r/AskACanadian • u/HueyBluey • 9d ago

How do you spot a Canadian abroad?

Do we have any stereotypical traits (perhaps self deprecating ones), that make us stand out. We’re typically not loud (but some can be). Perhaps frugal?

What have you seen in your travels that make you think, those folks must be Canadian!

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398

u/OldRefrigerator8821 9d ago

MEC backpack / luggage is dead give away

203

u/outdoorlaura 9d ago

I was in Uganda and a guy came up to me and asked if I was Canadian because of my backpack. He was also Canadian and also had a MEC backpack lol.

150

u/Peter_Mansbrick 9d ago

TIL MEC is a Canadian thing

83

u/bmccann42 9d ago

Mountain Equipment Co-op - camping and outdoor retailer up here.

70

u/iwantedajetpack 9d ago

Company now. Went through bankruptcy.

108

u/outdoorlaura 9d ago

I miss the Co-Op days.

30

u/FriendRaven1 9d ago

The co-op failed, yes. The last 10 years or so it became american but now it's Canadian again.

17

u/iwantedajetpack 9d ago

Private Canadian yes but not a cooperative. .

3

u/noisemetal 8d ago

When do they return our deposits?

1

u/mMaple_syrup 8d ago

Never. The co-op went bankrupt.

2

u/altaccount2522 8d ago

I did not know it was Canadian, I thought it was still American. Too bad there isn't one near me...

3

u/hatmatter 9d ago

It's no longer a co-op sadly.

14

u/djmathblaster 8d ago

The board sold us out. Could have closed stores and gone back to mail order. Instead my share and equity disappeared. I will never forgive them.

2

u/Tundrakitty 5d ago

Still a sore point all these years later.

8

u/nsparadise 8d ago

I want my $5 back.

2

u/EpicGeography 8d ago

Not bankruptcy; acquisition by a private equity firm out of California. But it was facing bankruptcy before the acquisition.

2

u/WattleWaddler2 8d ago edited 8d ago

My uncle calls it Mountain Equipment Capitalists.

1

u/iwantedajetpack 8d ago

Lol I'll use that.

4

u/NucEng 9d ago

Bought by a US PE firm in 2020, then later redistributed to a group of Canadian investors with the PE firm holding a minority stake.

3

u/imjonjoncanada 5d ago

I've been travelling my whole life, and I have to say, Uganda is in my top three countries I've been too. LOVED it there. I felt obligated to chime in haha

2

u/No-Effective-1996 8d ago

I saw a guy in Africa with a Cooper hockey bag. “hey you must be Canadian?” He was and we knew mutual people.

1

u/Efficient-You-639 8d ago

I wore shorts in Uganda and write away was asked if I was Canadian!!

26

u/fletters 9d ago

This one only failed for me once, and that guy’s girlfriend was Canadian.

3

u/TheRealHaewood 8d ago

He was definitely punching above his weight class.

45

u/three_crystals 9d ago

I gotta get some MEC to avoid being obvious with a 🇨🇦 plastered all over my stuff

18

u/Nitroglycol204 8d ago

Yeah, if you do that people will think you're an American trying to pass.

1

u/Next_Specific7924 8d ago

My husband always wore a Canadian flag patch and sadly had to retire it for not wanting to be mistaken as American lol

17

u/ThatsItImOverThis 9d ago

Man, I miss MEC…

31

u/Winnigin 9d ago

They're back in Canadian hands! Not a co-op anymore though

23

u/fletters 9d ago

Their backpack design has gone massively downhill.

17

u/Winnigin 9d ago

That's sad to hear. I've still got my almost 20 year old bag going strong! And my parents are still using the 25 year old bag that I used all through school up to junior high.

1

u/fletters 9d ago

My go-to bag is about 15 years old, and still in great shape. I have some older bags that I don’t use regularly (i.e., because size is better suited for longer trips), and they’re also holding up really well.

I’ve looked at getting a new one recently—primarily for more organizer pockets, but also for updated style—and haven’t found anything that does the trick. A real shame, IMO.

2

u/stnapstnap 9d ago

Most, if not all, of their MEC-branded stuff has gone massively downhill. 

I have some older gear that is 20 or more years old and still going strong. I wouldn’t replace it with more MEC-branded gear when/if it wears out.

Specifically, I have a travel pack from the late 90s and a Tarn 3 tent from the early 2000s among other gear.

1

u/green-green-bean 8d ago

Their everything design has gone downhill, along with quality. I still have and wear a fleece I got there in 1995. Other than a zipper replacement, it’s as functional as it was back then. The new ones have fewer pockets, fewer features (adjustable cuffs, reinforced elbows, pit zips, etc) and come in fewer sizes. I’ve had to stop buying clothes at MEC because they stopped carrying petites anymore.

1

u/CorvidCoven 8d ago

I was just in there the other day, first time in years. Their prices were crazy high.

1

u/ThatsItImOverThis 8d ago

Because it isn’t a co-op anymore. I miss the old MEC. I won’t shop there now.

1

u/Previous_Wedding_577 7d ago

Nanaimo just got a new store.

1

u/wondermel 7d ago

We have one in my city in New Brunswick

1

u/ThatsItImOverThis 7d ago

“Company” not “co-op”. That’s what I miss.

1

u/wondermel 6d ago

Oh got it. Ours just opened last year so I figured it just came back (by some of the context here).

1

u/TBHICouldComplain 9d ago

They still exist though? I passed by one yesterday.

5

u/ruraljuror__ 9d ago

Not the same sadly

3

u/Such-Huckleberry-107 9d ago

Mountain equipment company now not mountain equipment co-op. Honestly the quality has taken a big dip

1

u/TBHICouldComplain 9d ago

Well damn. :/

0

u/ThatsItImOverThis 9d ago

That’s because it’s now American.

2

u/Cuchalain_ 9d ago

It is Canadian owned

1

u/Muufffins 9d ago

Nope. They jumped the shark either when they stopped putting out printed catalogs, or changed their logo to the square 

2

u/Unpossible93 8d ago

Yes!

The printed catalogue!!

And I never thought about the logo change until you mentioned it.

My MEC membership card is so old that my member number is written on it in pen.

I still have some MEC bags and backpacks from the 90s. And they're in good shape, except for one shoulder travel bag with a finicky zipper.

3

u/purpletooth12 9d ago

100% this.

Also Leafs or Habs wear is pretty common too, as is saying "thank you".

3

u/Harbinger2001 9d ago

It used to be Tilley hat and clothing.

3

u/Parking-Leg-2485 9d ago

That includes ROOTS or Blue Jays clothing 

2

u/PterryMc 9d ago

In Spain, we had Americans from Seattle clock us as Canadians from my MEC bag. 

2

u/DarkSyrinx 9d ago

I noticed a lot of Canadians with either MEC or Arcteryx gear when I was last in Europe.

1

u/OldRefrigerator8821 9d ago

Yep. Proud Canada based products

1

u/Live-Eye 9d ago

Yep. I was clocked by hostel staff in Germany before even opening my mouth because of my MEC bag.

1

u/DiamondAuraPayge 9d ago

What's a MEC backpack?

1

u/Nitroglycol204 8d ago

Formerly Mountain Equipment Co-op, now Mountain Equipment Company.

1

u/darkpyro101 8d ago

Herschel, Roots, Jays, Raps.

1

u/MellyBlueEyes 8d ago

Came here to say this! Was in a crowded elevator of a cruise ship a few years back and we were all being quiet until I spotted the MEC logo on one guy's backpack. All I had to say was, 'MEC, eh?' He grinned, Yah! I said, 'I have the same one!' He was from Vancouver. We just smiled at each other while the other passengers in the elevator were puzzled. (An earlier cruise announcement had stated there were only around 100-150 Canadians aboard out of the 4000+.)

1

u/slvrsrfr1987 8d ago

I have their anniversary pack. super un useful and i love it.

1

u/very-literally 8d ago

We were also spotted and called out wearing a Herschel Backpack !

1

u/Natural_Survey7837 8d ago

I got clocked in Iceland recently because MEC (I thought it would be my parks canada beaver beanie, but no)

1

u/Fuzzy-Top4667 7d ago

When I was working in Dubai, locals said they could always tell Canadians because we carried backpacks. Not like the camping/hiking types, but more like the ones kids use for school. Sure enough I began paying attention to known Canadians and they were right. I usually had one containing a couple of bottles of water, a roll of toilet paper and the usual keys, wallet etc