THE SEDATE OUTDOORS

ROUGHING IT? HARDLY. HIGH-TECH CAMPING GEAR IS TURNING PRIMITIVE ADVENTURE INTO A COZY GETAWAY

Perhaps late into the dank night, when the Smores have congealed to the consistency of government cheese and the sleeping bag begins to feel more like a moist Baggie, certain outdoorsmen begin to wish for the unspeakable: that the call of the wild would be answered by room service.

That might be one possible explanation for the explosion in sales of such wilderness products as L.L. Bean's portable "vacation home," a tent that sleeps five and includes a screen porch ($499); or the Coleman Company's "Event Center," a 40 1/2-in. collapsible bar with a 37-qt. storage compartment roomy enough for a...

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