Mountain equipment co-op/MEC

[nitrospy]

Does anyone have any opinions on MEC Hybrid or down sleeping bags? (Or any of their stuff for that matter). quality vs cost, temp ratings, etc.

[PaulB]

I have a MEC Swan (down, -12C) which was their standard 3-season bag for many years. I've had mine for about 12 years, and with 10-12 nights of use per year, it's still in great shape and should be good for another 10 years. I think the Raven -12C would be the equivalent product today.

 

Last year I picked up a Raven 0C to replace my MEC Zephyr (synthetic, thinsulate maybe) which had lost most of its loft after 10 years with lots of summer use.

 

Others may disagree, but I think that most MEC gear (sleeping bags, packs & clothing) are good value for the money. They may not be the lightest or most fashionable, but they get the job done.

[sweatinoutliquor]

I don't have experience with those particular products, but MEC seems to be a pretty solid company. My canadian buds seem to think so anyway! Tuff getting there stuff down here cause lots of times they only ship to Can.

[jerseyscum]

I have IME Brio pack from 2003. It's really a pretty nice design, but not super-high quality. Got it super-cheap on close-out though. I think their concept for MEC branded merchandise is a bit like REI's, but result may be of better design, and at lower price. Much less selection of MEC branded stuff versus REI branded stuff. REI occassionally and/or historically, has gone for slightly far-out and questionable designs, with pricing trumping quality.

 

Also (let us be frank) the fashion value (in US) of REI brand is less than nil, versus somewhat higher for MEC, depending on your view of fashion.

 

More broadly, as one might expect in Canada, MEC hasn't been as corrupted by giftware and consumerism garbage to same extent as REI. There is still a currency advantage but they kill you on shipping.

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