pairing of outer with inner. The Haven’s inner NetTent is a mesh bug tent that hangs from the inside of the tarp. Cleverly it can also be used on its own, pitched with two trekking poles similarly to the tarp.

The combo makes for a very versatile shelter system that suits a wide range of conditions. Use the tarp for rain protection, the inner for bug protection, or both together as a double wall tent.

Setup

Setup is fast and easy, especially if you follow Six Moon Design’s instructions: place the corner stakes first with some slack in the guy lines, then insert the trekking poles and stake the sides, then tighten everything up.

When you first pitch the Haven Tent you’ll start with the tarp. Once it’s pitched, the inner NetTent hangs from inside the ridgeline and clips out to the corners and sides to maximize living space.

The process of clipping the NetTent to the tarp, though straightforward, does add some extra work. We decided to leave them clipped together when packing up to make subsequent setups even quicker.

The guy lines and tension adjusters on the Haven are easy to use, and improved compared to my original Haven tarp. It’s a highly adjustable system that adapts well to different stake placements and those oddly shaped campsites where the perfect pitch is tough to achieve.

An overlooked feature of the Haven that I’ve come to really appreciate: the guy-out points on the two rectangular sides. With a second set of trekking poles and two additional stakes (for a total of eight) these are easy to pull outward, adding a meaningful amount of interior volume.

Weather Resistance

Our new Haven Bundle has already weathered some fierce wind, rain, and hail in the Wind River Range. And our older standalone Haven Tarp stood up to similar extremes, including wind and snow on the Arizona Trail and heavy rain on the Colorado Trail.

Rain: The Haven excels as a wet weather shelter. The unique design, where the inner hangs from the outer, allows the inner to stay dry during setup and takedown even during a deluge. It’s quick to throw up as an afternoon thunderstorm approaches. In our experience the inside has stayed dry even in heavy rain.

Wind: The Haven isn’t quite as robust to strong wind, as is the case for many ultralight shelters. It’s important to orient the head end into the wind and make sure all the stakes are extra secure. We’ve had a side stake rip out a couple times in particularly strong sideways gusts, causing the pole to collapse inward and requiring a scramble to get things secure again. But overall it’s been reliable and has survived some blustery nights.

Living Space and Comfort

The Haven’s floor is a true 44′ x 88″ rectangle. We find it sufficiently roomy for the two of us and a lot of our gear.

When my husband and I used to share the original Haven Tarp, without the inner NetTent, it felt like a palace. Without the inner, and with the trekking pole supports angled tip-inward, the width was impressive. We could place our water-resistant bivvies side by side and still have our own space.

The NetTent inner does limit the width somewhat compared to the tarp alone, but it’s still plenty wide, and worth it in mosquito territory for the enclosed bug-free living space.

We’re happy with the Haven’s headroom, though I should note that we’re not particularly tall (5’5″ and 5’8″). The interior feels roomy and is pleasant to sit up in, especially with the faces guyed out using a second set of trekking poles.

The dual side doors, fairly standard on two person tents, make for easy in and out. I do worry that the curved zippers will be the first part of this tent to wear out (I’ve lost a couple tents this way) but hopefully that will take a long time.

Conclusion

The Haven Tent bundle is a simple yet versatile lightweight shelter that’s especially convenient for trekking pole users. It really shines in wet, humid, and/or buggy conditions thanks to its double-wall design and dry pitch.

At $375 it’s a great value compared to many other tents on the market. I’m happy with mine and expect to keep using it for a long time.

More Backpacking Resources

If you liked this review, you might like these posts:

• Long-Term Review: Big Sky Soul 1P Tent
• Arizona Trail Gear List
• Backpacking the Loowit Trail Around Mt. St. Helens

Or visit the backpacking section for lots more.