Tarptent Notch Li (Dyneema weighs 570 grams)

[Andrew]

Hi,

Have ordered the new Tarptent Notch Li due in 10 days or so.
$US 599 + $US 20 for partial solid inner + $US 53 postage = $A 893 on my Amex card.
Hoping it is ideal for 1000km Bibbulmun Track e2e then for future trips.
Will be about 600 grams with the partial solid inner I reckon.
Looks fairly tight inside tent for gear but has two doors and two vestibules so should be easy to organise.
My wife is coming on the Bibbulmun e2e so plan is to take our Tarptent Bowfin 1 as well.
Mostly we will be at 3 sided shelters so tents will be just for sleeping.
( if one of us quits or has a week off with injury there will be no weight issues with the other continuing).
Also gives us some flexibility for the future as my wife is into horses and usually just comes on epic trips so we/I will have the choice of Hilleberg Allak 2, Hilleberg Soulo 1, Bowfin 1 or Notch Ti 1 depending on the Tassie forecast and trip length

Cheers,
Andrew

Specifications
Dyneema® fabrics: 0.52 oz/ yd2 fly; 1 oz /yd2 floor
Sleeps: 1
Seasons: 3-4
Fully taped and waterproof to 8,000+ mm hydrostatic head
Weight: 19.9 oz / 570 g
Height: 43 in / 109 cm
Width: 76 in / 193 cm
Length: 108 in / 274 cm
Stakes: 4 x 6 in / 15 cm (included)
Packed size: 16 in x 4 in / 41 cm x 10 cm

[Singe]

Hi,

Have ordered the new Tarptent Notch Li due in 10 days or so.
$US 599 + $US 20 for partial solid inner + $US 53 postage = $A 893 on my Amex card.
Hoping it is ideal for 1000km Bibbulmun Track e2e then for future trips.
Will be about 600 grams with the partial solid inner I reckon.
Looks fairly tight inside tent for gear but has two doors and two vestibules so should be easy to organise.
My wife is coming on the Bibbulmun e2e so plan is to take our Tarptent Bowfin 1 as well.
Mostly we will be at 3 sided shelters so tents will be just for sleeping.
( if one of us quits or has a week off with injury there will be no weight issues with the other continuing).
Also gives us some flexibility for the future as my wife is into horses and usually just comes on epic trips so we/I will have the choice of Hilleberg Allak 2, Hilleberg Soulo 1, Bowfin 1 or Notch Ti 1 depending on the Tassie forecast and trip length

Cheers,
Andrew

Specifications
Dyneema[REGISTERED SIGN] fabrics: 0.52 oz/ yd2 fly; 1 oz /yd2 floor
Sleeps: 1
Seasons: 3-4
Fully taped and waterproof to 8,000+ mm hydrostatic head
Weight: 19.9 oz / 570 g
Height: 43 in / 109 cm
Width: 76 in / 193 cm
Length: 108 in / 274 cm
Stakes: 4 x 6 in / 15 cm (included)
Packed size: 16 in x 4 in / 41 cm x 10 cm

Hey Andrew, I bit the bullet and ordered one when they posted up more stock, too... Ideally I'd've wait for a bit more field testing and possible design tweaks, but also wanted to beat the changes to import threshold for gst.

Scraped in under a grand with support poles for bikepacking trips, pole extenders that will hopefully allow me to use fixed length poles, pole handle adapters to keep the tips well away from that dcf and a few other bits n pieces.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[Singe]

Well, it's here!

563.9g on my scale. That's not including the pole handle adaptors (no way I'm sticking the ends near the fly!) but with partial solid inner.

Very glad I went for partial solid, if only for privacy... Didn't realise quite how transparent dcf is haha!

Photos soon. Inaugural trip probably not for a while

Postscript - the ends of the pegs are kinda burred; they're in a dcf bag but I could easily see them wearing through and damaging the fly. I'll be replacing them with Ti hooked versions anyway, along with adding guylines and replacing the existing tie-outs; probably end up about the same weight. I'll probably use these ones to drop a few grams from my scarp.

[Lamont]

G'day Andrew and Singe,
just wondering what mat you intend to use in the Notch? Looks like it will be tight if you go the "Large"-i.e.Longer and wider. I see the pic on Tarptent and the L mat is pushing against the sides. Wondering how an Xlite large (tapered) for example might go.
That is 63 wide at widest and 42 narrowest and 196 long. Length seems fine. I got these dimensions from another forum-they seem correct. Any other owners of the new Notch or Franco if you might be able to enlighten me I would appreciate it. I get the impression that the Large Xlite for example would fit but it would be pressed against the bathtub all the way around. Also if this were the case would it cause undue stress on the fabrics.Thinking about this (mesh version) for milder weather I think. Also considering the sil floor over the Dyneema.
Thanks kindly.
ps any thing else you could add would be appreciated. For reference I am 179cms and 85kgs -not what you would call small torso and legs.. So anything you have noticed about space/ ease of entry, ease of exit, I am really interested.
Thanks again.

[Franco]

The Notch does take a large/long mat but yes the corners of the rectangular type do push the fabric out.
That is somewhat like the stress you put on a sleeping bag fabric when say you bend your knees or something like that.
For some that is a problem (I'm not sure why...) for others it isn't.
This is a large (63x196cm) rectangular Neo Air inside the Notch :

1358728039_74382.jpg (40.85 KiB) Viewed 28443 times

[Lamont]

Thanks Franco, just wondering if it caused undue stress on the fabrics/mesh/seams.

[Franco]

Sort of indirectly having a taut floor adds a bit to the risk of floor damage by perforation, however once you lay on the mat, floor taut or not, it is about the same.
Think of the difference in puncturing a fully blown balloon compared to a semi flaccid one.


(your signature :mangia, mangia e mangia di nuovo, reminds me of home...)

[Lamont]

Yes, I am still a "galosa" or as friends in Florence called me a buona forchetta!
Grazie per tuo aiuto.

[Andrew]

Hi Graham,

I bought it for the Bibbulmun sep/oct this year and I have only put it up in the lounge room so far.

It didn't look too small for my NeoAir xlite mat but I haven't put it in yet.

I am 6ft and 87kgs and it looked fine for me.

There was lots of vestibule space on each side. The magnets seemed to work fine.

I have a Bowfin 1 as well with partial inner and it is the way to go at least for Tassie for sure as it makes things cosier.

I was surprised how see-thru the Dyneema is and maybe a partial inner is good for that as well.

Will try and get it up on the lawn and put a mat in it but maybe not for a while as flat out.

Cheers,
Andrew

[Singe]

Late to this discussion, sorry!

I used my Li for the first time last weekend; my mat is a 3/4 length Macpac so fitted easily. I put a car windshield reflector under it to reflect a bit of heat and keep my legs off the ground.

I've been mulling over a neo air - looks like the wide won't be an option!

Shortening the mat is another option... If you're brave

Generally, I'm much bigger than you at 185cm and about 100kg and found the Li very comfortable. Compared to my Scarp 1 the inner is a lot closer to my face lying down; it tapers to about 30cm or so rather than a 1m at the ends and there's obviously less space in the interior and vestibules generally.

I found I needed to use the vestibules a bit more for changing etc. I wasn't really a fan of the diagonally offset doors (rather than same end as on the Scarp), but this does make it very easy to enter and shed wet gear in the rain - just open both inner doors, shed jacket and rain pants as you enter then crawl across the inner diagonally so you're sitting in the inner with head in the closed vestibule and feet in the open one.

I'm pretty happy with the compromises given the weight saving

[Lamont]

Thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated.

[Andrew]

Hi Lamont & Singe,

Just put the new 570 gram loaf of bread up on the back lawn. Photo attached but it doesn't show the space very well. Regular Neo Air Xlite had about 6 inches each end spare and maybe a bit more than that at the widest part across. I added 2 guys to tie the poles out in case of strong wind and it seemed really sturdy. So I reckon 6 pegs for a poor forecast. I reckon some snow will be OK too with the 2 extra guys. Looking forward to clocking up some kms with this one

Cheers,
Andrew

[jobell]

Putting this on my wish list.... thanks for the info.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[Lamont]

Hmm, nice bread.

[Turfa]

Just returned from walking the Southern half of the Pacific Crest Trail with my Notch Lithium. I was lucky enough to order one the day they were released.
The tent performed perfectly over the 50 nights of my trip and I was extremely happy with it. There were no visible signs of wear over this time and no problems even in some very strong winds. It does seem to perform better pitched end on to the wind, and since it is not free-standing it needs decent stakes to hold firmly in sandy or loose soil sites. Not a lot of precipitation, but what I did get the tent handled perfectly.

The size is just about perfect for me (175cm) with just enough room for my gear at the foot and head (pad is a NeoAir Xtherm short). The carbon stays at each end give good clearance over your head and feet.
I did order the partial solid inner, which was a great decision for the desert where there was lots of blowing sand. The double vestibules are a great feature as one can be for storage and the other for access.

Enjoy your Li !!

[Franco]

"pad is a NeoAir Xtherm short"
Do you use your pack under the legs ?
BTW, what type of pegs did you use ?

[Lamont]

I thought he must have chopped it and resealed?

[Turfa]

I thought he must have chopped it and resealed?

Oops...Sorry...Xlite short, not Xtherm

Franco, I rarely put anything under my legs as I tend to sleep curled up on my side and I actually fit on the pad.
I initially used the 6" Easton Nano's that came with the tent, but they were not very good in sandy sites, so I swapped them out for MSR Groundhogs

[Andrew]

Hi Turfa,

Did you use a footprint on your 50 days?
Do you have the Dyneema floor?
How did the floor wear?

We have to decide if we will take footprints on the Bibbulmun - we have Tyvek ones.

Cheers,
Andrew

[Franco]

I am not a fan of short pegs .
Nor of pegs popping out. Maybe the two are related.

[Singe]

I am not a fan of short pegs .
Nor of pegs popping out. Maybe the two are related.

Yeah - can't say I'll be relying on the supplied pegs much. Maybe I'll take them on hut/tent platform walks like the OT where the shelter is just for emergencies - but then, in an emergency do you want your pegs popping out?

[Turfa]

Hi Turfa,

Did you use a footprint on your 50 days?
Do you have the Dyneema floor?
How did the floor wear?

We have to decide if we will take footprints on the Bibbulmun - we have Tyvek ones.

Cheers,
Andrew

Yes, I used a Tyvek footprint. My tent does have the DCF floor and it held up really well, with no visible signs of wear over the duration of the trip, and no obvious rips or punctures. However, I am very careful to clear the ground of any sticks, stones or other sharp objects before setting up my tent.

The DCF does get noticeably softer and less "crinkly" with use and I am curious about how this affects the performance of the material, especially with regard to waterproofness. No signs of that being a problem yet with mine though.

Here is a picture at a nice campsite beside Gilmore Lake in the northern Sierra Nevada.....

Gilmore Lake

[tailwind]

Apologies to all for resurrecting a old thread. My meanderings on the interweb for a cuben TT Notch Li vs Plexamid vs Duplex brought me here.

I used a 2017 TT notch of my Appalachian trail thru hike this year and am looking at upgrading to a cuben shelter.

I was quite happy with the Notch with it's handling strong winds (always used the ridge guylines and facing into the wind), head room (me-178cm), double wall & doors, quick setup with 4+ 2 groundhog stakes (except on bumpy terrain, where the free standing big agnes reigned supreme) .

I did use a tyvek footprint supplied by TT which outlasted the trail. It helped with pine needles, etc when I was too tired or pressed with time to setup.

My only grouch was splashback when heavy rain snuck up on me at night when the tent was'nt lowered. I had a full mesh inner, perhaps a semi solid would have helped since the pre 2018 notche's bathtub is not that high.

Also on unending rainy days, I envied duplex owners sleeping with their packs inside their tent rather than in the vestibule (used a NeoAir xlite regular) and them not having to deal with splashback. On the flipside the smaller footprint of the Notch allowed pitching in tight spots.

Would love to hear other reports of the li, especially in gnarly weather.

Turfa, I did recognise the notch in your pic but thought it belonged to someone else as I was under the impression you were rocking your solplex on the PCT. Can't wait to catch up and have a closer look at the Notch li.

[Turfa]

Hey Tailwind, my Notch Li has the semi-solid inner, so no problems with splashback from heavy rain.
Why on earth were hikers taking their packs inside their tents on really rainy days ? Last thing I want is a sopping wet pack inside my tent !!

[tailwind]

Whoops... Turfa, what I meant was the duplex had plenty space to spread all their gear in the tent and not have to reach out into the vestibule. Using a regular sized mattress did make it a bit cramped. I used to store my gear along the sides of my pad.

Perhaps the semi solid inner is the way to go then. Thanks

[Orion]

Why on earth were hikers taking their packs inside their tents on really rainy days ? Last thing I want is a sopping wet pack inside my tent !!

I can't speak for those guys but I always bring my pack in the tent, no matter how wet it is. I use it to cushion my feet, a supplement to my 3/4 length pad. I hate leaving my pack outside where animals can chew on it.

Wetness is not an issue since I invert the pack liner and put the pack inside it.

[Andrew]

Hi all,

I didn't use the loaf of bread (Tarptent Notch TI) much on the Bibbulmun to have an opinion but I have just had a 5 day trip in Tassie.

Some random thoughts:-
Was fairly easy to pitch. I felt like I needed to put a rock on each of my Hilleberg tent pegs to get the tent tight enough for wind flapping or snow. Took a couple of goes to get the pitching system down and a bit or re-adjustment but I reckon with a bit more experience will have it up in a few minutes.

I have added 2 long guys so I use 6 pegs in total and it feels really solid (especially with the rocks).

Had rain one night and I had to get out while fly still wet - was able to roll it back without water flicking or dripping in the tent.

Camped by lakes all 4 nights so had plenty of condensation but never even looked like being a problem. I was able to sit up OK and feet and head were close to the sides and ends but never had an issue with the condensation.

Not heaps of room inside but I found with a dry bag at my head and feet plus the bit of room each side it was ample. My Aarn Natural Balance fitted fine in one vestibule and boots etc in the other.

I liked how you just pitch it and then work out which way to sleep as 2 doors at opposite ends meant less planning.

The worst thing is the way the vestibule joins together. It has a metal clip and one side clips under the other but you have to reach right out and hold both sides to fasten or exit which is a bit of a pain but the velcro seems to work well keeping it together.

The magnets worked fine when rolling back the fly as did the elastic on the inner doors.

I bought the Tyvek groundsheet from TarpTent cut to size. Not sure if it is necessary but thought I would start with it and see but I have never used a groundsheet before on Hillebergs. The Tyvek is so noisy. Have just put it in the washing machine 3 times and it seems a bit better. First night the groundsheet walked about 30 cm (one foot) out from under the tent so I put the walking poles (tent poles) just on each side which helped the remaining nights. I found it easier to pitch the tent and then slip the groundsheet under in the wind.

Would be a small space if tent-bound but overall I am really pleased with my purchase. I had a look at the StratoSphire TI for a bigger space for when my wife comes and it looks good too although I reckon this Notch will handle severe winds or snow marginally better.

Anyway, if there is no Snow forecast I will be taking the Notch TI in future but I reckon it will go OK with some snow.

Some photos:-
https://www.facebook.com/andrew.richman.58

Cheers,
Andrew

[norts]

Thanks for the write up Andrew , I have the Notch Li sitting here in the lounge room waiting for its first use in anger.
Norts

[Lamont]

How about some recent updates on use you lot and any other Notch Li owners out there that haven't posted their thoughts. There seems to be more owners of this shelter here than anywhere in the world. Its been nearly a year since it came out. Such as -Thoughts on ease of use, set up, removing struts, replacing struts, ease of ingress, egress, windworthiness, durabilty, the little door clip, magnets.

[Zapruda]

How about some recent updates on use you lot and any other Notch Li owners out there that haven't posted their thoughts. There seems to be more owners of this shelter here than anywhere in the world. Its been nearly a year since it came out. Such as -Thoughts on ease of use, set up, removing struts, replacing struts, ease of ingress, egress, windworthiness, durabilty, the little door clip, magnets.

Best trekking pole tent I have ever used.

I have around 30 nights with it so far. Pitches in 2 mins, handled winds around 40-50kph, I like the magnets. Plenty of room at the head and foot for my 6’2” frame.

I don’t take the struts out anymore. I just pack the Notch vertically next to my sleeping bag and clothes. It works well this way.

The mesh inner snags on the Velcro when packing and creates ladders. My fault for being too impatient when packing.

Would buy again in Sil or DCF.

Love it!