MEC (Mountain Equipment Company)

Old Mountain Equipment Co-op gear — particularly items from the 1980s through early 2000s — is widely regarded by the community as exceptional, durable, and genuinely BIFL, with countless members reporting backpacks, jackets, and clothing lasting 20–30+ years. However, the community is nearly unanimous that quality declined significantly over the past decade and collapsed following the 2020 sale to a US private equity firm, which also ended the co-op structure. Most longtime members no longer recommend new MEC-branded products, reserving their praise almost entirely for vintage pieces.

Vintage MEC Co-op gear is genuinely BIFL and beloved by the community, but post-2020 MEC Company products are broadly considered poor quality at high prices, making era and logo a critical distinction for any purchase recommendation.

Vintage MEC gear — especially pre-2010, and particularly pre-2000 — is praised as some of the most durable outdoor equipment ever made, with members regularly reporting decades of heavy use with minimal wear. The co-op era also earned strong loyalty for its repair services, no-questions-asked returns, and knowledgeable staff.

• Backpacks from the 1990s still in functional use 25–30 years later
• Pre-buyout jackets and parkas lasted 15–29 years with regular use
• Co-op era offered free repairs, including zipper replacement after 15 years
• Canada-made clothing from the 1990s outlasted comparable Patagonia and Carhartt items
• Old mountain-logo gear consistently cited as reliable and well-constructed
• MEC used to carry knowledgeable staff and had outstanding customer service

The 2020 acquisition by a US private equity firm and loss of co-op status is the dominant grievance — members describe a sharp drop in quality, higher prices, a degraded warranty, and a loss of community identity. Even pre-buyout, quality had been declining since roughly 2000–2015.

• Post-2020 products described as Walmart-quality at premium prices
• Warranty and repair policies significantly weakened after privatization
• Quality decline began well before buyout, accelerating around the rebrand era
• Former employees and long-term members feel betrayed by the co-op dissolution
• New MEC-branded fleece, sweaters, and shells reported to fail within one season

One commenter who worked at MEC for eight years described being let go with a form email after the American takeover, saying the company treated long-time employees as if they were never part of something meaningful.

A member whose mother bought a MEC backpack before grade 3 noted it lasted until university — roughly 28 years — before the internal waterproofing finally gave out, calling it the most durable school bag they'd ever owned.

A longtime customer described trying to replace a beloved vintage MEC fleece sweater, only to find the new version pilled and wore out after a single year despite seeing a fraction of the use the original had.

One commenter summarized the arc of MEC succinctly: it used to offer top quality, often Canadian-made products at fair prices; now it keeps the high prices but has dropped everything else that made it worth shopping there.