Preparation

Posted on May 16, 2012 by

In a few more days I’m off on a bike trip. I’ll admit it – I love trip preparation. Not as much as the trip itself, but I love that feeling of anticipation that spawns hours of online research. That feeling that makes me do things like check and re-check my gear to make sure everything’s in good shape, make sure I have everything I need, and run any last minute errands.

I love researching the safest and most interesting routes, points of interest and campsite locations. I read up on the history of the region and learn the geography so I know where the hills are! Somehow it makes me feel like I’m already on the road.

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Evolution of MEC packs

Posted on May 14, 2012 by

This spring marks the launch of several redesigned MEC packs and not only are they looking mighty fine, they also have all sorts of awesome function-based improvements.

New MEC backpacks: Aria 40, Aurora 50, Spirit 30 and 40, Eos 70

For starters, we now have women-specific backpacks. I can hear half of you saying “What’s the big deal?” and the other half chiming in with “It’s about time.” Let’s start with the timing issue: there was a major shift about five years ago when outdoor gear manufacturers clued in and realised that designing women-specific gear meant more than just “shrinking and pinking it”. Back then, we did carry some Gregory and Arc’Teryx packs for women that sold quite well, but all the MEC-brand packs were pretty much unisex — which, I found out, doesn’t mean they were designed specifically for men either. So over two years ago, Mark Knight, in-house packs designer extraordinaire, started working on packs specifically designed for women. The idea was to make sure our packs fit all our members, including women. Continue reading →

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MEC Sleeping Bags Improved

Posted on May 12, 2012 by

James Brittain got his start designing toys (as some say he still does). He worked as a product designer in the UK developing new Super Soakers and Nerf Guns. “Not as much fun as it sounds,” he said.

For years, James made multi-hour journeys every weekend to escape London for hiking and camping in the Lake District or surfing in Cornwall. His next gig was closer to his heart: a three-year stint with a major UK outdoor equipment maker. Two years ago, he brought his passion for the outdoors to Canada to work for MEC as a hard goods designer. Since arriving, James has added snowboarding and mountain biking to his repertoire.

Blue eyes and a British accent, a winning combo

I woke him up from some product testing to get the beta on the new MEC sleeping bags for 2012.

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MEC Races: The Complete Rundown and a Slice of Life

Posted on May 9, 2012 by

The sun finally decided to come out for the final MEC race of the spring. And last Sunday, at Michel-Chartrand Park in Longueuil, Québec I was one of the lucky runners who got to  enjoy it. Continue reading →

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Mother’s Day: Gifts to Make Mom’s Heart Flutter

Posted on May 7, 2012 by

Mother’s Day is often all about flowers, Sunday brunch, and for the lucky ones, a foot massage and a break from the dishes. To make an active mom really happy, forget the flowers and give her something she’ll remember instead: whatever she needs for her favourite activity. I don’t mean a shorts and t-shirt set bought on the fly, but a more personal gift. Continue reading →

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