Since receiving a prototype of the Tarptent Aeon Li in December, 2018, I’ve put about 550 miles (885 km) on the shelter. Most of those got here on the Australian Alpine Walking Track (AAWT), however moreover I’ve additionally finished some shorter hikes in southeast Queensland and Mexico’s Sierra Madre. What follows are my impressions of the Aeon Li, together with suggestions for future customers.
Yours really and the Aeon Li at dawn | Kosciuszko National Park, Australian Alpine Walking Track.
Specs
Sleeps: 1 particular person.
“Could it fit two people in a squeeze?” Even probably the most cuddly of sleepers would wrestle to suit two folks within the Aeon Li. The one particular person score is spot on.
Dyneema® Material:
- Fly – 0.51oz / yd 2.
- Floor – 1 oz / yd 2
“Do I need a Polycro or Tyvek groundsheet?” In rocky, desert-like situations I’d say it’s well worth the one to 2 ounce weight penalty as a way to lengthen the lifetime of your flooring. Otherwise you have to be wonderful with out one.
Weight: 16.8 oz (477 grams) – as per my kitchen scale.
- The above whole consists of the stuff sack (0.39 oz /11 grams), man strains (0.92 oz / 26 gr) and struts, however doesn’t embrace the non-compulsory apex man line or Easton Aluminium tent stakes (6) that include the shelter (1.69 oz / 48 gr).
- The weight of the Aeon Li not together with any guylines, stakes or the stuff sack is 440 gr / 0.97 lb.
Size (as per Tarptent web site):
- Interior Height: 47 in / 119 cm
- Floor Width: 30 in / 76 cm
- Floor Length: 88 in / 224 cm
- Packed dimension: 14 in x 4 in / 36 cm x 10 cm
Price: $535 (see Value for Money under)
The Aeon Li on Viking Saddle within the Barry Mountains | AAWT
Design
The Aeon Li is a completely enclosed one particular person shelter with built-in fly and bathtub flooring. It is single wall, made with Dyneema®, and makes use of one trekking pole within the arrange.
- Struts and Interior Space: As a long-time person of Mid-style tents, one of many solely actual negatives I’ve discovered with one of these shelter is the lowered quantity of usable inside area as a result of low angles of the partitions. This isn’t such a biggie if like myself you are inclined to sleep within the foetal place, however for taller people that like stretching out, likelihood is there may be going to be some rubbing of the noggin and/or the foot finish of your sleeping bag on the tent partitions. The Aeon Li goes a good distance in addressing this situation by its use of struts alongside the again wall, together with one other strut (or “structural awning”) located on the tent’s apex. This was one of many first issues I seen when utilizing the shelter. I’m 6’1″ and might stretch out and sit up with room to spare, even when utilizing an inflatable mat such because the Therm-a-rest NeoAir Xlite or XTherm (see images under).
Back struts and PitchLoc corners / Tent pitched at 108 cm / Above tree line in Kosciuszko nationwide park on the Australian Alpine Walking Track.
This one is for the oldsters over at UL Reddit. Pictured is yours really in a Katabatic Palisade quilt mendacity on a Thermarest Neoair sleeping mat (small). My ft are resting on an MLD Burn backpack. Note the area between my head and foot field and the partitions. It took me 5 tries to get this picture utilizing a ten second timer on my telephone!
Sitting up on a 2.5″ Thermarest NeoAir Xlite (small).
- Ventilation and Condensation: Like all single wall shelters, condensation will be a difficulty with the Aeon Li in sure environments. This will be mitigated to a sure diploma by savvy campsite choice, leaving the vestibule door/s open when situations allow, and setting the peak of your trekking pole as excessive as sensible as a way to enhance air flow below the perimeters of the tent. The Aeon Li additionally sports activities a high peak vent and PitchLoc corners, which will be left open when situations are wonderful, or closed up by way of the adjustable storm flaps when the climate is coming in. While I feel the corners can contribute to elevated air flow, virtually talking I’m unsure the small high peak vent makes an excessive amount of of a distinction.
- Footprint: The comparatively small footprint of the Aeon Li – particularly when pitched with out the vestibule – turns out to be useful when you’re mountaineering in areas the place appropriate tenting area is at a premium (e.g. thick forest environs).
- Bug netting and Floor – For an ultralight shelter that ideas the scales at round a pound, the Aeon Li sports activities quite a lot of nice options. Among these attributes are a mesh entrance that doesn’t droop to the bottom when unzipped (i.e. grime and zippers don’t play effectively), and a bath flooring that’s simply tensioned. As somebody who has actually spent lots of of nights within the boonies utilizing a tarp and bivy, I can attest that the additional area afforded by the built-in netting is price its weight in gold when the bugs are out in drive. As for the built-in flooring, it’s good to have when tenting on boggy terrain is unavoidable. The truth that every one of this is available in a compact 16 oz bundle (i.e. an identical weight to many DCF Tarp, UL Bivy and/or groundsheet combos), is the rationale why the discharge of the Aeon Li has been greeted with such enthusiasm by the thru-hiking and ultralightweight backpacking communities.
Camped on a saddle near Mount Magdala | AAWT.
Pitching
With a bit apply, the Aeon Li makes for a fast and straightforward sub-2 minute setup. It takes both 5 – 6 pegs, relying on whether or not or not you stake out the Apex guyline (advisable in windy and/or inclement climate). See the Aeon Li Quick Pitch video for a step-by-step information.
Inclement Conditions: In regards to the peak of the shelter, I pitch it as little as attainable (108 cm approx.) with the foot finish (slender facet) into the wind when stormy climate is on the playing cards. When calm situations are prevalent, I’ll set it up as excessive as attainable (128 cm approx.). If the forecast is evident, I’ll roll up the entrance doorways and pitch the shelter sans vestibule for max views and air flow.
Tent Stakes: The Aeon Li comes with half a dozen 6 in/15 cm Easton “Nail” Aluminium tent pegs. Over the years I’ve used one of these stakes quite a bit with each Tarptents and Mountain Laurel Designs shelters. In common I’ve discovered them to carry out effectively, however on three separate events I’ve had the heads pop off them. If I used to be taking the Aeon Li into an space the place I knew the possibilities of common stormy climate and unavoidable uncovered tenting have been excessive, I’d swap out the Easton Nails for full-size MSR Groundhogs, together with two or three Ti Shepherd hooks simply in case of uncooperative campsite terrain.
Creekside campsite on the AAWT.
Packing
While packing different Pyramid or Half Pyramid-style tents that I personal, I have a tendency to not use a stuff sack. However, within the case of the Aeon Li, as a result of its a number of struts I feel it’s effectively well worth the 0.39 oz (11 gram) weight penalty (i.e. the burden of the Aeon Li stuff sack). The different is eradicating and refitting the struts each time I’m establishing or taking down the tent, which personally talking looks like an excessive amount of faffing about.
“Doesn’t this mean that you have to pack the tent vertically in your backpack?” Yes. Personally talking I discovered this to be no large deal, because the tent is sort of small when rolled up tightly in its stuff sack (see under). However, for people which might be adamant about packing their shelters horizontally or mainly simply stuffing them in sans sack wherever they could match, eradicating the struts (after which placing them again in once more) is the best way to go.
Here’s how I packed the Aeon Li in 4 steps (see images under):
- Gather collectively the again struts and apex strut at one finish.
- Using their width as a reference level, lay out the remainder of the tent in an oblong vogue.
- Place the stakes subsequent to the struts, then roll the shelter up tightly across the struts and stakes.
- Put the bundle within the stuff sack.
Struts and stakes able to roll.
The Aeon Li in its authentic stuff sack beside a 600 ml water bottle.
Performance
Excellent. During the AAWT I camped above tree line in windy climate (gusts as much as 45 km / 28 mi per hour) on a few events, and every time the Aeon Li proved to be rock strong. Additionally, I took the shelter out for 2 stormy overnighters in my house state of Queensland (heavy rains and gusts over 50 km / 31 mi) and it held up like a champ. To reiterate my feedback above, in all of those cases I pitched the shelter as little as attainable (108 cm) and with the foot finish into the wind.
Value for Money
The Aeon Li (US$535) is made with Dyneema® so it’s going to be costly. That mentioned, its competitively priced in comparison with different similar-style Dyneema shelters available on the market (e.g. MLD Solomids and Zpacks Plexamid), and whenever you bear in mind Tarptent’s effectively earned status for high quality workmanship and the sturdiness of its merchandise, I feel the Aeon Li represents good worth for cash (Note: As with all of Tarptents merchandise it’s made within the US).
Conclusion
The Tarptent Aeon Li is a wonderful 3 season+ choice for thru-hikers and weight-conscious backpackers. As you’ll anticipate with any shelter made by Tarptent, the supplies, design and a focus to element are all top-notch. But what actually struck me in regards to the Aeon Li is that not solely is it über gentle and stormworthy, it’s additionally very spacious and comfy for one thing that weighs so little. And that triumvirate of options is what has earned it a excessive place in my backpacking shelter “quiver” – to borrow one in every of Pmags‘ favorite expressions – for the foreseeable future.
Sunrise over the Aeon Li | AAWT.
Disclosure: I used to be given a prototype of the Tarptent Aeon Li freed from cost in alternate for suggestions from the sector. This was the second of Tarptents’ prototypes that I’ve taken for an prolonged spin, the primary being the ProTrail in the course of the Cordillera Blanca Traverse of 2014. On each events I used to be below no obligation to offer media protection or write a overview, and the opinions expressed are my very own. Some (although not all) of the hyperlinks on this put up are affiliate hyperlinks.