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Budget Baker Tent - Onetigris Tigersden Baker Style Tent Review
One year on from purchasing this budget baker tent it’s time to share my experiences of camping in this classic but rather quirky shelter.
My first time spent in the Onetigris Tigersden baker style tent was a month long car camping trip to the West Country.
The camping trip involved 10 different pitches throughout the month-long tour. During that time the OneTigris was put to the test under varying weather conditions.
Read on to find out more about my time spent camping in the Tigersden.
What is a Baker Tent?
If you’re reading this you probably have a good idea of what a baker tent is. For those who are less familiar, put simply it’s a lean-to style tent with a large open front with a sleeping area under the sloping roof.
The canopy at the front can be used for sitting underneath as part of a porch style set up or zipped closed along the wings on both side walls to provide extra storage space during rainy weather.
The origin of this style of tent and the name “Baker” has a number of theories dating back to the 19th century. Some say logging and mining camps back in the 1800s used a Yankee baker oven” to both cook and keep warm.
J Wayne over at Rural Sportsman talks about the history of this classic tent in more detail if you’re interested.
One thing that is certain is that folks have enjoyed the lean-to design which allows for a campfire to keep the camper warm while under the front canopy for many years.
Why Choose The OneTigris Tigersden?
For those of you looking for a Baker style tent on a budget then there’s not a great deal of choice on the market. The OneTigris Tigersden fills that gap quite nicely in my view.
It is a stand-alone-tent providing you a full open view of the surrounding nature, while sheltering you from wind and rain.
On that note it’s difficult to think of a modern tent design that gives you the same connection with the environment around you while camping.
There’s enough space in the sleeping compartment for 4 adults,plus all their gear. In fairer weather conditions with the front porch set up you have even more space to sit and have a meal or just sit and relax under shade.
Practical Uses
Below I have listed some of the uses that the Tigersden would be suited for. For the space available it’s not overly heavy weighing in at 4.2kg/ 9.4Ib.
Of course at over 9lb the tent is far too heavy for hiking trips. The tent does compact down into a size which allows it to be bungee corded to a large motorcycle perhaps and will fit inside a large kayak’s waterproof bow or stern hatch areas.
If you “car camp” this opens up a whole lot of extra living comforts. There’s plenty of room for food storage coolers, sleeping cots or beds, foldable camping tables, even dual burner stoves.
- Car camping
- Off-road camps
- Motorcycle camping
- Canoe trips
- Kayak wilderness camps
- Family back garden camp-outs
What Comes In The Kit
Inside the waterproof stuff bag that holds the complete kit there is the following.
- 12 x ultralight tent pegs
- 6 x guy-lines 4 tent poles
- 2 x utility tarps
- 1 x waterproof stuff bag
With the above kit you’re good to go. Although I would suggest replacing the tent pegs with a better designed peg. I found the pegs supplied with the tent slipped their guy lines too easily.
The standard pegs were also not easy to drive into more rocky ground with a mallet. I’d look at getting some rock tent pegs if you anticipate camping on harder ground.
The guy lines do have an adjustable tensioner at one end, however you will have to tie a taut line hitch at the other end to allow full adjustment of the lines.
Dimensions: 220cm x 215cm – Main sleeping area
Pitching Up The Tent
Here’s a few tips that I’ll share with you now on how to pitch the Tigersden to make your first pitch of the tent a little bit easier.
- Lay the tent on the ground with the entrance facing the direction of choice.
- Peg down all 4 corners ensuring the ground sheet is pulled tight and is in line along all 4 sides.
- Attach the front guy lines, starting with the 2 front eyelets for the 2 front poles.
- Assemble 2 of the poles to full height, 3 sections each.
- Place one of the front poles inside the eyelets and attach the guy line to a tent peg.
- Tip: Now peg down the wing directly next to the pole you have just placed upright. Peg down both the side and front of the wing.
- With the first front pole upright and secure. Repeat with the opposite side front pole.
- Add tension to the 2 front guy lines holding the front poles so the top of the front is level and not sagging down.
- Now attach the rear guy line and peg down at 45 degrees the 2 end lines.
- Tip: If you’re not using the front porch you can use the top section of the 2nd pair of poles to hold the rear of the tent up for added air flow.
Following those 10 steps in pitching the tent will give you the basic sleeping compartment area.
You now have the option of using the second set of poles to erect the canopy / door to act as a weather or sun shade, plus add the 2 additional tarps to the sides.
During my extended camping trip I left all the guy lines attached to the canvas. I had no issues with tangles in doing so.
I also add extra guy lines to the 2 poles at the front of the porch sections for added rigidity when the wind is above 20 mph.
Configurations
This is where the OneTigris Baker Style tent comes into its own and that’s all the different configurations that are available.
Having the 2 extra tarps means you can quickly move the tarps from one side of the front porch to the other. This is useful to shade from the sun and wind during the day.
You can even shorten the 2 front poles to 2 sections which offers a sloping front canopy to sit underneath when it rains.
I’d suggest derigging the front porch for particularly inclement weather as it catches the rain and wind far too much after a short period of time.
With the front canopy / door zipped along the wings on either side of the shelter you now have a porch area for storing muddy hiking boots and wet weather gear to dry off.
Durability
Overall, I had no major issues with the build quality of the tent and associated fixings. It’s fair to say during the month-long camping trip the weather conditions varied from slight wind to winds forecast at over 40 mph.
Material
The 75D Nylon with a 1500mm waterproof rating stood up well to heavy rain overnight. I had set my camp bed several feet away from the rear of the tent so as to avoid bedding or gear from becoming soaked with rainwater.
Seams
This is where the Tigersden had a slight failing. All of the seams which appear to be double stitched held up well to water ingress. 
Apart from the seam at the rear of the sloping roof.
In heavy rain water tended to pool at the base of the sloping roof material and this led to water seeping into the sleeping area. As mentioned above this wasn’t a big issue for me as I had my gear and sleeping system several feet away from the seam.
I would suggest applying tent seam sealant to this problem area and perhaps all the seams on the tent for extra weather protection.
Poles
No issues with the poles. They are not the lightest it has to be said. When assembling the poles they snapped together with ease.
I would have liked to see 2 short, single section poles included with the kit to allow additional air flow at the rear of the tent.
Zippers
All of the YKK zippers on both the front fly sheet and the door / front canopy operated without any problems as such. Although you do have to ensure the canvas tabs used to toggle both the side porch tarps onto the roof don’t snag the zippers.
Final Thoughts
First off, I did enjoy my extended camping tour with the OneTigris. Although there were moments when I became exasperated with the tent and the reason for that in a word was; Wind!
Pitched up in winds above 15 mph and the tent does become very noisy with all sections of the tent billowing in the gusts. After a while this can become tiresome, especially during the night.
In contrast a modern tunnel style tent would have little issue with winds below 20 mph. At times during the month-long tour I did wish I’d brought my modern 4 man tunnel design tent instead.
The real bonus to this tent is the porch. The front porch allows you to have the tent open during the evening and at night. I spend many an hour under the canopy enjoying a drink gazing at the stars.
The big question for a baker style tent is, “Can you have a fire under the front canopy?” The answer is a definitive NO. I strongly suggest having no naked flames or embers anywhere near the OneTigris as the material is flammable.
For those looking for a more traditional Baker style tent to enjoy the heat from a fire I’d suggest looking at the Red Tent Company for such tents.
The picture below shows my basic camping gear set up inside the baker tent. Shown is a Coleman single burner stove, plus a folding camping bed for added comfort.
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