Haven Safari Hammocks - Interview

I recently had a chance to interview Derek Tillotson, the creator of Haven Safari and owner of Haven Tents.

-Why was Haven Safari created?
"I just love sleeping on the ground," said no one ever...followed by "I love being folded like a banana all night." For most people, sleep is the camping low point. Haven Safari builds on our proprietary lay-flat design to truly make sleep the highlight of camping.

-What makes it better than a sleeping bag or cot?
As a sleep system, Haven Tents differentiates comfort. The air mattress base and hammock support closely mirror a traditional mattress. We've grown accustomed to a certain level of comfort... cots, air mattresses on the ground, and traditional hammocks take us out of our routine and comfort.

-How is it better than traditional hammocks?
I am not a hammock sleeper. I could never get comfortable in a hammock. So in designing Haven Tent, I had to do something completely different.
Beyond laying flat and open (which is our biggest difference), our hammock has an easy setup with only two anchor points for both the hammock and rainfly. Traditional hammocks require a minimum of four anchor points and four guy lines for the rainfly. That's eight lines to our two.
Haven Safari is very stable. There's no way to flip the hammock because the sleeping platform is set so far below the anchor points. We've tried to flip it...and it can't be done.
Camping hammocks traditionally require a lot of separate pieces. You need a hammock, rainfly, bug-net, under-quilt (for insulation), tree straps, guy lines and stakes. We've assembled all of these items into one simple kit: Haven Safari.  

-What are your favorite things about camping? 
My favorite part of owning an outdoor company is the added incentive to explore and camp. I am the first person to test our gear and I'm also the most critical. I love the quiet, I love the adventure and now I love the sleep. 

Most hammocks aren’t comfortable because of the curved shape. While iconic, it’s not ergonomic – hello aches and pains! Haven Safari’s patented design enables people to lay flat while sleeping or use a strap to support them in a “hanging sofa. An included inflatable pad for optimal comfort and support – think sleeping on a suspended mattress in the woods. Haven Safari can be hung between trees or as a bivy on the ground.

Haven Safari:
* Takes less than 5 minutes to set up with two connection points
* Waterproof, ventilated and bug proof
* Weighs less than 12 lbs.
* Included rainfly provides shelter and privacy