The Tarptent Aeon Li is a one-person Dyneema trekking pole tent that weighs 15.8 oz. It’s basically a half-pyramid shape, modified so that it has more usable headroom and interior space than regular pyramid tents and tarps. It has a built-in bathtub floor sewn to the sidewalls with mesh for improved ventilation with an all-mesh front wall and door, along with a front vestibule for gear storage. The resulting structure is comfortable, if a little snug, and easy to set up with a single trekking pole, which can be offset on a diagonal for greater ease of entry.
Specs at a Glance
- Weight: 15.8 oz / 448 g tent body + 1.7 oz / 48 g stakes (included) – [16.5 oz tent body, actual on the SectionHiker scale]
- Interior Height: 47 in / 119 cm
- Floor Width: 30 in / 76 cm
- Floor Length: 88 in / 224 cm
- Stakes: 6 x 6 in / 15 cm Easton Nanos (included)
- Materials:
- Fly: Dyneema 0.51 oz/ yard (sq)
- Floor: Dyneema 1.00 oz / yard (sq)
- Hydrostatic head: 8000 mm+
- Packed size: 14 in x 4 in / 36 cm x 10 cm (Note: Pitchlock length is 14 & 1/4″ while the peak pole is 14 & 1/2″ long. See below)
- Minimum # of stakes to pitch: 6. 7 recommended
- MSRP: $569 USD
- For more information visit the product page at tarptent.com
Preliminaries
The Aeon Li is made using Dyneema which is a super-strong, waterproof, and ultralight fabric that doesn’t stretch. While it’s quite expensive and more difficult to work with than traditional materials like silnylon or silpoly, there are backpackers who are willing to pay a premium for tents made with it because it is so much lighter weight than other alternatives. See the Dyneema Composite Fabrics FAQ for more information about this material which is being adopted by more and more backpacking gear manufacturers.
The Aeon Li is the first tent that Tarptent has ever offered that’s only available in Dyneema form. They also make a Dyneema Stratospire Li (2-person) and the Dyneema Tarptent Notch Li (1-person). Both of these tents are also available in much more affordable silnylon versions. We don’t know if Tarptent.com plans to make the Aeon Li available in silnylon at some future date, but I’d be surprised if they didn’t. There’s a lot to like about the Aeon Li, independent of the fabric that it’s made with.
Tent Design
Tarptent.com uses a common set of design patterns across their product line and the Aeon Li is no exception. If you’re not familiar with the tents made by Tarptent.com and this is the first time you’ve considered owning one because it is made with Dyneema, I’ll point them out since they make the Aeon Li what it is.
Ventilation
First off, the Aeon Li is a single-wall tent with a fully integrated bathtub floor to keep rain from running across the tent floor. Single-wall tents need to have better airflow than double-wall tents because any internal condensation is more easily transferred to gear if you rub up against the ceiling or walls. The front-facing wall of the Aeon Li is made with insect netting to help vent internal moisture and the front doors are cut high so that air can flow under them more easily. There are large vents in the rear-corner (called pitch-locks) than have optional covers that can be left open or closed to prevent rain or cold wind from blowing into the tent, while the floor is also attached to the side walls with insect netting for more airflow.
Tarptent Aeon Li Dyneema Tent
Comfort
Ease of Setup
Weather Resistance
Durabilty
Weight
Packed Size
The insect netting connecting the floor to the walls also serves a secondary function, which is to allow the floor to float independently of the walls. This makes it possible to set the tent up on a less than perfectly flat surface and still get a good pitch. This is important if you camp in wilder, unprepared tent sites which have grass tussocks, gouges, rocks, or roots in the middle of them. A floating floor is a long-standing Tarptent.com design principle.
Pitchlocks
The back and sidewalls of the Aeon Li are vertical, which isn’t typical of a pyramid shape. The verticality is created by corner tripod structures that Tarptent calls Pitchlocks. If my memory serves me, they were introduced about 10 years ago in the TarpTent Scarp 1 and are used in many of Tarptent’s other tent models. They offset a problem faced by most pyramid tent structures which is low hanging fabric above your eyes and feet. I discuss this in an article I wrote a few years back called The Problem with Pyramid Shelters. The Pitchlocks prevent this issue by raising the corners of the tent so that the bottom of the ceiling begins higher up the tent sides and not from the ground. This creates much more head and foot room in the tent so your head, feet, and sleeping bag/quilt footbox never touch the ceiling.
The Pitchlocks are short carbon fiber struts that fit into sleeves and create a tripod in the tent corners. (Insect netting is hung inside them to create the corner vents.) Tarptent also uses a single strut, positioned in the middle of the back wall for the same purpose. You can take all of the Pitchlock struts out of their sleeves for packing, but it will complicate setup somewhat, especially if it’s chucking down rain. Most people leave them in place between setups and fold the tent around them.
Peak Strut
The Aeon Li has a fourth structural element in the ceiling which runs from inside the inner tent, through the mesh front wall and into the top of the vestibule. If you look at the top ridge of the Aeon Li, there are three reinforced peaks. The two end ones house the ends of this strut, while the middle holds a grommet that you stick the tip of a trekking pole into when you erect the tent. That makes the Aeon Li trekking pole handle-independent, which is a very good thing, for us Pacerpole users. (You can also insert the trekking handle up – it doesn’t have to be the tip).
The peak strut serves to hold the vestibule doors off the front mesh wall and to create a higher volume vestibule in front of the tent for gear storage. It’s made with aluminum and not carbon fiber. It’s also removable like the Pitchlocks although it’s a little trickier to reinsert and not something I’d recommend doing often if you can avoid it. For instance, I’m not sure how durable the velcro pockets are at the end of the peak strut and whether they could survive long term manipulation.
Door and Front Vestibule
The Aeon Li has two doors that can be pitched shut to form a closed vestibule, rolled back singly or doubly, or connected flat against the front mesh completely (without a vestibule). I prefer to keep one or both doors rolled open for the ventilation when I can, but the nice thing about the Aeon Li door design is that the tent won’t fall down if one or both doors aren’t staked as a vestibule. This is especially useful if you have to set up the tent in a very narrow spot in a dense forest where it’s hard to find a large open place to pitch a tent.
The doors do not have a zipper to connect them, but overlap slightly and are held in place by a strip of velcro with a bottom metal clip, which I find a little clumsy to use. Zippers are heavy, hard to sew into thin materials, and they break, so I can understand why Tarptent wanted to avoid using one. But I’m not completely comfortable with the current vestibule closure set up because you never know whether the doors will set up close enough together to form a complete and sound seal.
Tarptent doesn’t recommend a set trekking pole length (they recommend 107-130 cm) since it can vary depending on how much of a pole diagonal you want or how close to the ground you want to pitch the doors and sidewalls in bad weather. That can require a bit of post-pitch tweaking, something you want to figure out before you get into the tent, it starts to rain, and you realize that the vestibule can’t be shut from where you’re sitting.
Liveability
The inside of the Aeon Li is comfortable, but a little on the snug side. Length-wise, the living area is quite long at 88″, which makes the tent a blessing for taller hikers. There is enough width (30″) to hold a 20″ wide sleeping pad and a fairly minimal set of gear/clothes, but not much else. There is a mesh pocket in the front door, but it’s small and stuff falls out because it has a side opening, not a top one. You can also drape your wet socks over the interior half of the peak strut, but that’s about it in terms of hanging storage. Be prepared to store your pack under the vestibule and anything else you don’t need inside with you.
While the peak height is 47″, that’s just misleading. You have to crawl in and out of the Aeon Li. While the Pitchlocks really do lift the tent fabric off your face and feet and you can sit up in the middle of the tent, the ceiling fabric is still close enough to your nose that you can still count the number of legs on the flies that land on the outside of the near-transparent Dyneema fabric.
I don’t personally mind the snug fit or having to crawl in and out of the tent, but if you want a more spacious Dyneema Tarptent, I’d recommend the Tarptent Notch Li. It has much more room and only weighs about 2 ounces more.
Set-Up
Pitching the Aeon Li is really quite simple because it has a symmetrical rectangular floor. You basically stake out the perimeter so it forms a pentangle, insert your trekking pole into the vestibule vent, position the tip into the peak grommet, and then tighten the guylines. Tarptent has a great little video about the process, but I hate the new music they use to accompany it. Bring back the mandolin player!
Outfitting
The Aeon Li is fully outfitted with guylines and lineloc tensioners and includes six 6″ Easton aluminum stakes, a stake bag, and tent stuff sack. I’d recommend carrying a couple of extra stakes though, including some longer ones if you need to camp on dodgy ground and or need a longer stake for greater purchase. While the Aeon Li can be used without a separate front guyline running from the front peak (where there is a pre-installed lineloc) to the ground, it’s good to carry one if you need to camp in a windy and exposed pitch. While the Dyneema fabric that the tent is made with doesn’t stretch, the tent structure does relax when one or both of the front doors are open and un-staked. Packing that extra guyline gives you extra flexibility if you need to camp in a more exposed location.
Packing
When packing the Aeon Li, Tarptent recommends folding the structure rather than stuffing it, since it compresses better that way. You’ll be happy to know that it’s easy to fit in the tent into stuff sack that Tarptent provides with the Aeon Li, something that many tent manufacturers can’t seem to get right.
While they’re spec-ed at 14″ in length, the Pitchlock poles are slightly longer than that at 14 & 1/4″, while the aluminum Peak Strut measure’s 14 & 1/2″. Unfortunately, they’re long enough that they prevent horizontal packing in certain backpacks, like a Hyperlite Mountain Gear 2400 or 3400 (all models). I have a difficult time coping with this because my packing regime is decidedly horizontal in nature. Personally, I’m not willing to stop using my favorite backpack to use this tent. I’ve conferred with the tent designer (Henry Shires) and it is what it is. Bottom line, check the width of your preferred backpack before you invest in an Aeon Li or choose one with the right kind of tall side pocket like a Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60 or an Elemental Horizons Aquilo 75.
Comparable DCF Tents
Key: SW=Single Wall, DW=Double Wall
Make / Model | SW/DW | People | Vestibules | Weight |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 2 | SW | 1-2 | 2 | 24 oz |
Durston X-Mid Pro 2 | SW | 2 | 2 | 19.6 oz |
Big Agnes Tiger Wall 2 Carbon | DW | 2 | 2 | 22 oz |
MLD Duomid + Nest (all DCF) | DW | 2 | 1 | 26 oz |
MLD Trailstar + Nest (all DCF) | DW | 1 | 1 | 20.5 oz |
Tarptent Stratospire Li | DW | 2 | 2 | 27.7 oz |
Zpacks Duplex | SW | 2 | 2 | 19.0 oz |
Zpacks Duplex Zip | SW | 2 | 2 | 20.4 oz |
Tarptent Aeon Li | SW | 1 | 1 | 15.8 oz |
Tarptent Notch Li | DW | 1 | 2 | 21.5 oz |
Recommendation
This has been an in-depth review of the Tarptent Aeon Li Dyneema Tent and while I’m critical about certain aspects of the tent, I’d definitely use it if I could fit it horizontally into my favorite multi-day backpack. I think Tarptent has gotten a great many things right with the design of the Aeon Li, which is simple to set up, doesn’t require a lot of fiddling or extra panel guylines to pitch, and is well fabricated. Tarptent also makes several Dyneema tents beside the Aeon Li, which I’d also encourage you to check out. My preference would be to use the Aeon Li in more protected and forested terrain, where it’s difficult to find a wide-open space to pitch a tent and the Tarptent Notch Li, which I feel is a stronger and more weather-worthy tent in windier, more exposed locales where tent space is less of a concern.
I’ve written several other Dyneema Tent Reviews this year as part of an ongoing series that you may also find useful to refer to:
Disclosure: Tarptent loaned the author an Aeon Li for this review.
Updated 2023.
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Great review, much appreciated!
Really thorough review. One more thing for my wish list. Cool design. I like that it uses only one pole, since I have a tendency to break trekking poles in rough terrain. Those pitchlocks look like they would allow this tent to handle my extra-thick air pad.
Superbly designed. I really wish my backpack was wider but packs that fit well are harder to come by than tents.
I’m sure you tried all the angles – doesn’t fit diagonally (horizontally) in your pack either?
Other questions/observations:
– Looks like that grommet won’t accommodate the tips on Black Diamond’s FL-Z poles (but the handles will work);
– Does Tarptent include the Easton stakes with the tent? Do you swap those out for MSR Needles or Groundhogs?
– What do you think of the magnetic door holders?
– Any height concerns with a thicker pad, or does it work OK with a 3″+ pad?
– How well does it handle condensation? Reading between the lines it does OK, was wondering how it would do with still air.
– 3 season tent, or 3+ season tent in your opinion?
– I asked them a while back about silnylon version of this and they are definitely considering it.
– Sounds like they tried a vestibule fastening system similar to the zPacks Duplex (+ velcro). Interesting there are no close-up shots of that on the site.
Thanks as always for your in-depth reviews.
PS Agree about the music – I imagine they felt the need to update since they’ve been using the other music forever, but not in love with this choice.
I tried everything. The Aeon Li just doesn’t work with my packing system and I have no desire to change how I do things or the packs I own.
I have excellent spatial reasoning, but packing on the diagonal is befuddling. The load also changes as food is consumed, so the layout of the content is not static.
Tarptent ships Easton stakes with the tent and I’m pretty sure all their tents. I carry an assortment of stakes – mainly MSR needles and Big Sky Tube Steaks. I hate groundhogs.
The magnetic door holders are really nice, but just a frill. Much better than toggle tie-outs though.
I’m pretty sure that the pad in that picture is 3″ thick. Sea-to-summit Etherlight XT. No issues whatsoever.
I really do like that double hook that Zpacks uses. That would be better than what they have, but I suspect they’d have to change the door shape some.
Thanks for the review. Curious why organizing your pack vertically is a deal breaker?
It boils down to weight distribution. I don’t like to have all my heavy gear and food on one side of the pack vs distributed horizontally. I’m also using a 40L pack and space is tight. But this is pack specific. The Aeon Li packs fine when I carry a 90L pack, but I don’t use that much and don’t want to switch to it as my primary pack.
Thanks for the excellent review. I agree totally on the disadvantage of the packability of tents with struts. For this reason, I recently changed to a pyramid tent, forgoing the interior space of a well used Notch.
As a female, slim packs are my preference. Like many other pieces of technical gear, appropriate fitting packs for female proportions are hard to find..
Great observation. Hadn’t considered that female dimension. What pack are you using?
It’s hard for a gear wonk to give a short answer to any question on a piece of equipment. For 3 season trips, less than 8 days no BV500, I use an Exped Lightening 45. Fits well, great versatility, lacks durability, wish it was waterproof.
I’ve had a TT DR Li and recently switched the Moment DW Li. Strapping the tent horizontally across the top or bottom of my pack wasn’t a big deal. Both tents weigh so little that they haven’t made a noticeable difference in how my pack feels. There’s no awkward unsteadiness or pulling. Plus, you won’t worry about a muddy or wet tent mucking up the inside of your pack.
Thanks for the concise review. I have a Notch Li and was considering the Aeon because I thought it might be better in windy conditions, because of its mid type design. My Notch has not been exposed to any storm like weather yet. You have eased my mind. My Notch has to be packed vertical, but that has not been a problem for me. I am using a HMG 3400. Once again thanks.
Good review. I’ve been using the Aeon since it first got mailed out, and I’m really happy with it. I went from a Big Sky Soul 1p to a Tarptent Protrail to an MLD Grace Solo + Borah Bivy, and the relief I feel when it’s starting to rain and I need to pitch my tent is incredible. I agree about storing horizontally — I’m looking to upgrade my pack and that’s going to be my main customization request.
I will say that when I get the pitch right it’s quick and easy, but there are still some times when it just doesn’t come together for whatever reason. I generally take it all down and try again (and it’s usually great on the second try). I’m not sure what I do wrong when that happens, but it does still happen.
“The Aeon Li is so lightweight that it appears to float above the ground.” ??
Funny! :)
You state the Tarptent Noch Li has much more room. When I look at the Tarptent website, it shows the Notch Li having 15.75 sq ft of floor space while the Aeon Li has 18.325. Is this a situation where it feels bigger or the space is somehow more useable? Are you factoring in the dual vestibules when saying this?
Yep. Dual vestibules. The thing requires more space to pitch. I used to own one and used it regularly.
It’s still getting used and plans on sheltering Grandpa on a hundred mile section hike on the AT in late October/early November. Grandpa loves those dual doors and vestibules.
I have used it for a week in AK and am very happy with it, specifically the length (I am 6’3”) and the head/foot room when laying down on a long format Thermarest neo.
At my current level of skill setting it up I get the tightest set up with at least one door flap staked out. With both door flaps tied back it appears to me to be less stable and more flappy.
I am not a fan of the pegs that came with the tent. Use of other pegs requires a modification of the plastic rings that the factory pegs fit through, but all other pegs I had on hand do not (simple line loop does the trick).
Both my Tarptent Bowfin and the Aeon have the “packing problem” of how to fit it inside the pack. I figure this is the price I have to pay to get a tent that is suitable for my height. For the Aeon this is a price I am willing to pay, for the Bowfin the jury is still out.
A few reasons I ended up going with the Plexamid (although this has its own issues) over the Aeon Li:
Floor size is smaller than the Plexamid.
The packed space is bigger
The way the stake out lines are designed means you can’t move the stake around to avoid buried rocks. This was actually a big deal for me. Plus, you are stuck with their supplies stakes (although I do hear that the Groundhog Minis work)
TarpTent really screwed up their announced weight. People were getting wildly different weights and they were all over the stated weight. My Plexamid was 2g lighter than stated.
I hate putting my trekking pole into a shelter point up. More chance of ripping through the material if you slip while inserting and the handles are in the dirt.
All round, I’m sure it’s a good shelter. It just wasn’t for me. I love my Plexamid but am keeping a close eye on that apex strut!
Hi Damian:
Erica here from Tarptent. The Aeon Li can be pitched with either the handle up or the tip up.
Some also might say that floor area is not a good indicator of interior space because you also have to consider the wall angles… ;)
Thanks!
Thanks for chiming in Erica. I meant to correct that misconception.
Thanks for the in-depth review. Just curious as to how slippery (if at all) the floor is. I have no experience with Dyneema tents, but have used a Silnylon Notch for a while now. While l love most things about it, the slippery floor (even with silicon strips on it) has me sliding into one wall or another regularly. This could be an issue in a single-wall tent like the Aeon (ie getting damp from wall condensation), but I assume the dyneema is not slippery enough for this to be a problem? Thanks
Buy a 1/8″ thinlight pad from Gossamer gear and cut it down to about an ounce or two. It prevents sliding on silnylon and dyneema floors and makes a good sit pad.
https://sectionhiker.com/gossamer-gear-thinlight-foam-pad-review-one-eighth-inch/
It’s explained in this post.
Can vouch for that Gossamer Gear pad. Great side benefit is there’s less noise when I turn while sleeping.
Dyneema, specifically 1-oz flooring, is much less slippery than silnylon but, yes, it also depends on the sleeping pad surface and thus an extra non-skid sheet/pad is sometime necessary.
I love my thinlight. It has enjoyed many sunsets with me. It is probably one of my favorite and most used extra pieces of gear I own.
Great review once again, thanks. Just one question – what width pad do you have in the photo – 20 or 25 inch?
20″
down and dirty inexpensive and ltwt solution to slippery tent floors is the cheapest open grid rug undermat, cut to just enough to keep your mat in place. I use a 1,1/2’ x 2’ piece
The first thing I did after a 10 day AT trip was to purchase some longer tube stakes to secure corners of tent in soft ground.
I was able to put tent vertical in ArcHaul pack, no problem, just moved it behind flattened food bag.
I am thinking how much I like saving 1.5 pounds.
It will also fit horizontally in the bottom of an arc haul.
While I own and occasionally still use my Tarptent Moment SW (2010) I will stick with my Duplex……I do think Henry is a Genius and your thinking and reviews are wonderful Phillip !
Thanks. I also have a very high opinion of Henry as a tent designer, business person, and backpacker. I’ve was fortunate to meet him face to face on the TGO Challenge a few years back and get to know him a little.
Phillip,
I took the Aeon Li on a 9 day solo trip on the Southern Sierra High route with some JMT alternates due to snow on the passes. Tent sites varied from flat granite slabs to uneven dirt/rock platforms to perfect flat dirt platforms.
I have been a mountaineer and hiker for 45 years with experience with a multitude of tents and tarps in perfect to severe conditions.
Overall I was disappointed in the performance of the Aeon Li. Especially considering the price tag.
Some issues:
– bathtub floor is too shallow and not well suspended. The back wall is suspended by a little elastic strap that doesn’t do the job. Even just the weight of a Neoair mattress pushes the back of the floor flat to the ground. The front zippered edge of the floor pretty much lays flat on the ground all of the time. Compare it to the deep bathtub on the Plexamid.
– the back wall is vertical as are the back corners, but this presents a large vertical flat tent surface that didn’t deflect wind very well. And it doesn’t really do much to increase usable head and foot room in the tent. Ceiling clearance is only increased in the back wall and back corners of the tent. Even with a perfect taut pitch, I had a wet head and feet on damp nights. I was constantly thinking the pitch lock peaks should be in the centers of the end walls like they are on the Notch design. You need the maximum clearance in the centers of the ends of the tent, not in the back corners. That would also improve the wind shedding on the back wall by reducing the vertical profile surface. After a few days on the trail I began propping my pack up against the inside of the end wall to raise the roof panel to keep the foot of my quilt dry.
– The pitch lock corners and the front corners of the tent are staked with straps and cords that extend out parallel to the ground from the tent so you have to have a pretty flat tent site to get a good pitch. You will see that with the Plexamid, Lunar Solo and others, that you are essentially pitching a fly with a bathtub floor suspended under it. Not so with the Aeon. The guy lines on those designs drop from the corners of the fly at an angle to the ground. Depending on how long you extend your center pole, with those designs, this allows the corners and guy points of the tent to be high enough accommodate uneven surfaces or even extend out over rocks.
– the pitchlock corners seem overly complex and flimsy. One the carbon struts fell out of its corner pocket when I was shaking out the tent!
– the bottom metal clip on the vestibule closure was a constant annoyance. Especially at night, it’s a two handed operation and you have to get the vestibule pitched just right to make it easy to close. The Velcro closure strips on the vestibule are also a mostly two handed operation and hard to do in the dark. With moderate wind there was gapping in the center of the vestibule and would be a leakpoint.
– and yes the tent requires rolling which I got used to doing but I would much rather be able to shake the water and dirt off a wet tent and just stuff it which is faster and easier with cold hands. The Aeon will pick up whatever wet debris is on the ground when you roll it up. It is however so light and compact that it is easy to just shove the stuff sac vertically into an outside pocket like most packs have these days. That makes it easy to dry it during short breaks. So the whole vertical vs horizontal packing debate seems trivial.
If very light weight is your primary goal, the tent may meet your needs. But compared to tents like the Duplex for just a few ounces more weight it just doesn’t match up. And it doesn’t match up to designs like the SMD Lunar Solo or MLD mids.
With some redesign to make it look more like most of the other mids out there this could be a pretty cool little tent and still keep it close to a pound in weight. I would gladly leave one trail bar behind for the weight of a more functional tent.
Paul
Paul, I didn’t have any problem with uneven pitches. The floating floor operated as it should. It just sounds like your center pole wasn’t extended long enough. The carbon fiber struts are supposed to come out of the pitchlocks for better packability, so that’s not a defect, but an option.
Phillip,
I tried really tight center pole height, angled, straight, etc. but if the ground is really uneven, especially at the corners, pitch of the canopy is compromised. On a good flat site, it pitches effortlessly and taut in just a couple minutes. It does help to tweak and adjust the angle of the pull on the corner pullouts to get a really nice pitch.
I use a 25 inch wide Neoair which was part of the problem with the floor issue. It flattens some of the bathtub effect. I still think it’s under-engineered compared to other designs.
No way I would pack/unpack those fragile little poles every day.
BTW, I use a Z packs Tri-Plex for hiking with a partner. Pretty good tent.
P. S. Have you reviewed the Katadyn BeFree filter bottles. Used mine for two seasons now. They are so much faster than Sawyer, filters clean so easily and they collapse. Not sure they’ve been proven on a PCT thru hike for durability but they are great for the two week trips I do.
Yeah, a 25″ pad would be tough to accommodate in the Aeon Li. It’s not a very wide tent.
I’ve reviewed all of the BeFree Models. They’re a perfectly good option, but I really prefer filters that fit on regular 28mm bottles, soft like the CNOC or soda bottles. You can always find a (replacement) soda bottle.
Hi Philip,
If the floor width is 30″ what is the concern with fitting a 25″ pad?
I just finished the Colorado Trail (21 AUG 2019) using the Aeon Li. Prior to leaving for the trail, I set up the tent in my backyard and made some modifications. I added some cord with Linelocs to the PitchLoc corner stake rings to make site selection more flexible. I used this frequently when rocks or roots were in the way. In addition, I extended all the guylines, for the same reason. Overall, I found it worked very well.
The tent worked well in high winds, including sideways rain and hail, and I found the height of the floor sufficient. However, sometimes the pitch did not allow both front flaps to be taut. I ended up adding a guyline to the front right flap (as viewed from outside the tent, and staking it separately (with my spare stake) so both flap anchors crisscrossed but were taut. Not all sites / pitches required this extra measure.
I use an HMG 2400 pack, so the tent does not fit horizontally in the pack. I carried the tent either vertically in the back pocket, or on top of the pack, horizontally, wrapped in my sit pad, using the y-straps. I would have preferred to carry on the inside (it looks cleaner) but this worked well and having the tent on the outside was ideal when setting up in the rain.
I really liked the Easton stakes. Worked well in soft and hard ground.
I hope Tarptent will consider offering the tent in camo. My wife prefers a camo tent when solo hiking.
In regard to the front flap, adding a few magnets to the opposing sides will work. Ive added 2 sets at edges, and 2 more at the bottom. I used some Dyneema patches to affix to the tent.
I’m using some more robust nails for the PitchLoc rings, with the added cord for flexibility.
I have been impressed with the water-worthiness of the floor, even though it does not look very sturdy, it worked great in heavy rain.
Still working on packing it, as I don’t want to fully dissssemble it before and after each use. It just fits in the HyperLite 3400 if placed inside near the top.
Phil,
I read this review again and, as usual, gleaned more information. As I get further into “geezerhood” I am always looking for ever lighter gear. The Aeon Li fills that bill for solo tents. It’s half the weight of my current Tarptent Moment DW and it works for strictly 3 season use.
As for TT’s Velcro-closing doors, like you I am not enamored of it. So my solution is to add maybe 3 snaps to reinforce the closure in high winds. Snaps and installation kits are readily available at fabric stores.
Like Paul R. I would like to see additional CF struts on the front ends to keep the end wall off my face when using my 3″ thick REI FLASH Insulated air mattress. I can even see trying that with cut down arrow shafts to experiment. If it worked I’d add front corner reinforcements on the fly to hold them.
Since I’ve owned 4 Tarptent’s over the years I’m used to packing them vertically on one side of my pack and compensating by putting heavier items on the other side.
Just wanted to mention the Aeon Li 2020 update added a zipper to the vestibule. Used it last weekend and it worked great!
It also bugs me I can’t stuff it sideways in the bottom of my Hyperlite, but not enough to make a real difference for me. Love it so far!
TarpTent does not publish negative reviews on its website. I know, I purchased one, wrote a negative review and received an email saying the review would not be published and to send the tent back for a refund.
Sound like a good way to get a refund on a product that is normally non-refundable.
Great review thanks – I find it much more useful to read a review with honest criticisms than ones which gush about how great the gear is.
According to the Tarptent website, they are coming out with an updated version of the Aeon Li around end of April. There are no specs on it yet, but taking cues from the just updated Notch Li, updates on the Aeon Li will included waterproof door zipper, more robust magnets and tabs, slight reinforcement changes. Also, Tarptent has upped their game by moving all DCF production to China, using the same high quality factory as Big Agnes, NEMO, and several other tent makers (word is that Seattle factory didn’t have enough skilled DCF sewers to meet demand). Ryan at BPL noted the increased quality on the newest model in a recent article. Price did go up a bit on the Notch Li so I would expect same with Aeon Li (check website for prices since they may changed after posting here).
Could you point out where on Tarptent’s website they say they’ll be coming out with a new version of the Aeon in April? That would be enough to make me hold off on a potential purchase until then.
Or you could just contact them and ask.
The Etowah Outfitters UL escape dyneema pack will hold the Aeon Li horizontal. Like Philip, I did not want to change the way I pack, but this worked for me. Also with a few of the new LiteAf and several others, I can strap it to the top outside of my pack. I used to put my foam pad there so had to change to an inflatable. At 19oz total weight and saving 9oz from previous tent think I’ll give it a chance!
The Gen. 2 AEON Li now has a 2-way waterproof zipper that can be opened at the top for better ventilation. No more overlap door with Velcro closure.
Still this is a THREE season tent only and definitely not for snow storms. I suspect dust storms would coat the inside with dust as it did with my original single wall TT Moment in a Utah Coyote Gulch trip.
I have one of the newer Aeon Li models. Mine is a “blem” discounted one from their website. I spent about an hour looking for the blemish and could not find it. The workmanship on these tents is impeccable. I’m not sure why they are discounting “blemished” tents, because I don’t think anyone using them has yet to actually find the blemish. I like that Tarptent is so nitpicky with QC, in that it means they are putting out products they are proud of and confident in their ability to perform.
If anyone was wondering, the Aeon Li, with the struts still installed, put into the stuff sack, will fit sideways into a Zpacks Arc blast. Tight fit, but it does fit. If one is worried about it rubbing a hole, maybe make/purchase a silnylon stuff sack for the tent.
I don’t have enough time in my Aeon Li to give too much valuable feedback in terms of real-world use, but I do have to say it’s a much more livable tent than my Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 I’ve had for nearly 10 years. I always despised how the BA tent even with the fly off would still block the view due to the super high bathtub walls. Sure it’s good in bad weather, but it always feels like sleeping in a coffin, even with the rain fly off. In the Aeon Li, I can have the whole half of the tent open to expansive views and not have to lean up really high to look out. The transparent nature of the dyneema fabric is also nice in terms of making it feel less confining. Also a bonus for being able to identify the large thing stomping through camp and snorting. It helps to know if dealing with a bear or goat before exiting the tent.
One aspect I don’t see mentioned often in dyneema tent reviews, is how bloody hot they get in the sun. All tents suffer from this, but 0.5 oz/yd dyneema is next-level oven factor. Even with both doors open, this sucker COOKS in direct sunlight. On the other hand, this could be used as a feature to help dry out stuff in the tent, even on cooler days. But, yeah, no laying down for a rest from the mosquitoes during a hot day in the sun.
Another thing to think about, is that if for whatever reason you don’t want to use a trekking pole for the tent, the 49″ carbon fiber pole from Six Moon Design “can” work in the Aeon Li. You have to set it at a steep angle if you want the tent lower, but at 1.8 ounces, it’s not much weight. It does bend a lot easier than a trekking pole (duh), so maybe not up to the task in high winds, but for normal camping, it works. I would carry my 49″ carbon fiber pole if I was using my tent as a base camp and doing day scrambles in local peaks. That way I could have the tent up and still have both trekking poles for helping me up and down nasty loose stuff.
Other than the packability issue, how would you compare this tent to the GG The One? Specifically, interior livability?
The GG One is taller and but a little harder to set up.
Why the problem with stowing a tent outside a pack? I put my Lunar Solo in a dry bag under the top Y strap of my pack – nothing else on the outside, as I dislike having “dangles” on my pack – esp. if bushwhacking. A perk of having it outside, is the quick access without having to open my pack.
Punching a hole in a lunar solo is less of an issue than in an aeon li.
thx. I hadn’t thought about anything stabbing my ‘tough’ drybag;-)
Hi – not following the vertical vs horizontal issue you noted; can you explain better or post photos?
When you roll up the tent, the corner struts don’t collapse so they might not fit into your backpack’s main compartment when positioned horizontally. That’s all. Some of us find that very irritating.
Philip, Would you consider it for 3 seasons in Scotland?
Probably not. You can’t cook in it.