Easton Mountain Sports Kilo 2 Person Tent
Easton Mountain Products released an updated version of their Kilo 2P lightweight double-walled tent this year with a different exoskeleton configuration that is more wind proof than last year’s model. Weighting 2.5 pounds (1130 grams), this is a seriously light two person tent that comes with Easton’s lightweight carbon fiber tent pole system and new lightweight tent pegs. The big design changeover from the previous model is the position of the front exoskeleton pole, which has been moved to the front of the tent, up from the tent middle.
The Easton Product Manager I spoke to at Outdoor Retailer this year claims that the Kilo 2P is 4 season capable, which peaked my interest in using it. I received a loaner from the manufacturer last week to put this claim to the test and here are some of my initial impressions after practicing how to set it up.
Kilo 2P Inner Tent
The Kil0 has a standard inner with an abundance of mesh to keep the weight down, but the inside area is a tight squeeze for 2 people, even with 3 season pads and sleeping bags. For winter use, you’d be hard pressed to get two -25 degree down bags in here without spooning with your tent mate (yuk) and so think I’ll be using it alone, thank you. I also have some concerns about the low end of the tent compressing the footbox of my huge winter down bag, that I’m going to watch out for.
The interior of the Kilo is very spartan and there are no pockets or interiors loops to hang a light from. Although I’m a minimalist, I do like the ability to hang a small lantern at night in winter. This is less of a problem for solo use, but adding a simple loop or two to the interior would be nice for 2 person use. I also like hanging my glasses from these at night to avoid crunching them in the dark.
Easton Carbon Fiber Airlock Tent Poles
The carbon fiber poles that come with this tent are pretty cool. They’re much thinner and lighter than a DAC aluminum shock cord system and the two poles only weigh 5.6 ounces (160 grams) combined. They slip into grommets on the tie-outs at the base of the the inner tent which is suspended from up top using plastic hooks: all pretty standard for double wall tent design.
New (top) and Old (bottom) Easton Tent Stakes
The Kilo 2P also comes with Easton’s new re-engineered version of the Nano tent peg which has been reduced in weight from 9.9 grams to 8 grams each. They also claims to have solved the problem where the caps come off with use or when you tug hard on them. The only down side with the redesign is that the stakes are about a half inch shorter than before. Of course, this is all moot in winter when you need to anchor a winter tent with dead men or other multi-purpose items (avalanche probes, ice axe, trekking poles, etc). Three season tent stakes are irrelevant in real winter conditions.
Front Vestibule
The Kilo has a pretty good sized vestibule up front, which is built into the fly. That’s a nice touch for a winter tent because many manufacturers require a vestibule as an add-on item. In winter, I like to dig a pit into the snow under the vestibule to make it even larger and safer to cook in, and to give myself a shelf I can sit on to take off my boots and snow covered outer layers,without bringing extra moisture into a tent. A pit like this also makes it possible to vent the tent, even if there’s a storm outside.
Rear View
One thing that I’m going to look carefully at this winter is how the Kilo 2P performs in wind. In setting it up, it’s clear that you probably want to set up the rear into the wind. In setting up the fly, there is a little bit more play between the inner and outer fly than I’d expect or is probably desirable. It’s not too bad at the rear of the tent where you can tighten the fly flush to the ground, but it’s loose on the tent sides which don’t have any tie outs at all. This could be good for cutting down on tent condensation or if could be bad in a cross-wind: I guess I’ll find out when I test it.
There are three additional loops sewn into the exterior of the fly to help hold it down in wind and help pull the away fly from the inner tent surface. One is located on the back ridgeline of the fly about a third of the way up the middle pole and the other two are located on either side of the tent vestibule.
That’s a preview. I haven’t used a double walled tent in years so this should be an interesting testing project this winter. I don’t think the new version of the Kilo 2- is available in stores yet for purchase, but I imagine it will be before long.
Kilo 2P Specifications:
- Capacity: 2 people
- Min Weight: 2 pounds 3 ounces / 0.997 kg
- Packed Weight: 2 pounds 3 ounces / 1.12 kg
- Packed Size: 5.5 x 21 in / 14 x 53 cm
- Floor Area: 27.5 sq ft / 3.55 sq m
- Vestibule Area: 5.4 sq ft / 0.5 sq m
- Head Height: 35 in / 84 cm
Disclosure: Easton Mountain Sports has provided Section Hiker with a loaner Kilo 2P tent for testing.
Tags
- easton Kilo 2P
- EASTON Kilo
- easton kilo 2p review
Yeah, 27.5 sqft is a bit small. Several years ago I looked at many 2 person tents and decided that a 30-35 sqft floor plan was the minimum for 2 people and *some* gear. Several manufacturers regularly go with less though.
The stakes are a nice touch. Regular ti shepherd hook stakes go about 6 grams average. The poles are really excelent for weight. At 2.5 pounds, they are looking good for a double walled tent.
I believe you will find that thee will be quite a bit of condensation on the fly in colder temps and especially in winter. The small volume dictates that there will be quite a bit. A 35" head height is always a bit short and in an angular tent(further reducing internal area) will spell C-O-N-D-E-N-S-A-T-I-O-N.
Overall, I was impressed with the design, it started me thinking (again) about what could be done with a single bent pole. Thanks for the look!
There's no doubt that the vestibule will need to remain open at night – the question is how much air will be able to flow through on the sided and even under the rear. It may need a little "customization", perhaps by propping my trekkling poles or snowshoes under the sides of the fly to move more air through. It's a weird hobby, but I like to play with this kind of stuff.
Hi Phil,
Of course with the inner being completely mesh any condensation will drip through onto your expensive down bag. Especially in the foot well area.
Also i would suggest that side guys are required.
It’s definitely not a comfy 2 man size for backpacking but will be ok for adventure racing.
But if it’s a 1 man backpacking tent then there are much better options.
Thanks for reviewing it.
I'd never use the Kilo for 3 season camping. This is strictly a winter experiment and my style of winter mountaineering is probably closer to adventure racing than most peoples'.
I also thought it'd be interesting to revisit the double walled tent paradigm. It's not something I've used since I car camped many years ago. Big Agnes has a sub 2 pound tent coming out next year that is double-walled, and many other manufacturers are pushing the weights down on their existing tents. How far can they go?
Thanks for the review. I've been hawking this product since the summer Outdoor Show bulletins came out. I'm looking for a lightweight 2P to use solo camping in winter. I plan to combine this with the new 48" Thermarest Neoair Xtherm and my zero degree bag. Meets my baseweight target. Big fan of your blog, keep up the good work.
I'll be curious to find out how it works in the wind with no guyouts on the side of the fly..
The Color really, really, really, really Annoys me…I will only buy tents with muted earth tone Colors, I can't stand what I call cheap Mexican Taco Stand colors…Yuck….So that said, I believe my Shires Squall is a better deal and color….and I'll keep my Old REI Gold colored Easton Stakes their longer and hold better in all types of soil and snow.. But to each their own…
eddie – I bought a Squall 1 to use in winter and ended up selling it because it didn't work for me. It's not self standing and I hated the corner tie-outs that Henry put on that tent. They're fine (though overly complex) for 3 season camping, but I found them fussy to anchor in snow.
Earlylite, I didn't realize your main concern for this tent was it being a 4 season tent! I have dreamed for over 40 years that the Manufacturers would come up with a true 4 season tent that did not weigh a ton and would allow me to use my small Coleman propane heater inside. The Heater has been approved for inside the larger tents that I have, a 12×12, 12×15, 10×10 and a 7×8, yes I have a lot of tents, over a dozen that I have purchased over the years looking for that perfect tent..The Squal is the closest I've found to my perfect tent for 3 season use. But for Winter. Other than the Color please do a thorough test for I'd like to have a good Backpacking Winter Tent that keeps in the warmth…
I have used the MH Lightwedge 2 as a winter tent. It is a 3 season tent with a lot of mesh.
I have had plenty of condensation that frosted on the underside of the fly but no issues with that frost landing on me or my bag. I found that the tent traps little or no heat. So the tent is a wind / snow barrier only. I had issues with snow blowing under the fly and through the mesh and landing on the bag.
I had to build 1 foot high snow walls around the tent, but not too close cause I was afraid of no air circulation. I kept the top side of the door open to promote ventilation cause the tent didn't have a ridge line vent; keep considering cutting/hemming something into the fly but worry it would be ruined for rain protection.
I stayed in the valleys so no idea about wind loads. Doing a snowy night I set my alarm and went out and brushed the snow off as I was afraid of the snow load collapsing the tent.
Hi,
Could you do some interior length, width, and height measurements?
Thanks
Sure – might be a few weeks though before I set it up again. I had it out two nights ago. It is definitely not a two person tent though. The inner tent walls slope at too low an angle and the vestibule is miniscule.
One of the backpacking magazines should invest in a 3D laser scanner, so they could generate 3D scans of the interiors of all tents that come their way.
Hi. Earlylite,
About this tent, Easton Kilo, there is not much information, especially in S.Korea where I live.
Could you tell me about the Kilo's poles strength? especially in windy weather. It looks weak and I have never used carbon tent poles before. Actually, my 4 season tent is being repaired bacause of a strong wind so I am worrying about that.
Anyway, Thanks for your review, it is very helpful information.
Sun – this really is a first look and not a review or an endorsement, and although I've slept out in this tent already, like you I still have many questions about it. The tent is not available for sale yet and I know that Easton is only just starting to pull together the documentation for it, but I assure you I also had a long list of questions that I want them to answer.
Earlylite,
Thanks for your quick response. Because the "Kilo" is not yet proved as you said, I finally choose "Akto" from Hilleberg. I am gonna buy it soon.('cause I am a kind of "tentless backpacker" now)
Anyhow, the "Kilo" is still attractive, especially during summer season in Korea. It is very humid and high temperature so I will keep waching on your next reviwe.
Tnanks. Have a good day!!
My wife and I are considering the Kilo tent. The reviews and comments here were very helpful. Keep up the good work.