Cut the price of your family vacation: Go camping

Vacationers typically cut back on luxury accommodations during tough economic times, but not always.

By skipping the hotels altogether, family camping trips can be first-rate vacations without big spending. The key to maintaining a happy camp centers on the accommodations. You need comfortable shelter for the whole family, and not just for sleeping. Given the possibility of wacky weather, you need a comfortable place for the family to while away a rainy day in camp.

We recently looked at the current crop of car-camping tents and found that a local outfitter once again offers the best bet for Northwest adventures. REI's latest big tent, the Kingdom 6, offers room for the full family to spread out for the night.

But for when the kids want to stay up late, a zippered divider wall splits the tent into two separate rooms. The "front" room features mesh walls so it works well as a family room and gear locker, while the "back" room has solid fabric walls for privacy and darkness. A second door on the back of the tent means each room has its own entrance for added convenience.

At 6-feet-2-inches tall, I found I could stand upright in the center of the tent, though I had to stoop slightly along the side walls. The 83 square feet of floor space (about evenly divided when the wall is zipped in place) comfortably sleeps a family of six plus a dog or two.

The Kingdom 6 sets up quickly and easily with two people, though one person can handle the task with a bit of effort. We found the tent withstands wind and rain with ease, having survived 30 mph winds along the Pacific Coast and stood firm under heavy snow loads in the Methow Valley.

The Kingdom can be expanded with an optional vestibule extension — like adding a covered porch to the shelter when you need extra storage and/or living space. The tent is also available in a 4-person version.

The Kingdom 6 runs $349, while the 4-person version sells for $299. More information: www.rei.com.