This year, Canada’s leading outdoor retailer, Mountain Equipment Co-op, celebrates 40 years helping people enjoy self-propelled outdoor recreation. Established in 1971 by six visionary members, MEC was formally incorporated on August 2 of that year, with just $65 of capital. Today the Co-op has grown to serve over 3.3 million members throughout Canada and around the world, with 14 destination stores and $261 million in annual sales.
In celebration of MEC’s 40th anniversary, the Co-op is bringing back the venerable Klettersac ($29 CAD). This mountain utility pack dominated Canadian crags for two decades, and some of the originals can still be found in use today. The 40th edition features classic styling and bombproof construction. With the Klettersac, you can climb a classic route and haul a little piece of history with you.
Also paying homage to the 40th anniversary is the retro-looking Mass Transit Tee ($25 CAD), which features a graphic of the MEC Nineteen Seventy-one bike. On the back, there’s a list of all 14 MEC stores, from the inaugural Vancouver location that opened in ‘72, to its newest bricks-and-mortar store in Barrie, Ontario, which opened to members in fall 2010.
