Easton Kilo

Hello,

I only have one sleeping bag and I use 3/4 length pads. When I have more time and it is not raining (in Southern California no less) I will stage my bag/pad combo for some pics.

Here is a better look at the aluminum/bumper section of the lateral pole.

Randy

"I think the 2011 Nemo Obi Elite should give this a big run for the money. 31sq feet, steep vertical wall ends, over 40" of headroom, freestanding, double walled, side entry, and 2.7lbs. Oh, and cheaper. Money was spent on fabrics and design, instead of just the poles."

"sq footage, BPL listed the 1 person version with 31 sq ft and the 2 person with 27 sq ft. I think this was a typo and should have been reversed."

With the Kilo apparently coming in too small for two real people, I've been looking at a few of the other options for the coming season. Unfortunately not much is looking great at this point.

As it turns out, the 'Elite' version of the 2 person Nemo Obi tent isn't going to be released now until '2012 at the earliest'. Also, the interior floor area is indeed 27 sq ft. BPL did not mix the numbers around, but rather the 31 sq ft for the solo tent was simply a typo (it should have said 21sq ft for the 1 person).

The non-Elite version of the Obi 2p will be available shortly ($390 @ REI) and it is a nice tent. This might be a nice way to go, since paying an extra $80 for the Elite version and giving up a door & vestibule just to save 0.3 lbs isn't that appealing.

My main concerns with the Nemo Obi 2p are:

1) The length is 84" which might be kinda short with the sloping foot end wall.

2) The large fly cut outs at the ends of the tent essentially make it a single wall where your head/feet may touch the walls, this combined with the potentially short length may lead to a condensation problem.

Dan, we are thinking on the same wavelength. I had seen this tent before but didn't remember it being this nice (and not so thrilled with the fly configuration), but if it works out to be the size they say it is, it may be a nice alternative to the few others out there. I really like the double side-entry doors too. -I just discovered that BA has a Fly Creek UL3 for 2011. It is about 3.4 lbs, 90 x 66/60, 39 SF of floor area, 12.5 of vestibule, and walls that are more verticle than the UL2. Also, much more freestanding than the UL2. Plenty big for two normal size people and their gear as well. I'm working on a table of several tents I'm interested in and will start a new 2-man tent thread in the next week.

Randy, thanks for sharing all you have about the Kilo.

The Fly Creek UL3 is a pretty neat option. It's a darn lot of space for just 3.2 lbs 'trailweight' which is very sweet. I will keep this option in mind. My initial concerns are:

1) $450 is getting pricey
2) 1200mm is pretty low for the floor waterproofing.

Its in the same size range as the SMD Lunar Duo, probably my favorite cottage-built tent, but is freestanding and double-walled.

Randi,

Thanks for the pics. I am debating between the Easton Kilo or the Fly Creek UL1. Tough choice. Do you have any additional interior pics etc.?

Chris, I don't have any photos. But I've been doing quite a bit of tent research lately. The Kilo has a much better floor, is a bit wider, but is heavier and a $100 more. Both tents have the same head height. The FC UL1 is longer at 86" and lighter, but also somewhat narrower; it should make a great solo shelter though. You can get it on the trail for two lbs. or slightly less depending on the stakes you use and the bag or bags you pack it in. You may also be able to find this tent online cheaper than the Kilo. Good luck in making your final decision.

Hello,

I will plan some more real world like scenarios for the Kilo next weekend. My sleeping bag is for hikers up to 6'4" (old Moonstone one). That will give me a sense of interior space. If I can sit up and read at night that will be a big plus. If I can spread my junk around and still be able to cook out through an open door and vestibule that will be nice. For me a bug-tight shelter than can take some winds and a bit of snow will go along ways in the Sierras.

Randy

Hello,

After finally ridding myself of the flu I took the Kilo out along with my "normal" sleeping bag and pad and set it up again. My sleeping bag is a 3-season Moonstone that was for backpackers up to 6'4". I use a 3/4 length pad normally.

What I found is that my sleeping bag is as about 81 inches when stretched out. It reaches from front right to back right corners. There is about 10" of floor space to the very end of the tent. You will see from my pictures that the back of the tent is very "shallow". When I did push my sleeping bag against the wall it would be possible to fit two bags perfectly side by side.

What I also realized is that there is more space in the vestibule than I thought. I placed my camera bag (it is 10 inches deep) into the vestibule and it did not push out the door. There is more space there for storage

My school-yard setup demonstrates to me that two people (in 6'0" bags) will be very cozy. As long as you do not need to spend an afternoon riding out a storm it will suffice.

For my own usage (solo) it will allow me to use it as a bug-tent when it is dry and let me bring everything indoors for less than two pounds. At the end of June I will do a 6 day trip in the Sierras ,as a shakedown, for a three week trip in August. I will make a groundcloth and swap out all of the lines, stakes and bags before I go.

Randy

Great pics, Randy. First ones I've seen that offer a really great "real world" perspective on the tent.

Does the fabric feel solid? Does it look like it'll hold up well in a storm?

To me the Kilo is over-engineered for the backpackers that frequent this site.

I believe that with some fabric switching that Easton could produce this tent at 1.5 pounds. I call this tent "mainstream ultralight". The manufacturers have to show products to dealers 6-12 months in advance. While this is happening fabric technology is advancing. As I said in my first posting, it appears Easton had to make a last-minute change to the design, due to the aluminum pre-bent bumper section in the lateral pole and the fact that the pole bag is too short. This would lead one to the idea of pole failure from two tight a radius from the pre-production one that was shown to the public.

The fabric used in the fly could be adopted to the floor. I also believe that it should be possible to produce a 10d mesh using a Spectra or Dyneema fabric and that a sub-ounce Cuben type material could be used for the fly using overlay patterns like on sails.

As with the cottage designers we are seeing advancement (but at a cost of $). The Kilo sells for list at $399 but in two years we may see a Kilo-L version for the same price but at a 25% weight reduction.

Thanks for the compliments on the pictures. I teach science full-time but I have done some photography for $ as a sports and event shooter as a side line.

Randy

Randy,
Curious why you think this tent is overengineered, but suggest fabrics like Cuben to improve it.

Maybe you were thinking about the frame. But isn't the frame really a not so successful attempt to imrove on Big Agnes and similar hub dome designs without using hubs? A laudable goal, since hubs can weigh equal to considerable pole length, but not so easy to accomplish.

Thanks from me also for the excellent photos. Wish I could do that.

by over-engineered I assume he was referring to safety factors in the design. Meaning the tent has more durability and/or redundancy than most BPLers require in a tent.

Hello Nathan,

Yes, I would say that for for backpackers that are switching camps (from mainstream to lightweight) this would match the level of use and abuse that people would give it. The floor fabric appears to be very durable. This looks like a tent to do the whole PCT or CDT without worrying about it.

I do not abuse my equipment, but I do not baby it either. I use a groundcloth (polycro) because it was ingrained in me at an early age.

Randy

Thanks for the additional info. Randy (and everyone else). It looks like I am just going to have to flip a coin on the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 versus the Easton Kilo. Or, maybe I should wait a year and see how Big Agnes responds to the new competition.

"You can get it on the trail for two lbs. or slightly less depending on the stakes you use and the bag or bags you pack it in."

You can definitely get it on the tail for less than 2 lbs. Keep in mind that you really don't need to carry all of those stakes if you use alternate methods to stake/secure your tent. I often use a 3-rock method–one long, narrow rock (or stick) attached to a guy line and held in place by a couple of heavier rocks.

I have a Fly Creek 1. In certain conditions (especially for solo trips or wet or buggy environments) I love it. There's plenty of room in the vestibule for a pack. Traveling solo, there's no one to hang out with, so I don't really need a lot of covered tarp space. When it starts pouring, I love to eat a quick, no-cook meal and climb into my cozy nest for some relaxation (and reading) time.

Hello,

Like others I like to read before sleeping. No matter what, I cannot fall asleep until about midnight so I read or listen to music. Although this year I am bringing my Kindle to read by headlamp instead of the old paperback that we would burn after reading a section. At least the Kindle is lighter than the book I used to bring.

I need my "headspace".

Randy

"You can get it on the trail for two lbs. or slightly less depending on the stakes you use and the bag or bags you pack it in."

And I guess I should have also brought up the point the the FC UL2 is just a few ounces heavier and a bunch more roomier. It's another great option for the solo hiker who wants a good bug-proof, weather worthy palace.

The problem that is mine (and I am sure many others) is that I am stuck in time.

Psychology Tangent………..

I started backpacking when Kelty, Sierra Designs, TNF, Camp Trails were the names. My first backpack was canvas. I used to ask my brother to drive to the Kelty store in Glendale. I worked at REI in Carson, Calif. when I was in college. I "imprinted" on certain brands. Unless that company registered in me and I could walk up and touch it there is no connection. Big Agnes, and many other companies, were not part of my formative backpacking period.

Because of other sports, the brand "Easton" has been conditioned in me. I spoke with Glen Van Peski (of GossamerGear) face to face. I made a connection.

It takes a lot longer for an old dog to learn new tricks.

Lightweight backpacking is an evolutionary process for me.

My music period was Zeppelin, Queen, ZZ Top…………….what's a Lady GaGa?

Randy

Randy, my first pack was a Camp Trails. It was orange with an external silver aluminium frame of course. And I carried Kelty back then as well. My old dark blue 0* sleeping bag stuffed with polartec is out in the garage tucked away safe. Used a Sierra cup for many years and had a set of light blue Goretex gaters when Goretex had just appeared on the market. So, ya, I understand. But I did take a pretty long break from it all. And its been tremendously rewarding reentering the sport. After hiking with 35-40 lb loads last year, I'm really glad for this UL and SUL thing (thanks BPL, all of you). I'm getting a bunch lighter and enjoying a few luxuries too. Making my breaks where I can. Enjoying God's natural world more than ever. And really, I can't wait to see what new choices in gear will come along next…..

Randy
just curious . How old are you ?
( I am wondering when that state of mind will hit me)
Franco

Hello,

Maybe it should not be what my age is (56) but that I started backpacking 45 years ago and that I have been a teacher for 33 years.

Randy

I am still 55 but that will change next month. I have been hiking for only 38 years. My music is from the Beatles, Joni Mitchell and CSN. My pack was heavy but I have taught myself how to lighten up to under 25lbs including food for 4 days and a 4lb camera setup. Fortunately I don't think 10' tall and bullet proof anymore, just think and more often listen ;~D

I better watch out than. I'll be 56 in another couple of months…
Franco

Just received the Kilo yesterday and thought there was a mistake–the box it was delivered in seemed too light. Everything was in the box, but coming from the Quarter Dome T1 I was using, I was expecting something with a little more heft.

I use a cheap Target kitchen scale so my measurements are not exact (I round up to the nearest ounce), but basically all my numbers correspond with Randy's and I think the tent generally measures up to its name. Straight from the box, with paperwork and all extraneous stuff included, the whole package weighed about 40 oz. The poles by themselves (absent rubber bands and bag) weighed about 5 oz, with the bands and bag about 6 oz. The tent fly weighed in at about 12 oz and the tent itself weighed in at 17 oz. As for the stakes (there are 10), with bag, guy lines, and pole repair piece, they weighed in at 4 oz. By themselves, I got 3 oz. I also got 1 oz for the tent bag. So, depending on how things are shifted around, it's pretty easy for the package to weigh about a kilo.

One of the things that made me choose the Kilo over the Fly Creek UL 1, the other tent I was considering, is the fact that it uses more conventional tent materials. I figured I might be able to use this tent without the footprint, get more size, and save some weight. My initial impressions are that I made the right decision. As Randy indicated, the tent fabric feels more than sufficient; the tent may be over engineered for some of the folks here. Additionally, while light, the poles did not seem weak or overly fragile when I did an initial setup inside my house.

I'll post some picks tomorrow after I do a real setup outside. Either way, I can't wait for a free weekend to give this tent a go.