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MEC

30-40% off parkas

  • Last Updated:
  • Jan 2nd, 2023 2:16 pm
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16 replies
Deal Addict
User avatar
Sep 15, 2006
1226 posts
604 upvotes
Montreal
For the Guides parka, they mention 650 fill-power duck down but no specs on the actual weight. :( Any idea?
Newbie
Nov 27, 2014
27 posts
19 upvotes
Toronto
I tried that guides down parka two times, both times spent huge effort to pull on the zipper.
I've had a lot of 2-way zipper clothoes none was like that. Decided to pass.
Sr. Member
Dec 9, 2014
562 posts
432 upvotes
GTA
That logo is an eyesore. A permanent marker will need to be purchased too
Member
Apr 4, 2021
346 posts
736 upvotes
Victoria, BC
KnobHillFarms wrote: That logo is an eyesore. A permanent marker will need to be purchased too
no, that logo is a status symbol. it says that you're cool since you're too cheap to buy a brand-name product. it's like buying things with the Kirkland logo.
i've had a few MEC branded products and they are always lacking in some way. i recently bought a fleece quarter-zip pullover because it was on sale and cheap the plastic snaps are such a hassle to align. a zipper would have been 1000x more convenient. MEC sweat jacket had the zipper backwards. No more MEC branded stuff for me.
Member
Apr 4, 2021
346 posts
736 upvotes
Victoria, BC
KnobHillFarms wrote: That logo is an eyesore. A permanent marker will need to be purchased too
no, that logo is a status symbol. it says that you're cool since you're too cheap to buy a brand-name product. it's like buying things with the Kirkland logo.
i've had a few MEC branded products and they are always lacking in some way. i recently bought a fleece quarter-zip pullover because it was on sale and cheap the plastic snaps are such a hassle to align. a zipper would have been 1000x more convenient. MEC sweat jacket had the zipper backwards. No more MEC branded stuff for me.
Sr. Member
Dec 3, 2018
854 posts
1970 upvotes
robertbarker wrote: no, that logo is a status symbol. it says that you're cool since you're too cheap to buy a brand-name product. it's like buying things with the Kirkland logo.
i've had a few MEC branded products and they are always lacking in some way. i recently bought a fleece quarter-zip pullover because it was on sale and cheap the plastic snaps are such a hassle to align. a zipper would have been 1000x more convenient. MEC sweat jacket had the zipper backwards. No more MEC branded stuff for me.
I haven't been to MEC or the website in a while and just noticed they backtracked back to using the old logo when their own branded stuff was much more reasonably priced (and a lot of it was made in Canada, too). So before it was new logo, high prices and now it's old logo, still high prices.

I heard the equity firm that bought MEC a couple years back has already started to shop it around looking to sell.
Newbie
Jan 27, 2008
79 posts
358 upvotes
Man, people love to shite on MEC these days, but MEC still stand behind their products for their lifetime. You can still return these products whenever you want if it fails to meet your standards. Meanwhile, everyone happy to pay the uber premium for North Face / Patagonia / Arcteryx - which in my experience don't hold up any better than MEC. The most laughable of these has to Arcteryx. Someone gifted me a $200 Arcteryx fleece once, and after two washes, that crap looked older than my 10 year old MEC fleece. Never mind that it ain't even half as warm for the same weight. But looks cool though, and I get brand cred.

Yeah, we get it. There was a good-ol time that MEC was a co-op in Canada, and that worked before the brutal competition from globalization changed the whole game. Back then when we wanted a tent, we'd walk into an MEC, chat with the highly knowledgeable staff, and walk out with a great product, oblivious that a retailer on the other side of Canada might have it for 10% cheaper. Who does that anymore? Look at us at RFD, obsessed with snagging the best deal on everything, no matter which corporate entity from corner of the earth is going to offer it to us. It's rich to demand MEC to compete with Amazon, while still operating like the non-profit co-op it was 30 years ago - as if anyone on RFD gives a flying FFFF how their money goes back into contributing to a local community-based entity.
Deal Addict
Nov 7, 2013
2310 posts
2816 upvotes
Ottawa
apak wrote: Man, people love to shite on MEC these days, but MEC still stand behind their products for their lifetime. You can still return these products whenever you want if it fails to meet your standards. Meanwhile, everyone happy to pay the uber premium for North Face / Patagonia / Arcteryx - which in my experience don't hold up any better than MEC. The most laughable of these has to Arcteryx. Someone gifted me a $200 Arcteryx fleece once, and after two washes, that crap looked older than my 10 year old MEC fleece. Never mind that it ain't even half as warm for the same weight. But looks cool though, and I get brand cred.

Yeah, we get it. There was a good-ol time that MEC was a co-op in Canada, and that worked before the brutal competition from globalization changed the whole game. Back then when we wanted a tent, we'd walk into an MEC, chat with the highly knowledgeable staff, and walk out with a great product, oblivious that a retailer on the other side of Canada might have it for 10% cheaper. Who does that anymore? Look at us at RFD, obsessed with snagging the best deal on everything, no matter which corporate entity from corner of the earth is going to offer it to us. It's rich to demand MEC to compete with Amazon, while still operating like the non-profit co-op it was 30 years ago - as if anyone on RFD gives a flying FFFF how their money goes back into contributing to a local community-based entity.
People shit on the company for good reasons: they took advantage of loop holes for decades under the guise of a non profit to capitalize on a monopoly then sold the company to Americans without ever for a second considering or consulting it's "co-op" members. Also, their products are utter crap by comparison to the brands you listed. Their zippers alone suck. We can all choose to like what we like.

I had a membership for years but their products have really gone down hill since being sold and I question how ethical their suppliers and manufacturers are compared to before. My kids have been gifted lots of stuff from there from family and it always needs to be replaced fast.
Deal Expert
User avatar
Feb 8, 2014
32083 posts
15376 upvotes
Socially Distanced
apak wrote: Man, people love to shite on MEC these days, but MEC still stand behind their products for their lifetime. You can still return these products whenever you want if it fails to meet your standards. Meanwhile, everyone happy to pay the uber premium for North Face / Patagonia / Arcteryx - which in my experience don't hold up any better than MEC. The most laughable of these has to Arcteryx. Someone gifted me a $200 Arcteryx fleece once, and after two washes, that crap looked older than my 10 year old MEC fleece. Never mind that it ain't even half as warm for the same weight. But looks cool though, and I get brand cred.

Yeah, we get it. There was a good-ol time that MEC was a co-op in Canada, and that worked before the brutal competition from globalization changed the whole game. Back then when we wanted a tent, we'd walk into an MEC, chat with the highly knowledgeable staff, and walk out with a great product, oblivious that a retailer on the other side of Canada might have it for 10% cheaper. Who does that anymore? Look at us at RFD, obsessed with snagging the best deal on everything, no matter which corporate entity from corner of the earth is going to offer it to us. It's rich to demand MEC to compete with Amazon, while still operating like the non-profit co-op it was 30 years ago - as if anyone on RFD gives a flying FFFF how their money goes back into contributing to a local community-based entity.
I am a big fan of the old MEC but their prices sucked.
I would buy on deep sales or clearance. Still rocking my MEC parka, and MEC winter gloves.

They had the odd diamond in the rough, or exclusive products that went on sale occasionally.
And some unique products. And good quality for the most part.

But in the end it came down to waiting for a good price or skipping the overpriced stock.
In fact in Rand McNally they wear hats on their feet and hamburgers eat people
Sr. Member
Jan 29, 2005
512 posts
165 upvotes
apak wrote: Man, people love to shite on MEC these days, but MEC still stand behind their products for their lifetime. You can still return these products whenever you want if it fails to meet your standards.
Is the return thing still true? I brought back a mec branded sleeping pad that was leaking to ask about repairing and the store rep basically told me it was too old and they make better ones now because they improved the design, so I should just buy a new one.

When I reiterated my question about repairing he mentioned I could try some sealant but they don't carry it. I wasn't really impressed with the quality of support. At no point was it even suggested that a return was an option.
Member
Feb 28, 2005
349 posts
226 upvotes
Montreal
edbert wrote: Is the return thing still true? I brought back a mec branded sleeping pad that was leaking to ask about repairing and the store rep basically told me it was too old and they make better ones now because they improved the design, so I should just buy a new one.

When I reiterated my question about repairing he mentioned I could try some sealant but they don't carry it. I wasn't really impressed with the quality of support. At no point was it even suggested that a return was an option.
It definitely is not still true. I don't know what the heck that poster is talking about. MEC absolutely does not stand by their products like they used to. Not long ago I went it to see about having a zipper repaired on a MEC backpack that clearly had a design flaw. The person told me I could either pay more than 50% of what a new one costs to repair it, or buy a new one. Last time I ever walked into a MEC. Can't wait for MEC to disappear.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Jan 19, 2011
1744 posts
1341 upvotes
Montreal
KnobHillFarms wrote: That logo is an eyesore. A permanent marker will need to be purchased too
White square on the bottom left of the jacket is not that bad. I think it's better than the eddie bauer on the left breast....

Anyways, I haven't bought their stuff in years because I don't go to the store often and the sizing is all over the place so it's hard to order online, probably because everything is sourced differently.
Deal Addict
Feb 25, 2015
1076 posts
1290 upvotes
NB
apak wrote: . Someone gifted me a $200 Arcteryx fleece once, and after two washes, that crap looked older than my 10 year old MEC
The key word is 10 year old. MEC used to follow the “function first” design philosophy, building bomber products very much on par with industry’s best. You are right about Arc’teryx, however. They used to be very expensive and very good. Nowadays it is mostly overpriced midrange quality at best.
/offtopic
"Stuff should not be multiplied without necessity"
Deal Addict
User avatar
Jul 10, 2004
2256 posts
6075 upvotes
Vancouver
apak wrote: Yeah, we get it. There was a good-ol time that MEC was a co-op in Canada, and that worked before the brutal competition from globalization changed the whole game. Back then when we wanted a tent, we'd walk into an MEC, chat with the highly knowledgeable staff, and walk out with a great product, oblivious that a retailer on the other side of Canada might have it for 10% cheaper. Who does that anymore? Look at us at RFD, obsessed with snagging the best deal on everything, no matter which corporate entity from corner of the earth is going to offer it to us. It's rich to demand MEC to compete with Amazon, while still operating like the non-profit co-op it was 30 years ago - as if anyone on RFD gives a flying FFFF how their money goes back into contributing to a local community-based entity.
+1

Most MEC complaints come across as "back in my day I had to walk 30km to school in the snow over a mountain". Like, WE GET IT. Stop comparing the MEC of 2023 to the Mountain Equipment Co-Op of 1995 or whatever.
Deal Expert
User avatar
Feb 8, 2014
32083 posts
15376 upvotes
Socially Distanced
coolwasabi wrote: "back in my day I had to walk 30km to school in the snow over a mountain".
"And then up another snow covered mountain to get home."
FTFY Smiling Face With Open Mouth
In fact in Rand McNally they wear hats on their feet and hamburgers eat people

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