Outdoor Research LightHaven

My first impression was "Wow, this is light and small when packed--a good thing". I opened it and spread it out in the backyard and thought, "wow, this is smaller than I expected--not the best thing." I expected it to be a little bit bigger but ok no big deal.

It’s very easy to set up with trekking poles but you had better have poles that extend to at least 49 inches when stuck into the ground (or 52 inches tip to tip) or the tent will not be as taut as you will want it. The zipper on the door works great...even under tension. There are two extra side loops in the middle of the outside wall that will allow for additional guy lines to help draw the tent tighter so I recommend bringing a few extra feet of guy line. You could tie these out to the skis or all the way to the ground and stake'em.

Once inside it is roomier than I expected and seems very sturdy laterally and top to bottom if snow where added on top.

I plan to use this for backcountry skiing so with a foot pit dug it will be even better/bigger but have yet to set it up in snow.

Concerns: What concerns me with this is how snow depth and ski flex will affect it. In Colorado, our snow is not always very deep or heavy enough to hold a ski that has leveraged tension on the tip. Winds are also strong where I ski so this could cause even more flexion and could cause collapse. Skis stuck in deep yet powdery snow may simply fall over. All speculations but something to think about. It’s nothing negative on the design just facts of life.

I am 6,1 and I laid out in it with knees slightly bent. I could in a pinch sleep alone in this and have plenty of room for gear and even a dog.

I had a few choice words when trying to roll that sucker back up small enough to fit back into the bag. The bag needs to be a bit larger. I tried stuffing it first. No luck. I then tried rolling it length-wise. No luck. Then, I folded it a few more times and rolled it and was able to get it to fit. In the field (wind, rain, snow) this issue could be more frustrating so I may bring a bigger stuff sack. It's difficult but once rolled it’s the size of a Nalgene bottle and that is nice. Very nice!

I love OR gear!

This is a really slick idea for ski touring. Easy to put up using skis and poles it is just the ticket if caught in a storm or stopping for lunch in a wind. Room for myself, my wife and our two kids. If you dig a leg pit it even has some room for comfort. The edges have a bit of floor that protects from the wet and the structure is pretty good in a wind. Could even be used as a solo bivy if slept corner to corner

Hard to roll back in the little stuff bag but not impossible. Not designed for heavy bug season either. For skiing it makes a perfect emergency and lunch shelter.