By looking at ultralight camping gear as a whole rather than its individual pieces, MEC<\/a> was able to produce something truly original, said Mark Knight, the brand\u2019s director of product creation.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fun part actually is the amount of failure we went through to get here,\u201d Knight told GearJunkie. \u201cWe weren\u2019t interested in 1-centimeter-thick pads or tents like coffins. We wanted each product to still be relevant \u2014 as well as light.\u201d<\/p>\n MEC recently sent GearJunkie a sample 2Kilo Project kit, and after testing it during a cold, wet night in my front yard, I\u2019m stoked to take it on a real trail soon. The brand took some risks with its designs here. This kit certainly has some interesting ideas for making ultralight gear that\u2019s both functional and fun.<\/p>\n Check back for GearJunkie\u2018s full reviews of individual pieces from the MEC 2 Kilo Project kit. <\/p>\n The Lightness of It All<\/p>\n So just how lightweight is this kit? Altogether, the four pieces of this kit weigh just 4.4 pounds.<\/p>\n That\u2019s pretty impressive. Some sleeping bags and many tents weigh more than that on their own. My lightest-weight camping setup (combining together the four key items of tent, bag, pad, and pack) still weighs about 10 pounds, which many ultralighters would likely scoff at. So I reached out to some of my GearJunkie colleagues with even more experience in ultralight backpacking.<\/p>\n Camping Editor Will Brendza\u2019s kit clocks in at 6 pounds, 10 ounces, using a mix of gear from Sea to Summit, MSR, Mountain Hardwear, and Outdoor Vitals. As for Staff Writer Mary Andino, her preferred ultralight setup weighs 8 pounds, 11.4 ounces, and relies on gear from standby brands like Therm-a-Rest, NEMO, and Gossamer Gear.<\/p>\n Cutting several pounds off a person\u2019s setup is significant. My colleagues and I aren\u2019t interested in setting fastest known times on the trail \u2014 we mostly just want to get to our campsite with less back and shoulder soreness. But we also want a campsite that\u2019s decently comfortable, and the 2-Kilo Project serves up some cool innovations to make that happen while still shedding the ounces. <\/p>\n Alpha UL 1-Person Tent<\/p>\n The MEC Alpha UL<\/a> ($650) is a non-freestanding tent, but it includes a carbon fiber pole that can be used in place of a trekking pole.<\/p>\n Unlike many other ultralight tents, MEC\u2019s Alpha UL offers enough headspace to sit up while inside. Its L-shaped design might not put up much of a fight in heavy winds, so picking a campsite with decent protection from the elements will likely be crucial to using this effectively. It is very light, though, at just 1.2 pounds.<\/p>\n To shed more weight, the tent uses nylon rather than more durable materials. MEC\u2019s designers actually started the design process with a Dyneema variant, but opted against it because the material was too noisy. Instead, they went with nylon to \u201cprioritize a comfortable night\u2019s sleep,\u201d Knight said.<\/p>\n Perhaps the biggest factor in the tent\u2019s low weight is its carbon fiber pegs. At just 4 g each, Knight said they\u2019re likely \u201cthe lightest tent peg on Earth.\u201d I banged these into the ground with a heavy rock, and they proved sturdier than their featherweight class might suggest.<\/p>\n The Alpha UL is also a single-wall tent. That means you can expect some condensation. However, the tent\u2019s shape is designed to cause the condensation to drip down the sides and exit through ground vents. It was a wet night when I slept in the Alpha UL, but none of the moisture ended up on the bag (or my face), so I\u2019m calling that a win.<\/p>\n Bravo 6 Sleeping Pad <\/p>\n The sleeping pad in this kit is incredibly warm for its 1-pound weight. At 8 cm thick, the Bravo 6 Sleeping Pad<\/a> ($280) still has an R-value of 5.6, making it well-insulated for colder nights and shoulder-season outings.<\/p>\n MEC actually found a new synthetic material while developing the pad that reflects body heat. It\u2019s proprietary, so Knight didn\u2019t reveal its exact composition, but he said the material is often used in food or window coverings. <\/p>\n Regardless, it allows MEC to keep the pad\u2019s weight low while maximizing warmth. According to MEC, the material (made in Taiwan) is so effective that the brand is releasing another version of the pad this fall with an R-value above 9 (which would qualify as a full winter sleeping pad).<\/p>\n Inflation method<\/p>\n Mouth pump<\/p>\n \tAndrew McLemore<\/p>\n \u201cInitially, the sleeping pad came back with a 9.2 R Value. We thought it was a mistake, so we sent it off to an independent tester to make sure,\u201d Knight said. \u201cWe actually ended up dialing back the warmth for the 2-Kilo Project. But this tech is now leveling up the rest of our gear.\u201d<\/p>\n In my brief testing, I found the sleeping pad to be decently comfortable, easy to inflate, and (thankfully) not too noisy \u2014\u00a0something that I\u2019ve become more sensitive to in recent years. <\/p>\n Delta Pivot \u20132C Sleeping Bag<\/p>\n Of all four pieces in this kit, MEC\u2019s Delta Pivot \u20132C Sleeping Bag<\/a> ($600) throws one of the most interesting curveballs. Unlike most sleeping bags, this 900-fill down bag actually has a separate hood, rather than an attached one. According to Knight, this can offer several advantages over traditional mummy bag designs.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the initial modeling, we realized that the space above your shoulders \u2014 we have to heat and insulate that space. So we opted for a separate hood, which I\u2019ve never seen before,\u201d Knight said. \u201cIt\u2019s like an owl\u2019s head on a sleeping bag.\u201d<\/p>\n Insulation<\/p>\n 900 fill-power water-repellent goose down<\/p>\n \tAndrew McLemore<\/p>\n In other words, the snug fit of the hood makes it harder for frigid drafts to blow into the bag. So it may actually be warmer than traditional designs. (I\u2019ve encountered this problem enough times with traditional sleeping bags to know that MEC might be onto something here.)<\/p>\n In addition, if you\u2019re not camping in extreme cold, you can leave the hood behind, thus saving a bit more weight and pack space. Together, the bag and hood weigh 1.1 pounds. <\/p>\n Charlie 32L UL Pack<\/p>\n MEC\u2019s Charlie 32L UL Pack<\/a> ($300) doesn\u2019t quite have the attention-grabbing innovations of the rest of the kit \u2014 but it\u2019s still an impressive design.<\/p>\n![\"mec](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/mec-wide-shot.jpg\")
<\/a>(Photo\/Andrew McLemore)<\/p>\n![\"MEC](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/MEC-inside-tent.jpg\")
<\/a>(Photo\/Andrew McLemore)<\/p>\n![\"mec](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/mec-charlie-32L-backpack.jpg\")
<\/a>(Photo\/Andrew McLemore)<\/p>\n