michigandave
05-16-2013, 20:47
This is a review for the Trail Haven 11 silnylon tarp made by Jared from Simply Light Designs (www.simplylightdesigns.com). I found some of his products online and ended up buying a whoopie ridgeline and some sil-nylon stuff sacks. When I got them, I was impressed with the quality and attention to detail. I emailed him about future products and what I was looking for in a hammock tarp. The Trail Haven 11 is the result. I’ve been using it since the April 2013 and have had it out on three trips so far, a couple overnight backyard hangs and numerous day hikes to test it out in various conditions. It will be going out with me in June for a 5 day trip to Pictured Rocks in Michigan’s UP. I’ve experienced snow, rain, calm weather, and heavy winds gusting up to 30 mph. Through it all , it’s held up fine and given me confidence that I’m well protected. It fits my Eno singlenest with about a foot to spare on either end.
Trail Haven 11 specs: Weight is 14 oz (in stuff sack) with tie out lines and it packs to about the size of a 1 liter bottle. Ridgeline is 11 feet and measures 132” by 96”. My version is the cat cut, but he also offers it as straight cut. It has 2 mid-panel pull out loops on each side to gain a little more space inside. It works well with trekking poles and nearby trees. ¾” D-rings on either end of the ridgeline make setup a snap with my CRT, made with Nite-Ize “figure 9” and “s”carabiners. The included guylines are reflective, and the 4 line locks on each corner really help during setup and after it’s been pitched. Mine has the additional edge tie outs on the ends and middle. It give that extra security when your out in bad weather. On the underside of the ridgeline there’s three sewn loops for attaching a bugnet or for hanging items.
Finish & Stitching: I thought the craftsmanship was perfect. No loose threads on edges, accurate and straight stitching and lots of attention to details. Seam sealing was neat with no drips or runs. Even the inside of the stuff sack looked good. Jared puts a lot of effort in making sure the details are just right.
Summary: Simply Light Designs offers this tarp as a 10, 11 or 12 foot version and there’s many options to choose from. I’ve been very happy with this tarp and my dealings with Jared. Pricing is fair and competitive to other comparable products out there. Communication is quick and shipping is fast. Last week my buddy and I were going on an overnight, and 5 days before we were leaving, he needed a new hammock. He contacted Simply Light Designs and 3 days later, a Tree Runner hammock with all the hanging gear was waiting for him in the mail. It was used on our trip and he said it was the best sleep he’d ever gotten! SLD is always adding new products and I know I’ll be supporting this cottage manufacturer whenever I’m in the market for something to add to my gear closet.
Below are a few of pictures of the Trail Haven 11 “in action” showing various pitches, weather and hangs from the past few months.
(link to full album: https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/album.php?albumid=2849 )
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=2849&pictureid=19346
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=2849&pictureid=19352
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=2849&pictureid=19345
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=2849&pictureid=19353
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=2849&pictureid=19349
Trail Haven 11 specs: Weight is 14 oz (in stuff sack) with tie out lines and it packs to about the size of a 1 liter bottle. Ridgeline is 11 feet and measures 132” by 96”. My version is the cat cut, but he also offers it as straight cut. It has 2 mid-panel pull out loops on each side to gain a little more space inside. It works well with trekking poles and nearby trees. ¾” D-rings on either end of the ridgeline make setup a snap with my CRT, made with Nite-Ize “figure 9” and “s”carabiners. The included guylines are reflective, and the 4 line locks on each corner really help during setup and after it’s been pitched. Mine has the additional edge tie outs on the ends and middle. It give that extra security when your out in bad weather. On the underside of the ridgeline there’s three sewn loops for attaching a bugnet or for hanging items.
Finish & Stitching: I thought the craftsmanship was perfect. No loose threads on edges, accurate and straight stitching and lots of attention to details. Seam sealing was neat with no drips or runs. Even the inside of the stuff sack looked good. Jared puts a lot of effort in making sure the details are just right.
Summary: Simply Light Designs offers this tarp as a 10, 11 or 12 foot version and there’s many options to choose from. I’ve been very happy with this tarp and my dealings with Jared. Pricing is fair and competitive to other comparable products out there. Communication is quick and shipping is fast. Last week my buddy and I were going on an overnight, and 5 days before we were leaving, he needed a new hammock. He contacted Simply Light Designs and 3 days later, a Tree Runner hammock with all the hanging gear was waiting for him in the mail. It was used on our trip and he said it was the best sleep he’d ever gotten! SLD is always adding new products and I know I’ll be supporting this cottage manufacturer whenever I’m in the market for something to add to my gear closet.
Below are a few of pictures of the Trail Haven 11 “in action” showing various pitches, weather and hangs from the past few months.
(link to full album: https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/album.php?albumid=2849 )
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=2849&pictureid=19346
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=2849&pictureid=19352
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=2849&pictureid=19345
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=2849&pictureid=19353
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=2849&pictureid=19349