Gear Review: Six Moon Designs Haven NetTent and Tarp

I recently got a chance to try out a shiny new toy: the two-person Haven NetTent and Tarp combo by Six Moon Designs. It’s a double-walled, non-freestanding shelter that features lots of mesh, dual side entry, and nearly four feet of headroom. The tarp can be used separately as an ultralight shelter, or it can be paired with the mesh NetTent insert for added warmth and bug protection. I was stoked to test the setup, hoping it would make me feel all warm and snuggly in the great outdoors without being too heavy. Maybe—dare I dream it—it would even give me a chance to stargaze without ants crawling on my face all night long.

Six Moon Designs Haven Combo At-a-Glance

Weight (stakes and footprint not included):

  • NetTent: 16 ounces
  • Tarp: 18 ounces
  • Together: 34 ounces

Dimensions:

  • Length: 88 inches
  • Width: 44 inches
  • Height: 45 inches

MSRP:

  • NetTent: $160
  • Tarp: $210
  • Together: $370

Circumstances of Review

Full of lofty expectations, I put this tent to the test all over the Pacific Northwest. From Washington’s Olympic National Park to British Columbia’s Quadra Island, it saw all sorts of conditions—rain, wind, a blessed amount of fair weather, and a special phenomenon I refer to as “mosquito cyclones.” I tested the NetTent on its own and in concert with the tarp, but never slept under just the tarp alone.

Haven NetTent and Tarp Features

60/40 canopy design

  • Apex offset from center to provide more usable space inside.

Wide canopy with 45-inch headroom

Near-vertical end walls maximize functional space beneath the tarp.

  • The apex of this shelter is 45 inches high and 48 inches across, providing plenty of space for two campers to sit up inside.
  • Wide canopy makes for steep, nearly vertical end walls on the tarp, again increasing functional space inside.

360-degree mesh

  • Mesh walls provide ample views and visibility in every direction above the six-inch silnylon bathtub floor.

Tent hangs from tarp

NetTent half clipped into tarp.

  • Tarp is designed to pitch first and NetTent hangs from the tarp, meaning the tarp can go up first and come down last in bad weather.
  • If stored clipped together, the whole system can be set up simultaneously.

Dual side entry

  • Doors on both sides of the shelter mean both occupants can come and go as they please.
  • Vestibules on each side provide storage space for gear.

Pros

Mesh for Days

Stargazers and mosquito-averse individuals will adore the mostly mesh design of the Haven NetTent. In fair weather, it’s lovely to enjoy fresh air, 360-degree views, and the company of fellow campmates from the comfort and protection of the shelter’s cozy interior.

Fast and Easy Setup

The second time I ever set this shelter up was under what you might call “less than ideal” conditions. I won’t bore you with the details, but let’s just say that it was after midnight and involved a dying headlamp, several marauding elk, and a surprising amount of blood and sour milk. (Yes, I know. This is who you’re trusting to tell you things about gear.) In spite of these handicaps, I still managed to get the whole thing pitched in under four minutes flat. The whole Haven system is highly intuitive to set up and can be pitched completely with as few as six stakes.

Roomy and Comfortable

The Haven’s 60/40 design means that two people can sit up comfortably in this tent without brushing the walls. The floor is wide enough for two sleeping pads to fit comfortably and still have a generous amount of space on each side. It’s also long enough to stow packs at the bottom. When the tarp is pitched, the roomy dual side vestibules add to this tent’s generous storage capacity.

Great in the Rain

My Haven weathered several intense storms admirably over the summer. It shed rain and wind to keep my partner and me dry throughout the night. The generous amount of airspace between the tarp and the mesh inner also helped with ventilation, meaning that condensation was a virtual non-issue. Note: Like pretty much every tent, this one doesn’t automatically come seam-sealed, so don’t forget to do so yourself or order Six Moon’s seam-sealing service.

Cons

Hard to Put Tarp on after the Fact

There are two kinds of campers: those who use a rainfly no matter what the forecast looks like, and those that prefer to leave it off until they definitely need it. Members of the latter group are often found staggering around outside their tents in the midst of sudden downpours, cursing as they fumble with tangled guylines. Can you guess which kind I am? Yeahhhh.

Six Moons designed the Haven Tarp to pitch first, and the NetTent to clip in beneath it.  Suffice to say it’s a huge pain to do things in the reverse order. Stargazing is great, but if you’re even slightly worried about rain, save yourself a headache and pitch the tarp first.

Needs More Pockets

Much like every pair of women’s pants ever, I think this tent could benefit from deeper pockets. The ones on the Haven are big enough to accommodate a headlamp or a watch, but not both simultaneously, and they definitely won’t hold onto my smartphone all night. Deeper pockets would presumably make it way easier to stow miscellaneous tiny crap without adding too much weight to the setup.

Tent not Fully Adjustable

A simple tautline hitch makes everything better.

The Haven tarp has fully adjustable guylines with tensioners, but the NetTent doesn’t. This makes it a little bit more difficult to set up the tent independently. The simplest solution here is to do what Boy Scouts have been doing for years and retie every line with a tautline hitch on one end to create a sliding loop.

Overall Value

Is this tent worth your dollars? In a word, yes. It’s roomy, lightweight, and not too expensive, and most of the drawbacks I’ve identified in this post are things that I can either live with or fix myself without too much trouble.

Comparable Shelters

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Echo 2

Weight: 29 ounces

MSRP: $775

Mountain Laurel Designs SuperMid™

Weight: 19-26 ounces

MSRP: $385-$740

Tarptent StratoSpire 2

Weight: 44 ounces

MSRP: $359-$494

Shop the Haven Tarp Here Shop the NetTent Here

This item was donated for purpose of review

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Comments 4

  • Turtle : Oct 8th

    I love this review will definitely look into this shelter

    Reply
  • TBR : Oct 9th

    Thanks for the informative review.

    I’m a tarp camper, but my set up is not the greatest. Will definitely look into this one.

    I like the offset. That makes a lot of sense.

    Reply
  • Romney : Feb 7th

    Great review. Exactly what I needed to know. I’ve been looking for a light, double layer, cheap-ish, durable, waterproof, possibly using trekking poles, 2 person (but really 1 greedy person) 3 season tent with reasonable face clearance when you sleep for a while now and I think this is it. It’s a great alternative to my Hilleberg Nallo 2 (totally bomber, 2.4kg, not the most ventilated but otherwise marvellous).

    Reply

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