MEC Calgary

Great selection of outdoor gear, friendly service and customer forward store policies. The one qualm I have is that the store parking is pay parking… Perhaps this is to encourage a non-​driving modality of transport to the store but that’s not always feasible. In any case, I love this store for outdoor merch for the young and old.

I bought a u lock from MEC a few weeks ago. I locked it at the Y near Eua Claire. Suddenly it wouldn’t open. I came back the next day with the extra keys which came with it. The lock wouldn’t open.
I called MEC to explain my scenario. They sent out a repair person name Dave to brake the lock. Then gave me another u lock. I was so thankful.
I was so surprised of how incredible their customer service is and how super nice they were. Its amazing compared to most places staff goes out of their way to help their members. Also the prices are very reasonable.

The best outdoor store on the planet. Please open a shop in the US!
Fantastic selection, easy to find, and great staff. Not the least bit arrogant like REI. Good prices, especially MEC brand which is high quality. Overall awesome. Can San Francisco be your first US location, pretty please?

Good Service and Helpful Staff their online inventory system is accurate as well as they stand behind their products. I bought a bike helmet there three weeks later the outer shell detached from the foam I brought it back it and got a refund no problem.
I would recommend them for sure!

I love MEC. They offer a huge variety of stuff for all sorts of outdoor activities. The service is good and the staff are helpful and knowledgeable. Their return/​exchange policies are great. I could spend a lot of money here.

Hey guys, have to say I am fairly new to Calgary and recently moved to Calgary from Ireland. I just love MEC. Their community events are the best! Spin classes for only $ 10 and run meet-​ups every other day. Its such a great place to try new sports and meet new people. We dont have anything like it in Ireland so I am pretty gob-​smacked by this place! :)

I am so impressed by their customer service! I purchased a pair of long underwear, which started ripping over time. I assumed I could not return them because I threw out the receipt and cut off an itchy fabric tag. I left a review on MEC’s website (not trying to bash MEC or get a refund, but just wanting to indicate it was a faulty product). MEC immediately responded asking me to call them, and they were able to look up my purchase using my membership #, and gave me a full refund over the phone. I completely didn’t expect that.
Other than the long underwear, I have had great experience with MEC products. In particular I have owned several backpacks and bags, and they were very high quality. When I was in grade school, I would need to buy a backpack (or two) every school year, until I bought a MEC backpack in high school. I had that backpack all through university, and I still have it 17 – 18 years later and use it for travel. Too bad it’s a mid-​90s teal colour, hahaha.

I’m a huge fan of MEC. They are community focused, care about the environment and have a great selection of outdoor adventure gear.
The camping equipment selection is vast and they have some quality items. Some prices are competitive but some are a bit pricey.
I would have to say, from my experience, they have the best selection and prices for dried backpacking/​camping food.

This was the first outfitters I shopped at in Calgary and I have been a customer for probably 15 years or more. I remember the old building. I progressively purchase less and less here, even though I keep going back, hoping that my experiences are just a fluke and that I caught them on a bad day. I think that I am done trying anymore. Poor selection and horrible service will keep me away for good.
Over time, I have found that they offer less and less. Particularly in the clothing department. This would seem strange, given how big the space is, but they add more and more of their house brand and much less that will compete with what obviously makes them more money. This might be acceptable if prices were significantly better, but they are not. For instance, if an MEC product costs about the same as Patagonia or North Face etc. then shouldn’t it offer the same quality and features? This is not the case. Also, I like the other brands as their offer more variety in styling and sizing. This brings me to my next point.
Who decides what sizes to bring in, how many of each and when to restock? This is not done with their local buyers in mind. All of one size and none of another. Mens (and Womens for that matter) is brought in (or made) with the same inseam no matter what the size. Maybe you get the odd «long» for men, but no «short». It is the opposite for women. God help you if you are a size small man of 5’6″ because you have to buy a 32 inch inseam. Also, too bad if you are a tall, thin woman… wear floods. Or, they tell you to go online. Well, their online site sucks, and if I have to shop online, then why not go to a different store or a different online retailer?
On a similar note, re: availability, THIS IS CALGARY CORPORATE GENIUSES! You are an outfitter. Calgarians live in the mountains year round. And let me tell you something, it can be freezing in the mountains in August so that warm gear (like base layers) should be in stock and re-​stocked year round. We are not Vancouver or Toronto! Please customize to the needs of your local community.
Finally, the service has been getting bad, really bad, but last time it was so horrendous that I left my soon-​to-​be purchases in the shoe department and walked out. You have to grab a number, even to ask a quick question. You wait forever… I have never had to wait like this anywhere else, especially on a weekday. I had one woman tell me she would be right there to help me and never came back, then later on, a guy did the same thing. They never came back, not 10 – 15 minutes later. And every single one of their staff that day seemed only willing to do the bare minimum, or tell me «I’m new» and shrug their shoulders.
And to top it all off, I have to fight downtown traffic and pay to park in a parking lot where I perpetually circle.
I am afraid I no longer need the priviledge of shopping here. Your staff tell me your market share has been slipping and this has been a concern… I wonder why?
Update: ok, I added a star because the selection in accessories is quite good, even though you pissed me off.

There are more than enough reviews here raving about this place. So I’ll keep it short. Great selection, great service, overall a very enjoyable experience.
This was my first time here, on a mission looking for 1 litre canteens. They had about 5 in that size to choose from. Prices were very reasonable as well.
You do need a membership here to make purchases, but it’s 5 for a lifetime. We’ll worth it.

This place was so much fun! We had no trouble with parking (though I can see it being difficult on weekends). There are two enormous floors of awesome. The climbing wall looked like a lot of fun, but they only allow it a couple of times per week (Wednesday and Saturday, I believe, and only for a few hours each day).
I had bought a water bottle online from MEC about 8 years ago, which I somehow remembered when she asked for my membership number. At only $ 5 for a lifetime membership, it’s not a big deal anyway.

Yay a Bear that just came out of hibernation! Let me feed it with my stored body fat made of out a year’s worth of junk food.
Said no one. Ever.
But I like hiking, and with plans to do a solo excursion late this year I figured I better start making preparations and getting more of the outdoors to bring out my inner woodsman.
I strolled into MEC on a Sunday afternoon. Not a big fan of having to pay for parking but some nice dude in a truck passed his on to me which had a good hour left on it. Thanks man! May the parking gods bestow good wealth upon your stationary vehicle.
I had two objectives at MEC: One was to pick up appropriate hiking and climbing footwear and the second was to scope the place out for possible future purchases.
But wow, this place is a mecca for anyone who lives for the outdoors, at the least the occasional weekend warrior. Every section is riddled with equipment and dodads that makes anyone a walking Swiss Army knife.
Speaking of Swiss Army knifes. It was the first thing I picked out when I realized that I needed some utensils that could come in handy with my survival. But when I turned around I noticed I was in the wildlife defense section so I also picked up a bear spray and bell. Knife, bell, and spray? That Grizzly won’t see me coming.
Their staff is very friendly and helpful. Even though it was very busy, MEC set up a number system for sales associates to grab hiking boots for people. I got mine in 10 minutes :)
Finally the climbing enthusiast gave me more than I bargained for in climbing knowledge. I was more than glad to drop a little extra $$ to understand why comfort matters. He even gave me a few climbing pointers that really ramped up my bouldering game.
Lastly $ 5 for a membership– worth it if one expects to be back here. And I will, I’m looking forward to finding more about their equipment rental!
Got my eyes on you, bears. Fuck you up like the wrath of khan.

If I lived close to here, I would be completely broke. I often find myself walking in when I’m in the area, even when I don’t need anything, to spend time staring at gear I dream about using.
They have just about everything outdoor-​related here (except hunting stuff, which I don’t do anyway). Climbing, cycling, traveling, hiking, water sports, camping, clothes, you name it. Good brands, affordable prices, great service. The MEC branded stuff is also amazing quality and usually cheaper than the bigger brand names.
The staff know what they are talking about, and are extremely helpful. You have a group of people who want to work at MEC, who do the sports that MEC support, and use the gear that they sell. So they have some really knowledgeable people there.

Love MEC period. I know where everything is. A little expensive, but it’s a great one-​stop shop.
Parking is a zoo. this location is always busy.

I walked over the Calgary MEC to look for some hiking shoes. A work friend (with an MEC Card) joined me and warned that I could probably get this item cheaper at REI in the US. I then took a look at the prices, compared selection with Atmosphere across the street, and headed straight to the closeout section. I found a nice Columbia brand in my size that were comfortable and half off. They also did really well on the Plain of Six Glaciers (Lake Louise) the next day.
This MEC Store is handsome, roomy over its 2 floors and has a really nice selection of stuff. The Associates were friendly, knowledgeable, and very helpful. When I arrived back in California, I went ahead and sent in my $ 5 for my own MEC Card. I will be returning to Canada sometime in the future, and you never know when a local MEC might come in handy.

MEC is the best place to get any type of gear for any outdoor activity.
I’m an avid hiker and rely on MEC for all of my gear. The staff at MEC are also the most knowledgeable people when it comes to which type of gear you should have and the best recommendations for fit. The pricing at MEC is generally very competitive and they keep their products at the lowest prices without sacrificing any quality.
Because it is a Co-​op, you do have to register with the store to become a member (I think you pay $ 10 and then you’re a member for life). You can either sign up on-​line before you go to the store or sign up in person when you’re paying.
If you like hiking, cycling, camping, canoeing, kayaking, or just the outdoors in general, MEC should be your source for any gear you require.

I haven’t gone into MEC for a couple of years and needed to last week for something. I forgot how much I love it!
I’ve been going to MEC off and on in Toronto and Calgary for years. I find the Calgary location to be very well laid out with most things logically where they should be. I like that for big ticket items like tents etc, they have them set up so you can really see what you are buying.
They are well staffed so there is always someone around who knows what they are talking about if you have a question. I like that they don’t pounce on your though and allow for comfortable browsing.
They are not the cheapest but I find everything I’ve bought has been well made. And they are cheaper than some other specialty shops for the same items.
I think their location is also perfect and easy to get to. Now that I am reminded they exist again I have been forming my wishlist of things to buy!

i’m from the States and i was interested in seeing MEC as i’ve heard it’s the canadian version of our REI. i would definitely say the feel is exactly like REI with the décor, the friendly and super helpful staff. they have an awesome selection just like REI and have their own line of clothes just like REI. i would say there are some differences, but not bad differences:
— become a member, it is $ 5 (compared to the $ 20 at REI)
— some MEC branded items are absolutely awesome (some which REI doesn’t have at all). i love their T2 and T3 baselayer hoodies, they remind me of the marmot insulated baselayer hoodies. they are so light and definitely a winter weather requirement
— outside the MEC, there is a food truck that sells steak bites and fries which are freakin’ delicious.
i would definitely go again when i’m back in canada!