Your order includes:
- Notch Li fly
- Your choice of interior style
- Four 6.38-inch / 16.2 cm aluminum DAC J stakes
- Stake bag
- Tent bag
- DCF patch kit
At just 20.2 oz, the patented Notch Li is our lightest double-wall tent and one of the lightest double-wall tents out there. Its streamlined shape not only gives excellent wind performance, but also allows it to fit into tight backcountry campsites. This tent is ideal for trekking pole users who want an ultralight tent that still performs in less-than-ideal conditions.
Want more space? Have a look at the StratoSpire 2 Li.
The Notch is also available in sil-poly.
Key Features:
- Patented PitchLoc™ strut-supported corners minimize footprint while increasing interior space, stability, and ventilation.
- Double-walled with mesh and solid interior options. Dual doors and vestibules.
- Easy and fast 4-stake, fly first pitching.
- Fits users up to 6 ft 2 in / 1.88m.
- Made with Dyneema® Composite Fabric (DCF) and fully factory seam taped.
- Premium components: carbon fiber struts, DAC stakes, YKK zippers, UHMWPE cording, magnetic door ties.
- Patented PitchLoc™ strut-supported corners minimize footprint while increasing interior space, stability, and ventilation.
- Double-walled with mesh and solid interior options. Dual doors and vestibules.
- Easy and fast 4 stake fly first pitch.
- Excellent storm performance due to low drag shape and small panel sizes.
- Large and adjustable high and low venting options.
- The interior is protected from overhead rain when the fly doors are open.
- Integrated interior pockets and overhead clips.
- Trekking poles can be oriented, tip-up or handle-up, with optional adapters. Can be angled to widen doorways.
- Fly and interior can both be set up independently.
- Steep walls shed snow.
You will need: Two trekking poles OR two substitute poles.
General:
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- Sleeps: 1
- Seasons: 3+
Minimum Weight: 20.2 oz / 573 g (with DCF floor mesh interior; no stakes or bags)
Typical Weight: 22.75 oz / 645 g (with DCF floor mesh interior; including all stakes and bags)
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- Notch Li fly (with apex lines): 11.3 oz / 320 g
- Included apex guy lines: 0.2 oz / 5 g each (two per fly)
- Interior options:
- Notch Li solid interior (15D sil/PeU nylon floor) : 10.6 oz / 301 g
- Notch Li mesh interior (0.96 Dyneema® composite fabric floor) : 8.9 oz / 250 g
- Notch Li mesh interior (20D sil/PeU nylon floor) : 9.85 oz / 279 g
- Tent bag: 0.55 oz / 16 g
- Stake bag: 0.2 oz / 6 g
- Stakes: Four 6.38-inch aluminum DAC J stakes: 0.45 oz / 13g (each) | 1.8 oz / 51 g (total)
- Notch Li fly (with apex lines): 11.3 oz / 320 g
Dimensions:
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- Interior Height: 43 in / 109 cm
- Floor Width (tapered): 20 – 34 in / 51 – 86 cm
- Floor Length: 84 in / 213 cm
- Vestibule area: 8 sq ft / 0.74 sq m each side; 16 sq ft / 1.48 sq m total
- Packed size: 16 in x 4 in / 41 cm x 10 cm
Materials:
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- Fly material: 0.55 Dyneema® composite fabric (CT1E.08), rated to over 8,000mm hydrostatic head, made in USA, olive green
- Floor materials:
- Mesh with DCF: 0.96 Dyneema® composite fabric (CT2K.18), rated to over 20,000mm hydrostatic head, made in USA, black
- Mesh with nylon: 20D ripstop silicone and polyether urethane (Sil/PeU) coated nylon rated to over 4,000mm hydrostatic head, grey
- Solid with nylon: 15D quadruple ripstop, silicone and polyether urethane (Sil/PeU) coated nylon 6.6 rated to over 4,000mm hydrostatic head, dark grey
- Fly Zippers: YKK #3 Aquaguard waterproof fly door zippers
- Mesh: 15D nylon no-see-um mesh
- Solid Fabric: Breathable and windproof 10D ripstop nylon
- Guyline/Cording: Tarptent UltraPE cording
- Rigid Struts: Four 16 in / 41 cm pultruded carbon fiber, made in USA
Does this tent require seam sealing?
- No, this tent is fully waterproof from the factory.
Do I need trekking poles?
- Yes, or we have substitute poles that are available for purchase separately.
Is this tent stuffable?
- We highly recommend folding and/or rolling the tent and not stuffing it to extend the Dyneema® fabric lifespan, but the carbon fiber struts are easily removed from the fly.
Are there additional tie out points for extra staking?
- Yes, this tent comes with apex lines pre-attached.
Does this tent accommodate tall people?
- We recommend this tent for people up to 6 ft 2 in / 1.88m
Which interior type should I get?
- The full solid interior is recommended for colder conditions. Solid interiors block wind and trap warm air, but obscure the view from inside the tent.
- The mesh interior is recommended for warm and/or humid conditions. Mesh interiors allow for maximum ventilation, which helps minimize condensation. The mesh is also transparent and allows you to see out of the tent.
Do I need a groundsheet?
- Maybe. Use of a groundsheet depends on the ground conditions and floor type selected. Our 15D nylon floors are more durable than 0.96 Dyneema® composite fabric, but both are reasonably tough and do not usually require a groundsheet. A groundsheet is recommended for use on highly abrasive and/or sharp ground, such as on sandstone or when pitching on sharp rocks. 0.96 Dyneema® is more prone to both punctures and abrasion than nylon, and regular use of a groundsheet can greatly extend the lifespan of Dyneema® floors in moderately abrasive environments.
How do I avoid condensation?
- ALL tents suffer from condensation in the right/wrong conditions but there are steps you can take to limit it. Try to avoid camping overnight in cool, damp environments such as river valleys, meadows, marshes and next to water. If possible, choose an elevated campsite with a bit of a breeze and preferably under a tree canopy. Please refer to the Choosing a Better Campsite video to better understand how to avoid condensation.
The first version of the Notch was launched in 2011.
The first DCF version of the Notch was launched in February 2018.
Version: 2026-07 (July 2026)
- Larger peak vents
- More reinforcements
- End of fly zipper buckles
More history coming soon…
13 reviews for Notch Li
Notch Li
Price range: $499.00 through $529.00
Bec (verified owner) –
Having had a silnylon Notch for a few years now, this upgrade had been on my radar for a long time. I have enjoyed the massive dual vestibules, ventilation/views, interchangeable inners and small footprint the Notch provided, and was excited to upgrade. After a few nights in my new Notch Li, this may be almost my ideal tent. A taught pitch is much easier than the silnylon version, with (as expected) no sagging when soaked in the morning. Fly zippers (though I had been a bit hesitant due to risk of failure) I found a welcome addition, not having realised how tricky the clips on previous zipper-less versions had been to deal with – re-introducing zippers has to me made a big improvement, much easier to pitch zipped shut and to partially close doors. Magnetic latches (though I shared some initial concern as being ‘gimmicky’) worked flawlessly, with plenty of room to wrap around the fly material (more trips will tell how they perform in strong wind I guess). Re-designed solid inner looked great, and solid material on the inner roof was a good choice to stop drips of condensation. Perhaps the only tiny gripe (aside from not much floor space, but huge vestibules compensate) is persistence of those poorly designed pockets which slant downward and let everything (phones, glasses) inevitably fall out onto the floor to be potentially squashed. This is, however, a minor issue. An overall awesome tent.
charles.lucas –
Just tested the Notch Li in a proper gale with the rain lashing down in the West of Ireland. It was as solid as a rock. Bomb proof! And completely dry. A great performance. Other lightweight tents I have had have been rather delicate and collapse and bend when the wind gets up. Not this one. Very impressed. But other reviewers are right: the pockets in the mesh are much too small and badly designed. Everything falls out. Make them bigger please.
Mark Rinella (verified owner) –
Great tent. Have used it 4 times so far in UT above 10,000 feet with no issues. The weight is fantastic. Interior space is sufficient. I am 5’11” and have room at either end and along sides for small amount of gear I want to keep in the tent. Ventilation is very good and I like that both sides can be opened. Solid on one night of strong winds, but I did stake out the two additional guy lines. (There should be six and not 4 stakes included with this tent – not sure what the logic on providing only 4 stakes is.). I would love the option of a Dyneema footprint with some grommets please.
Marc Laliberte (verified owner) –
I’m generally very satisfied with the tent. It’s a one-person tent, granted, and couples will have to find other places to get frisky, but for a solo hiker it is great. It resists wind, is absolutely water tight, condensation is not an issue and is so light, it’s amazing. I do use the extra guy lines, and have thus to carry two extra stakes, but honestly I’m not sure if they are really required.
I have two minor issues:
The tent fly is translucid. That means that light will easily go through, even if you really can’t see details. So, if you have a light in the tent at night, people can kind of see what you are doing. Not in any details, but, yeah. It also means that on full moon nights there is a surprising amount of light going in the tent. This might also be something to consider for high Arctic trips in summer. If you need full dark to go to sleep, better put the tent under a tree or bring something to cover your eyes.
The tent floor is very slippery. I mean VERY slippery. On my first trip with the tent, I had a Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite pad and a “YF” series sleeping bag from Feathered Friends, both of which are somewhat slippery to start with. The combination of the Dyneema floor in the tent, the XLite pad and the sleeping bag does not work. It’s like trying to sleep on a slippery hill. Every time you move the pad want to move out from under you. I woke up at some point, thinking that the pad must have sprung a leak as I was face down on the floor, to realize once I had fully woken that the pad was still OK, only now in vertical position on the side of the tent. Not funny. For the record the same pad and sleeping bag work well in a “conventional” tent with a nylon floor. The sleeping bag and the Notch Li also work well with a pad which is less slippery, such as the Thermarest Zlite.
cristina (verified owner) –
Super excited to finally have this long-wished-for, carefully considered tent to pack on PCT Washington trip. Camping the night before departure at a state park in wind storm conditions seemed a perfect test of what to expect from the Notch li.
I’ve owned 2 tarptents, a Rainbow which was admittedly an easy set up compared to the Contrail, my go to bike-camp tent for several years. I felt confident mastering Notch set up was entirely possible and use would be even more enjoyable than it’s predecessors.
It’s solid with a great profile design, cost-wise compares favorably with other makers’ similar tents, & shipping time of the well-packed tent was awesome.
Unfortunately I could not get the tent to stay put. PCT thru hiker friend, after setting up her Tarptent Bowfin and enjoying her dinner, took pity on me. No sooner did we think the tent secure than it would collapse. Initial set up was on our designated sanded site. Absolutely no purchase with several different style/length stakes. Then moved to (no camping on grass) grassy area, still no luck.
Bottom line, I ended up opting to take my heavier but known-reliable tent I’d brought along as a backup when we’d heard about the wind warnings. Enlisted a local friend to return the Notch since I would not be back from trip until return policy had expired.
Upon my return the tent was back at my post office! Apparently it had been punctured in our endeavors to set up or from the wind lashing and despite what seemed a very thorough look over the next morning in utter stillness, obviously hadn’t noticed damage before returning.
I was offered set-up help from tarptent folks and supplied enough patching material to repair the punctute but I lost confidence somewhere around the 10th unsuccessful attempt. That damage had occurred so quickly, further worked against embracing this particular challenge.
In my opinion there is a very definite skill to setting up and using this type of tent and even with what I thought was adequate prior experience, it wasn’t a good fit for me.
[ Tarptent Reply: Happy to help with setup and repair – you can send it in so we can do it. You just need to ask. ]
Claudia –
I am so in love with my Notch that I have named her. Easy to put up and pack down, zero problems with condensation (in Scotland!), decent room for one person. My first night was a bit shaky because I was so used to 2-person tents, but I quickly got the hang of working with the space and every night after I adored being in my little cocoon. I am a slim, average height woman, so it was fairly easy for me to move around inside: if I pushed my pad over to one side I could even sit next to it! Anyone bigger than that (5’8″, 120lbs) may find it a bit tight, but honestly it is still the most live-able 1-person tent I have ever come across. I have loads of space at my feet, head and sides to store gear, but of course as I get more ultralight I take less stuff. Those still carrying extraneous gear will find they have to stash more out in the vestibules, but there are two of them so no big deal. It held up brilliantly in high wind and crazy rain, and I was able to get it folded up neatly in the stuff sack every morning, whatever the weather. I thought the magnetic tiebacks were great, and didn’t have much of a problem with the mesh pockets, but do think they could be designed better. The tent is very translucent, but with the partial solid inner I didn’t find it a huge issue. I am really happy with my decision and look forward to many many trails in this tent.
Keith –
I’ve now spent 8 nights in my new Notch Li, all in different mountain locations, I’m confident proclaiming it a great tent. Like all really ultralight gear, you need to treat it well. Pitches got better as I got more experienced- it’s easy and fast, but the fine points take a little practice. Only one night developed any condensation, and it was eliminated by tying up all four side panels over the top of the tent while I ate breakfast. Folding and rolling it up is probably the most difficult part- it’s easy at home on my clean garage floor, but in the mountains with the wind blowing, it is not as easy as shown in their video. No question, the interior is small, but works for my 5’11” frame with room for extra clothes, etc. The vestibules are huge, and I love the double doors, a total luxury during the day as an escape from mosquitoes or just a rest, with a two way view and a breeze blowing through. I own both interiors- the mesh is definitely my preference for decent weather (all summer), but I will switch to the partial solid for cold weather in fall and spring. The partial solid feels slightly claustrophobic because you can’t see out while lying down. One tip I have learned is to adjust the tightness of the cords to the night time configuration before retiring. I have found that if I tighten the pitch with the door(s) open, as they usually are during the day, then crawl into bed, the door won’t zip closed- it’s just too tight. So, if you want to sleep with doors closed, tension it with doors closed then open and crawl in for the night. Minor complaints? it really needs 6 stakes, and the stakes should have cord loops to pull them up- it’s a pain to have to find and order 2 additional stakes and mini cord. I find I almost stake out the two apex guy lines- it’s just security against wind and makes the pitch more taught. The pockets- yeah, slippery things can fall out- I just took a needle and thread and sewed 3/4″ up the bottom edge of the pocket to correct that. I also tied a mini cord across the top of the interior between mitten hooks to hang moist socks or a headlamp. All in all, a wonderful tent; the more I use it, the more I like it.
Robert Stambaugh –
This is the best tent that I have ever owned. Extremely light and very weather resistant. I used it for nine nights on the JMT last month and it was terrific. I set up in a thunderstorm so bad that the wind was blowing sideways. I dove in the downwind door, and zipped it shut. There were a couple drops of water inside that I easily wiped up with my bandana.
Marc Laliberte –
This is a one-year review of the tent. My initial review can be found below. I’ve used the tent extensively during the last year, camping maybe 40 nights in all kinds of weather from spring to full summer to fall. The tent has held up well and still seems new.
The tent is a pain to set up on wood platforms (see photo). That said, I think all the non-free-standing tents will share the same issues. I usually set up using a mix of regular stakes, fishbone tent stakes, carabiners and some extra rope, but you need to carry that with you. The tent is super easy to set up on softer ground.
I learned that when you dismantle the tent and it rains it is much easier to keep the interior dry if you first pull the middle stakes and then the ones at the ends. The way the tent falls down it simply keep the interior drier. Condensation has never been much of an issue, even on super humid days. If the tent gets wet, it will dry in 20 minutes once the sun shows up.
Rain resistance is excellent, EXCEPT when you’re on hard surfaces like the wood platforms I mentioned above. When it’s raining hard on such a surface, you’ll have backsplash issues, enough to get the interior wall damp. You can lower the tent a bit if the weather forecast calls for heavy rain, but the best thing in that situation is to try to set up on softer ground (leaves, sand, grass), where backsplash is much less of an issue. (Lowering the tent enough to eliminate the backsplash is difficult, as you both lose headroom and ventilation.)
Wind resistance has been excellent so far, but I can’t say I’ve been exposed to super strong winds.
Overall this has been a great tent for solo back packing, and I highly recommend it.
Matt Wise –
Excellent tent! I purchased a “blemished” Notch Li, but can’t tell it’s blemished — and whatever the blemish is, it doesn’t affect it’s performance whatsoever. I got the Notch Li to reduce my pack weight and it does just that! I can’t believe how light this double-walled and roomy 1P tent is.
SPACE: This is my first 1P tent and so I was worried I would feel too cramped or not have enough room to keep my gear out of the weather. I’m used to solo camping in a 2P. No worries about that with this tent. It gets wider in the center which leaves room to keep some gear beside me. I’m 5’10” and have room above my head to stow a pullover or jacket in case I need it. Also, the two vestibules leave plenty of space for my boots, 65+10L backpack and more.
SETUP: It’s extremely easy to setup and get a good pitch. It takes only a couple of minutes and is easy to adjust. It took a little bit to get used to how the ends work, but I’ve gotten the knack. I’m picky about my pitch. So, it’s probably just a “me” thing.
STABILITY: I can easily get a very tight and stable pitch with this tent. Wind has not been an issue. I like having the extra guy lines on each side (top of vestibule where the poles are). That not only increases stability but also helps with achieving a tight pitch.
CONDENSATION: I don’t have this issue – part of the reason I insisted on a double-wall tent. I love that the vestibules have zippers from both the bottom and the top. I use the zippers on the top to open the tent up to more ventilation that helps avoid condensation. There’s a little rain shield at the top that helps keep any drops out of the tent when you unzip it a bit from the top.
WATERPROOF: I’ve not been in this tent in pouring rain yet. However, I’m confident it will hold up to that just fine being of Dyneema construction. Also, I have had some wet ground and some water spills that have not penetrated the bathtub floor.
WOULD BE BETTER IF…One wish list item for this awesome tent that would make it even better would be to adjust the design to allow for a flat pitch of one (or both) vestibule. That would just make it even easier than it already is to fit into tight campsite space. Not a big deal though. It doesn’t have a huge footprint as it is.
Howard Moore –
This is a tidy, well thought out tent. I used a planned bike ride as the justification for buying it, and I am so happy I did! The only thing I added was a couple of plastic hooks to hang clothes from.
I’m six four, 195 pounds. I think that’s about the practical limit to how big you could be for this tent. But even so, the tent never felt cramped. Some of it is the visual effect- on your back, you are looking towards the highest part of the tent, and with the all mesh interior, your view includes the widest part, and further, out under the bottom edge of the fly.
On my 2,700 mile ride from Massachusetts up around Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, the Gaspe and back home I camped in a variety of places and set up and packed up in a variety of weathers. I was in some campgrounds where the flat ground was packed gravel, so I had to borrow a hammer from a car camper, and on a platform, where I used stakes to link the tent cords to the hardware on the platform (see the picture) . I had some extra cord with me for those sorts of situations, but I never had to use it. But that will be the case for all non freestanding tents, and for the fly on most self supported ones.
One night I was on a bluff over the Gulf of St Lawrence , pitched into the wind, but the wind eventually proved too much for the stake. The tent was doing fine, but when the stake pulled out, there wasn’t much to do besides roll the tent up and start my day. Again, not really a knock on the tent- if anything it points to how easy the tent is to pack up.
The tent was great in the rain, well ventilated and dry, with only a very light bit of condensation. I was able to set it up in the rain with the inside staying pretty dry- the trick is how to get in without bringing all the water on you in with you!
Basically a solid, straightforward tent; the more I use it, the happier I am with it. And the bag is big enough!
Amie Fruzen (verified owner) –
Just wanted to say I LOVE MY NOTCH li!!!! Best tent I’ve ever used in 30 plus years of backpacking.
Mauritz Venter (verified owner) –
I bought the Notch Li in 2018 and just want to let you know that this tent is really something else. We had severe thunderstorms/wind/rain this weekend in the Drakensberg region (South Africa) and the tent was doing very well.