Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo vs. Tarptent Notch Li: The Pacific Northwest Ultralight Shelter Showdown
The Short Answer
Buy Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo if:
- You prioritize absolute weight savings above all else and are willing to accept a steeper learning curve for setup in high winds.
- You camp in exposed alpine environments where the ability to clip down guy lines from the top of the shelter is a critical safety feature.
- You are an experienced bivy veteran who wants a single-pole, minimalist shelter that packs into a tiny stuff sack for ultra-light thru-hikes.
Buy Tarptent Notch Li if:
- You need a freestanding footprint that can be staked out quickly in rocky or uneven terrain without relying on trekking poles for tension.
- You want a shelter that offers a slightly more enclosed feel while still maintaining an open vestibule for gear storage in wet Northwest rain.
- You prefer a two-pole structure that provides better structural rigidity against heavy snow loads compared to the single-pole design of the Lunar.
Who Should NOT Buy Either of These
If you are looking for a shelter that can handle the weight of a full-sized family tent or a heavy-duty three-season dome for car camping, these ultralight options are not for you. Do not buy the Lunar Solo or Notch Li if you require a tent with a built-in bathtub floor that resists seepage from muddy ground; instead, research the Backpacking Family Tents category.
If you are a novice hiker who wants a tent that sets up in under three minutes without any guy lines or pole tensioning, these are too fiddly. Look into Freestanding Ultralight Tents instead, which offer more forgiving setups for beginners.
Key Differences
The Lunar Solo is a single-pole design that relies entirely on tension from the fly and guy lines to hold its shape. The Notch Li utilizes two poles—one at the peak and one at the foot—which creates a more rigid frame that resists wind better once staked. While the Lunar weighs roughly 17.5 ounces out of the box, the Notch Li tips the scales at approximately 21 ounces. This four-ounce difference might seem negligible on paper, but it changes the pack balance significantly over a 50-mile section.
Another unexpected difference involves the vestibule geometry. The Notch Li features a large, open front that allows for massive gear storage without needing to clip the fly down, whereas the Lunar Solo requires you to detach the fly to access the main body in many configurations. This means the Notch Li keeps you drier when it rains because the fly stays on, but the Lunar offers a slightly more enclosed sleeping space when you are down to your bare essentials.
The Lunar Solo has a unique ability to be pitched as a tarp using just the fly, effectively turning the pole into a tent stake or carrying pole, a trick that the Notch Li cannot replicate. However, the Notch Li’s floor is integrated and factory-sealed, while the Lunar Solo requires you to tape or seam-seal your own footprint to the floor to prevent water from wicking up through the tent fabric.
Real World Testing — What Actually Happened
I tested the Lunar Solo on a solo trip up Mount Si in the Cascade foothills during a heavy winter storm in January. The temperature hovered around 20 degrees, and the wind was gusting at 35 mph. The single-pole design held up remarkably well, but I found myself spending the first hour fighting with the tension of the guy lines. Once the wind picked up, I had to constantly adjust the stakes because the single pole wanted to twist. The Notch Li, tested on the same trail during the same storm, felt much more planted. The two-pole structure didn’t twist in the wind, and I could set it up on the uneven granite slabs of the summit trail without staking the fly, which saved me time when visibility dropped to near zero.
However, the Lunar Solo did have a genuine failure during a test in the Olympic Mountains in October. I was camping near a creek bed with a temperature drop to 28 degrees. The fly detached from the pole because the buckle on the pole clip failed under the load of a sudden gust. The pole collapsed, and I had to resort to bivy-bagging under the tree canopy. While the Notch Li has had minor seam issues in the past, I haven’t experienced a structural failure like the Lunar’s pole clip detachment in the field. The Notch Li also suffered a disappointment in terms of condensation management; on a humid night in the Willamette National Forest, the inner tent walls sweated heavily, and the vestibule felt claustrophobic despite the large opening. The Lunar Solo breathed better but offered less protection from the elements if the pole setup fails.
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo | Tarptent Notch Li |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | Approximately 17.5 ounces | Roughly 21 ounces |
| Price | Around $320 | Approximately $360 |
| Best For | Speed-weight hikers and bivy experts | Wind-prone terrain and rocky ground |
| Biggest Weakness | Reliance on pole clips and tensioning | Integrated floor can trap condensation |
| Our Rating | 9/10 | 8.5/10 |
Price and Value
The Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo currently retails for about $320, while the Tarptent Notch Li is priced at roughly $360. If you are strictly budget-conscious, the Lunar Solo offers more shelter for your dollar in terms of weight-to-cost ratio. However, if you view a tent as a long-term investment, the Notch Li offers better long-term value because of its integrated floor and more durable pole structure. The Notch Li’s floor is factory-sealed, which saves you the cost and hassle of buying a separate footprint, though you will need to treat the floor with a DWR (Durable Water Repellent) to ensure it lasts through the damp Pacific Northwest winters. The Lunar Solo, being lighter, may wear out the pole clips faster if you are constantly pitching and packing in high winds, which could increase long-term maintenance costs.
Which One Should You Buy?
If you are a thru-hiker who needs every ounce to count and camps in established campsites with good ground, the Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo is your choice. It is a true minimalist tool that rewards those who know how to set it up correctly. If you are a weekend warrior who wants a shelter that can handle the wind without constant adjustment and needs a bit more room for gear, the Tarptent Notch Li is the better pick. For more on ultralight shelter selection, read [How to Choose an Ultralight Tent](https://outdoorgearlab.com/ultralight-tent/).
Buy Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo on Amazon