Get your Outdoor Gear
December 14, 2005 | Tips from Us > Vancouver, Shopping Vancouver, Shopping
It's not hard to tell that most British Columbians love to get
outdoors . One of the worst-kept secrets for outdoor adventurers in BC is a store called
Mountain Equipment Co-op (also known as MEC). Founded in Vancouver, this large store stocks outdoor technical clothes, backpacks, bike parts, backcountry ski equipment, kayaks and paddles, and much more. The prices are the lowest you'll find anywhere for the same standard of quality. Case in point: a friend who lives in New Zealand and travels regularly to see his sister in the UK, always makes sure his flight has a stopover in Vancouver to stock up at MEC. The store sees a steady stream of out-of-towners checking out the gear, and the logo is almost as common a symbol as the maple leaf, identifying Canadian travellers when they head out on excursions. (When I was hiking in Spain, a fellow traveller noticed I was Canadian when she spotted my MEC socks!) The store requires all shoppers to purchase a $5 membership, and the co-op structure means MEC's pricing is fair and mark-ups are minimal. You'll find two MEC outlets in
Vancouver , one on Broadway and one in North Vancouver.
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