The Basecamp chair from MEC comes from this exact lineage: well-built and well-priced. It’s a sturdy camp chair that will last a long time. It does have a couple quirks. We tested one at the campsite and around the fire to see how it felt.

Specs

Carrying

Carrying is nice with the Basecamp. It’s a little on the heavy side at 11.5 pounds. Many of the bigger camp chairs are in this weight range though. It’s going to be much heavier than something like the Helinox Chair One Highback but is going to be far more sturdy and comfortable.

The bag for the Basecamp is long with a good sized opening. I tried putting the bag on both directions. No issues. I liked putting the bag on over the top with the feet down so I didn’t have to pick it up but then the feet are facing up towards the opening. The carry strap is off-center on the bag so it hangs further down on one end.

Setup

One of the benefits of regular camp chairs is quick setup. Pull it out of the bag and pull it open. The Basecamp is fast to set up like this. It folds open with a quick pull and you’re ready to sit. No building anything.

The cupholder sits folded under the main seat when it’s packed. It rotates out to use. I had to be careful that it didn’t catch on anything when I was setting up and packing but most of the time it was fine and tucked away easily.

The feet are fair sized with a rubbery foot on the end. They sink into sand a little bit but not to much. They’re about 1 inch wide and 2 long with a bit of traction on the bottom. Not as large as the feet on the Strongback Elite but a fair size.

Comfort

The Basecamp is a comfortable chair to sit in. It’s crazy sturdy. There isn’t a loose part or anything that moves. Even the cupholder is held on with a metal ring.

The bottom is nice and wide and comfortable to sit on. The back is very upright but still well-padded. It’d be nice if the back was a little more reclined. The arms have a bit padding on them but could use a little more and be a little wider.

The cupholder is 3″ wide and 3.5 inches deep, easily holding a drink can. It’s right under the armrest so it doesn’t hold big tumblers well.

Packing

The bag that comes with the Basecamp is well sized for the chair. The opening is quite large and it’s easy to stuff the chair in from either end. I like sliding the bag over when it’s standing. A drawstring closes the end quickly. The shoulder strap stays out of the way but is a nice way to carry the chair.

Size and Weight

At 11.5 pounds (5.2 kg), the Basecamp isn’t light but it’s on par with many of the other camp chairs. Weight usually means durability and this one is solid. After it’s unfolded, it’s very solid.

When unfolded, it’s 20 x 21 x 38 inches (52 x 55 x 96 cm). Packed up, it’s 8.4 x 8.4 x 38 inches (21.5 x 21.5 x 96 cm).

Quality

I really like the quality and the durable feel of the basecamp. It feels solid folded and unfolded. There are no loose joints or parts that move when they shouldn’t. For chairs that will get hundreds of pounds dropped on them constantly (us humans), it’s nice to have a solid feel.

Who is MEC?

In 1970 four climbers were on a trip down to Mount Baker and were throwing around ideas of creating an outdor store like REI in Canada. In 1971 they started buying gear from REI and other stores in the Us and bringing it back to Vancouver to sell to climbers and outdoor groups. MEC was born.

Even today they focus on the best gear for the best price and carry gear from many different manufacturers including their own. They have over 2000 employees and 5 million members.

Conclusion

The MEC Basecamp chair is a sturdy addition to the campsite. I was very impressed with the stability and sturdy feel to it. The back could be reclined a little more but it’s well padded. The armrests could be a little wider but otherwise are comfortable and the bottom is soft and comfortable.

This exact model may have been discontinued so it might be harder to find in the future.

Verdict: Recommended (if your on a budget) ^{_{see our rating system}}

Usual Price: $35.48 USD ($47.97 CAD)

The post MEC Basecamp Chair Review first appeared on Pack & Trail.

MEC Victoria

Victoria is a fantastic place to be to enjoy all the outdoors the Island has to offer. With a population big enough to support some of the bigger outdoor stores, there is lots to choose from for biking, kayaking, skiing and everything else you could want to do outside!

Outdoors

MEC

Website | Directions

Valhalla Pure Outfitters Victoria

Website | Directions

Robinsons Outdoors

Website| Directions | Email

Sports Rent

Website | Directions | Email | 250 385 7368

Sports Traders

Website | Directions | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | RSS Feed

Coast Mountain Sports

A general outdoors store, Coast Mountain carries mens and womens outdoor apparel shoes as well as gear for camping and snowshoeing.

Website | Directions | Contact

Biking

Rider’s Cycles

Website | Directions | Email

North Park Bike Shop

A small, independent bike shop, they carry a wide selection of touring, commuting and recreational bikes. They also do service and repair on any kind of bicycle.

Website | Directions | Email | 250-386-2453

Marty’s Mountain CycleMarty’s Mountain Cycle carries the whole range of bikes, including XC, All Mountain, Downhill, Dirt Jump, Road Bikes as well as apparel and accessories.

Website | DirectionsFacebook | (250) 383-3337

Oak Bay Bikes Victoria

Website | Directions

Straight Up Cycles

Website | Directions |Email

Russ Hays Bicycles Victoria

Website | Directions | Email

Russ Hays Bicycles Sydney

Website | Directions | Email

Sooke Mountain Cycle

Website | Directions | 250 642 3123

Coastal Cycle and Watersports

Coastal Cycle and Watersports is a bicycle and kayak store in Victoria. They also rent and service both kayaks and bicycles.

Website | Directions | Email

Fairfield Bicycle

A small bike shop in Victoria since 1990. They offer repairs, frame alignment, hard to find parts, special orders, trailers, city bikes, recumbants, touring bikes, pannier bags and folding/travel bikes.

Website | Directions | Email

Goldstream Bicycles

Website | Directions | Facebook | 250-474-1948

Running

Frontrunners Victoria

WebsiteDowntown Directions | Email | 250-382-8181

Westshore Directions | Email | (250) 391-7373

Running Room

Website

Millstream: Directions | Email | 250 391-0141

Downtown Directions | Email | 250 383 4224

Saanich Directions | 250 881 1051

New Balance Victoria

Website | Directions | Email | 250 382 9327

Peninsula Runners Victoria

Website | 3659 Shelbourne St. | Email | 250 384 4786

Island Runner Footwear

Directions | 250 595 2378

Water Sports

Ocean River Sports

Website | Directions | Email | 250 381 4233

Surfing

Sitka Surfboards

Website | Directions | Email

Barracuda Surboards

Canadian owned company specializing in custom surfboard design, manufacturing and repair.

Website | Directions | Email

Coastline Surf

Serving the Island community since 1991, Coastline sell skate, surf and snowboard gear and clothing.Website | Directions | Email

Threesixty boardshop

Website | Directions | Email | 250 382 0360

Sitka Surf and Skate Shop

Website | Directions | Contact | 250 382-7873

Switch Board Shop

Website | Directions | Email | 250 474 6620

Surface Boardshop

Website | Directions | Email | 250 391 7283

Kiteboarding/Windsurfing

The Bosun’s Locker

A boating store in Victoria since 1956, they sell sailing, kiteboarding and windsurfing gear.

Website | Directions | Email

The post Outdoor Stores in Victoria, Vancouver Island first appeared on Pack & Trail.

Outdoors

Valhalla Pure Outfitters

Everything you need for heading into the outdoors, they’ve got gear for hiking, running, AT and cross country skiing, climbing, kayaking and snowshoeing. I have to put in a bit of a disclaimer here; I worked there for a while and loved it.

Valhalla Pure Website |  Directions to Valhalla Pure | 250 751 8686

ONO Work and Safety

Not your typical outdoors shop but they do have lots of outdoor gear, first aid, and trades gear.

ONO Website | Directions to ONO’s | 250 390 4556

Atmosphere

Atmosphere Website | Directions | 250 751 1425

Cabellas

Cabella’s Website | Directions | 250 390 7800

Climbing

Romper Room

“Since 1996 the Romper Room has been Vancouver Islands Premier Indoor Rock Climbing destination …For Fun …For Fitness …To Challenge Your Mind! We are dedicated to providing a safe and fun climbing experience for everyone!”

Romper Room Website |  Directions to the Romper Room | (250) 751-7618

Running

Frontrunners Nanaimo

Looking for a clinic for running? Talk to the folks at Frontrunners.“At Frontrunners we pride ourselves in our clinics. Whether you are looking for a group to walk with, looking to start a run/walk program, or looking to improve your running performances we have a clinic to help. Our clinic leaders are trained in running and walking techniques, injury prevention, and basic nutrition and are there to answer any questions you may have.”

Frontrunners Website |  Directions to Frontrunners | (250) 729-8200

Running Room

“The Running Room reputation has been built upon product innovation, quality and the knowledge of our sport.Through the input of our customers and the staff, our products have been tested and proven as products of choice. The Running Room’s unique private label products have been developed to provide customers with the best in style, functionality, fabric innovations and reasonable price.”

Running Room Website |  Directions to Running Room | (250) 758-4018

Biking

Apex Bikes

Website | Directions | 250 933 5075

Arrowsmith Bikes Nanaimo

An excellent bike shop in Nanaimo. Arrowsmith firmly believes in a better life through cycling.

Arrowsmith Bikes Website |  Directions to Arrowsmith Bikes | (250) 758-6675

Bastion Cycle

Another locally owned bike shop in Nanaimo. Definitely talk to these guys if you’re looking to get into cycling.

Directions to Bastion Cycle | (250) 758-2453

Pacific Rim Bicycles

“Whatever category of bike you are looking for, whether it’s a Mountainbike, Hybrid, Comfort, Beach Cruiser, City / Commuter bike, Touring, Road, BMX, Tandem, Recumbent, Kids, or even Off-road Unicyle’s, that’s right we can get you one. Stop by, I think you’ll find what you’re looking for. And if we don’t have it, we’ll do our best to get it for you.”

Pacific Rim Website |  Directions to Pacific Rim | (250) 758-2118

Rock City Cycles

Rock City Cycles Website | Directions | 250 760 0211

The post Outdoor Stores in Nanaimo, Vancouver Island first appeared on Pack & Trail.