I heard a story recently that MEC and REI were started by the same group of friends, who wanted to…read morebring a European model of coop for outdoor gear to North America. Apparently when setting it up, they agreed to limit themselves each to their country (Canada and the US) in order to stay out of competition and to simplify things for the people who make this kind of specialty equipment. Whether true or not, they have certainly stuck to their corners and MEC remains a one stop shop for all kinds of specific outdoor gear at an always fair price. Plus, I love the people who work here. Gear nerds with none of the gear snobbery, totally happy to help you with whatever level you're at. In these Covid times, I took advantage of their website to order some baby outdoor gear (I am that mama, and I'm ok with it.) The website doesn't have everything you can find in store, or a ton of options in any category, but if you spend hours looking at life jackets online like I did, you'll come back here when you realize they have the only one you need.

Très pauvre service à la clientèle depuis que ce n'est plus une COOP…read more J'ai tenté d'échanger un thermarest qui s'est délaminé. Le directeur de MEC Montréal n'a pas voulu reconnaître que c'était un défaut de fabrication, même si j'en avais un deuxième identique, utilisé selon les mêmes conditions optimales. Très peu de jugement par rapport à la situation. J'ai décidé, après 40 ans, de ne plus être cliente étant donné le mauvais jugement à cet effet.

This isn't a store I would normally shop in but I was with people that I wouldn't normally shop…read morewith so I checked it out. I ended up finding some Ugg earmuffs for my wife which she really loved. You're going to have to dig a little deeper into your pocketbook in this store but they do carry the brand names and have quality products to go along with those price tags. The staff were very helpful with the others that I was shopping with as they were trying on boots and shoes.

Arc'teryx makes the highest quality (and best looking) outdoor gear on the planet. The problem is…read moreyou are going to need to refinance your car, get a second job, and sell some of your children for medical experiments in order to afford their gear. This store has most of their current clothing line, but only a few select pieces of gear. Prices are absurd, so you will often find this stuff MUCH cheaper on the internet.

Five stars for absolutely first class customer service on a walk-in repair job…read more Short version: Through blatant and admitted poor judgement and misuse (note to self: do NOT cram ten pounds of shit into a five-pound bag), I managed to bust and hideously mutilate the main zipper on my favorite little Arcteryx dayback. Phoned the store, recounted my idiotic tale, asked if the factory did zipper replacements. Was told that if I could bring it in, they'd look at it and tell me if it was feasible. Upon inspecting the bag, the assistant manager insisted on sending it to the mother ship for a new zipper under warranty, even though I repeatedly told him that the rupture was my fault. Factoring in labor, bookkeeping, and the prepaid FedEx they returned it to me with, they lost a lot of money on my dinky hundred-dollar packsack. I own a half-dozen of their bags and garments. The designs aren't always perfect, but I'll keep buying their stuff when it mostly meets my needs, because their after-sales service is bricklike.

Sail is a massive outdoors store. How I describe it is.... it is a cross between Atmosphere…read more(Sports Experts outdoors store), tackle and small section of guns with lots of camping and fishing goods. There is always some good seasonal sale's @ Sail as they have a large assortment of outdoor clothing, fleece, jackets and other goods! Their selection of winter clothing is pretty decent. Brand names are in the mid range on average. They do have some Arcteryx, Canada Goose, North Face and Columbia items to name a few on the higher end. A decent selection of outdoor footwear as well. If getting lost in the woods, or skiing hiking or fishing is your game then you need to get to Sail!

I'll be generous and go with three stars because the store truly does have an amazing selection of…read moremerchandise for all sorts of outdoor activities, stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, biking, camping, hiking, fishing and hunting. The selection of turkey decoys alone is remarkable. I have never seen so many turkey decoys together in one place in my life! The store is nicely laid out and it's pretty easy to find things once you arrive in the section for your preferred activity. So, why only three stars? The prices are insane. I was browsing hiking skirts and dresses. I saw a skirt on liquidation that I thought was cute and was oh this is probably like $10. NO, try $70! Every single dress I was interested in cost $100 or more. Granted they were nice brands like Prana but still. You can get very comparable stuff online or lower priced retailers like Marshalls or Walmart. Kind of fun to browse and I'd recommend going just to see the selection but my bf and I both walked out of this store with nothing. Prices way too high!

It gets 3 stars just for literally seeming to have everything and anything you could possibly need…read morefor camping, fishing, hunting, hiking, boating and various other outdoor activities. It's also really well set up and very nice. We came here looking for several camping items and some fishing gear. It loses 2 stars 'cuz: 1- I don't understand what the hype is all about it's all overpriced stuff you can find for cheaper at Walmart or Canadian Tire or Home Depot or Sports Expert or Atmosphere or... They did seem to have a good sale going on for a lot of stuff but I don't see why I wouldn't check elsewhere first. 2- they had so many employees (and very helpful, which yes, excellent customer service I'll give them that), but when we asked specifically about barbless hooks for fishing and for hooks made without lead (as we recently discovered most fishing hooks and lures do still contain lead --- i know-- wtf is that about?? But that's a whole notha can of worms, pun intended) ...anywoot when we asked about those things their staff, though very nice, was not aware that their hooks did in fact contain lead and while trying to be helpful recommended us a brand of hook that "contains chemicals know to cause cancer to the state of California" as per the package. So yah I guess I was just expecting more and it wasn't all that. We left without anything we were looking for. I would go back to enjoy their endless selection of lures and bait and such in the fishing section but it's a bit overwhelming I don't know if I'd be more inclined to actually spend money here.

It's a great store for the outdoors enthusiast! They have clothing for all seasons. The staff are…read moreall friendly and more than willing to help you. Prices are not cheap but the quality is usually good.

This review is not to specifically destroy north face as a brand . But their guarantee isn't really…read moreclear and they've held a jacket I've sent in to get repaired for the past 6 months .

Good in a pinch. The store is small and only carries a handful of essentials so don't go in looking…read morefor something too too specific. Prices are meh, it depends on what they have on sale at the moment. Service is slow but so is foot traffic so that makes sense. Adam likes to come here after we've done our usual Fairmount food trip (Drogheria fine/Kem Coba/wilensky's), but only to browse.

Location: On the main, corner Fairmount. Street parking is available but metered. If you use the…read moresubway, you can get off at Mont-Royal and walk over, unless you're too lazy. The place: This store is smaller than its counterpart in Laval and thus, more cramped. It was a little difficult to get by other shoppers when moving down some of the aisles, and the store wasn't packed at all. The goods: These guys primarily sell outdoor clothing and backpacks, though, personally, I think there is a wider selection of bags over at MEC. In terms of clothing, they carry brand names - off the top of my head, I remember Lole and Prana. Service: No one greeted me or assisted me while I was there but the cashier was very friendly. Price point: To be honest, the only reason I stopped in was because I was dying of heat and I wanted to get something short-sleeved to change into. So, being in a rush, I got a Lole shirt which ran me $54. A bit steep, but I like Lole and I was too darn hot to go look elsewhere!

Really reasonable prices and decent selection, with more of a sport/camp lean than a military…read morehistory lean like up the street

Fantastic service, fair pricing. Even though I arrived ten minutes to closing, they did not make me…read morefeel like I was imposing and made sure that I try on the items I grabbed to be sure I wasn't simply making a rushed choice of convenience (which, let's face it, I was :p). It's such a cute little shop, I enjoyed browsing the quiet mezzanine where all the swimming gear and sale items were stocked. Will definitely be returning to see what else they have in stock :) Also... I'm Anglo and I got excellent service, so contrary to the claims of another reviewer, I did feel very welcome there!

Sadly, though Ive purchased shoes, gear here for years, my recent request to repair a damaged…read morehelmet strap was met with non-help. Ive even taken friends to this shop for their bikes, and yet I was treated as though I was a thief, simply because I didnt have a proof of purchase receipt. I lost it. It happens. I wasnt asking for a new helmet, I wanted them to repair the plastic insert, which is a relatively new item in bike helmets, and more of a nuisance than anything. As such Ive had to reach out to Garneau to see if they would help. The one thing I have noticed whenever I go to this store is the ATTITUDE. Is it because im an Anglo? I dont know. But I wont be going there any more.

A Montréal institution! I went when I was a kid, and went back this week to get outfitted for cross…read morecountry skiing. I was a bit dismayed to discover that they no longer sell secondhand skis, that was such a great service to the community, but in the end I went with new and was super happy with my decision. They offered an excellent price for the whole kit - boots, skis, and poles. They are pretty basic but exactly what I need, lightweight and comfortable and just my size. The service from everyone was friendly, chill, helpful, funny, just great. I love that they have a quality control station where someone makes sure everything you bought is in good working order before you go. And I love how much outdoor equipment they have from Montreal companies. Now... if it'll just stop raining...

So you're looking for skis or you're looking for hockey equipment or maybe a snowboard. This is…read moredefinitely a place you need to check out. Poubelle du Ski has been around for a long time and they know their stuff. They also have outdoor active wear like pants and coats. Some notes on ambiance. This place is normally packed so be patient. They'll get you what you need but sometimes the place is busting at the seams so a little patience goes a long way. Éric and Yan helped me out this time around and when I tell you these guys know what they're doing I mean it. I'm a hard for for boots both hockey and ski but these guys knew exactly what to grab if one bit wasn't working. My visit to be fitted for ski boots and hockey skates took a couple of hours but again that's down to me being a hard fit. Don't feel rushed by the atmosphere, take your time and pick the right boot or skate or coat or whatever it is you're looking for. The staff will never rush you.