Tent, sweet tent

Today's campground cabanas are far from the designs of the past.

All good tents -- like the six models reviewed below -- come tightly bundled for transport and are easy to set up with poles that are pre-connected to snap in place. The seams come sealed, too, so nary a drop of water drips in.

Eureka's N!ergy tent even comes wired with electric outlets and overhead lights.

Such features aren't cheap. Expect to spend $200 or more for a good-quality tent, though you can get a four-person tent for less than $150. But be careful: Inexpensive tents can be less durable and are less likely to hold up in high winds and downpours.

These recommendations are tents made for families of four or more. Whether you're in the back country, on a canoe trip or car camping at an area state park, one of these models is sure to protect your family as you sleep under the stars.

A budget buy, the Yellowstone 4 is a freestanding four-person shelter good for car camping or canoe trips. It packs for transport to a manageable 10 pounds, 14 ounces, and its nylon walls are watertight. A mesh ceiling promotes breathability on hot nights. Put on the rain fly, and this three-season tent will harbor you and your little campers even if gray skies and raindrops try to ruin your weekend.

Price: $144.95 at REI.com

This tall tent - more than 6 feet high at its apex - has enough space to comfortably sleep four grown adults. Indeed, with 64 square feet of floor space, two parents and two kids will have room to spare. Made for spring, summer or fall, the Kelty sets up with three long poles that slip into color-coded sleeves and then attach taut with U-clips on the outer walls. A vestibule lets you stow shoes and backpacks out of the rain. Packs into a duffel bag case that weighs 16 pounds.

Price: $349.

Contact: www.kelty.com

This mesh tent weighs less than 7 pounds, but can accommodate four campers and their gear. With 57 square feet of floor space, the Lightning XT 4, which comes with a rain fly for bad weather, is an ultimate big tent for use on the trail. Divvy up its contents - stakes to one hiker, poles to another - and each person only has to add 2 pounds to his or her pack. (Exact total weight is 6 pounds, 13 ounces.) Two doors and two vestibules add easy access to gear stowed outside.

Price: $449.

The Eureka N!ergy 9, touted as a "powered home away from home," is compatible with the company's E! Power Pack batteries. Charge up the pack at home to power a fan, lights, vacuum cleaner and other accessories at your campsite. Further, a 12-volt DC (cigarette lighter) outlet lets campers power laptops, iPods, cell phones, air-mattress pumps and other electronics with the appropriate plugs and adaptors. The tent weighs about 15 pounds and becomes a 9- by 9-foot shelter that sleeps four to five people.

Price: $209 (not including accessories).

Contact: www.eurekatent.com

Gear storage is the name of the game with the Asashi, a 63-square-foot shelter that sleeps four and has an optional "garage" vestibule attachment big enough to accommodate beach chairs or upright bicycles. While the garage is optional - it adds $139 to the tent price - Nemo includes a standard vestibule and four large interior pockets. A gear loft, which hooks to the ceiling and adds a mesh shelf inside the tent, costs $18. The Asashi can also be fitted with Nemo's Pawprint floor, a polyester cover that protects the fabric floor from dog claws.

Price: $399 (tent only).

This top-end shelter accommodates eight adults and is marketed as the "grand-daddy of all base camp-style tents." Made for year-round use the Flying Diamond features a zippered partition to create a two-room suite. The tent body is a breathable polyester with nylon mesh windows. Its rain fly and floor are made of polyester rip-stop nylon with a waterproof polyurethane coating. There are 10 mesh storage pockets and a vestibule off the main room. Comes with a total of 20 lightweight aluminum stakes.

Price: $599.95.

Contact: www.bigagnes.com