I did a lot of research on the internet for a high-quality tent for my family of four, and I read many good reviews about this tent and company, and very few negative reviews. So I bit the bullet and paid the extra money for what I hoped would be a tent that would last many years.
That was in spring 2007, and since then we have camped over 15 times in that tent, and my wife and I agree that this is the best tent we have ever owned. We have had everything from thunderstorms with hail to extremely windy weather, and the only thing that failed was a grommett popped out on one of the lower corner straps.
When I contacted Paha Que about the problem, they arranged to pick the tent up, repair the grommet and return it to me at no charge. I thought that kind of customer service was dead, but apparently not so with some companies. I am very please with our purchase and experience with the tent. Just wanted to share...

Customer Service

excellent

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Kelty 6 person tent
Coleman 4 person dome tent

Pros Size, materials Cons Construction quality, warranty service, propensity to behave like a sail in any appreciable wind. Details: With my family expanding by two babies, I needed a bigger tent and, based on some research, decided on the Paha Que's Pamo valley. Fell in love with it during the first camping as it was big enough for four of us. More importantly, I could stand up straight. End of first camping, found one of the poles bent, called Paha Que and received a replacement pole promptly. Second trip the weather turned nasty (wind and rain) during the night. The tent started to get whipped around literally bouncing us around. Found the upwind guylines all over the place in the morning. Even the two corner stakes were uprooted. The tent was dry on the inside, though. The third trip was with weather getting warmer, opened the flap on the window and while closing it, the zipper broke. Noticed a caterpillar crawling into the tent. Upon closer inspection the tent had ripped in one corner. Called Paha Que and arranged for the tent to be sent to them on my dime. The person I talked to mentioned putting some "extra material" in the corner. I told him if he means a patch, I do not want a patched tent that I had paid $500 for and used three time for a grand total of eight days. Got the tent back and it had the "extra material", a patch, that is. Since I bought the tent from altrec.com, I will be testing their unconditional warranty by returning it. Bottom line: It is a spacious tent made with quality materials. The construction is dubious, based on my experience. But, if you can make sure that you never camp on a windy day and do some proactive preventative repairs to the zippers so that they dont run off the end, that is just casually tucked under the tent material, you might enjoy it. The shape of the tent makes it a behave like a BIG sail.

Customer Service

Courteous. Responsive unless they feel what they have to say might not be received too kindly.

Similar Products Used:

Never owned a tent this big or this expensive

We are wilderness campers,and the Paha-Que Pamo Valley made the wilderness seam like down town at the Hilton.This tent is all about comfort. Large dosen't describe the feeling once inside.It sets up easly,with a few practice runs in the back yard.(take my word on this one)It is an expensive tent but you get what you pay for. A tent thats all class and comfort.I've camped for many years in many different tents from coleman to sears to eureka and this tent is the winner hands down.

Customer Service

On our first time out the stitching came loose on the corner webing.A call to Paha-Que and it was picked up at my door by ups free of charge and all arrangements made by the people at Paha-Que.No questions ask.A new tent was ship to my door free of charge.Try that with another brand.These people stand behind what they sell.I'm a customer for life.