Easton Kilo 3P Tent

Slicker than slug slime is what you'll no doubt say about Easton's newest tent, the Kilo 3p. Weighing in at a mere 3lbs this tent is as light and function oriented as they get. So much so that this tent may be the only tent you'll ever use for your trips from solo to multiple person.

• Weight: 3lbs 2oz
• Head room: 40 in
• Floor area: 43 sq ft
• MSRP: $499 (released March 2012)

This tent dialed in for one purpose, to make your experience while camping more enjoyable. No it does not come with a coffee press or jet pack, this tent makes life on the trail easier by not weighing you down. This does not start when you lay your head down at night, it starts at the trailhead, as you lift your pack for the hike you will notice how much lighter your pack is. The push towards lighter and lighter gear is one of those things that has such a huge impact on your overall enjoyment of the trip that it is hard not to take notice when companies champion the idea.

Easton has done just that by utilizing their new lighter carbon pole system in their tents that has saved an average of 60% weight over the comparable competitor. These weight savings have allowed Easton to come out swinging into the tent world and to be honest we are pretty stoked about it.

At first glance the tent appears to utilize a basic 3 pole design but once you set it up you realize that the poles are situated in such a way to actually pull the sides of the tent outward starting at the base allowing much greater room around your head and feet while you sleep. The two cross poles are easily identified by color and are threaded and locked in with ease. The third pole is where the magic happens, this ridge pole actually fits into a piece of fabric sewn under the doorway which further aids in opening up the interior of the tent.

At first I thought the system would be lame but it actually really helped and due to the bend of the ridge pole it holds the vestibule fabric out farther allowing for greater storage space for boots, packs, empty beer cans, or dogs.

The tent slept well and once fully guyed out it really breathed well and even though we were sleeping near a creek there was not a ton of condensation on the interior of the tent. As for it being a 3 person home…sure, I guess, but I think it would be a more comfy 2 person after all, three's a crowd, right?

The bathtub floor is nice and fairly high sided which helped when wind picked up and got under the vestibule allowing just a bit of air flow but not enough to cause issues. But going for the lightest of the light meant that the normal vents and interior pockets were ditched to save weight which is a bummer in my opinion because to be honest I really like interior pockets to stash head lamps and other knickknacks and the vents can be a life saver on multi-day drips, after a high fiber dinner or areas in which condensation can build up. Another key thing that I just found out is that if you buy the footprint (sold separately $35) to these tents you can set it up with out the body and really get super duper light.

The afor mentioned roomy vestibule is large enough to put boots on while still sitting in the tent and it even has enough room to cook in should you be caught for days on end in a torrential down pour. Which is a nice thing considering most weight weenie tent manufacturers cut out the vestibule space straight away.

For a tent that is dialed in for the light and fast world I definitely feel that the Kilo 3p could hold it's own for durability as well. While not a expedition worthy set up this tent would no doubt work on longer treks and with the weight savings you will out a doubt be able to cover more ground more enjoyably.