FORGET ROUGHING IT--CAMP IN LUXURY.

• Position: Brief Article

You open a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc by a crackling fire. The sweet aroma of grilled rosemary trout beckons you to dinner, so you grab the remote control to turn off the light in your suite--or tent, as campers affectionately call it. No, it's not the Ritz; it's the great outdoors.

Campers have more options now than ever before that make camping an attractive alternative even for those who don't like to rough it. You can say au revoir to sleeping on the hard ground, crammed into a one-room tent with your entire family, and eating blase food. Anyone can enjoy the luxuries of a hotel vacation in the beauty of the outdoors. It's far less expensive than a night in the city, and no early-morning checkout is required.

Just think of your campsite as your own open-air suite. Each of the bedrooms has a flocked airbed topped with a warm, comfy sleeping bag. Your living room is arranged with comfortable folding chairs, rockers, and tables, or even inflatable sofas and easy chairs. You also can have a camp kitchen with a portable sink in the outdoors.

"Today, we see all types of campers," says Jim Reid, public relations director for The Coleman Co., manufacturers of camping equipment. "We still have the diehards, folks who want to rough it and take the minimalist approach. But the much, much stronger trend is families who want to maximize convenience and comfort. There's a re-surgence of camping and other outdoor pursuits. The reasons are many...