Back in September, 1999, we were going on a three-week trip to Costa Rica. In preparation, I wanted to buy a light, quick-drying, long-sleeved (for sun and bugs) shirt for the trip. I bought such a garment at Mountain Equipment Co-op in Vancouver (along with a compass, which was a great boon when I got lost in the cloud forest).
Today I was bringing in the laundry and thought to myself, “man, this shirt is nearly eight years old.” Most of my clothes don’t last more than two years. I have nephews younger than that shirt.
Thinking back, I believe that shirt’s been to Costa Rica, Cuba, South Africa, Ireland, Wales and France. And now it’s in Malta.
It ain’t the most stylish shirt in the world, but it’s durable and seems to dry in about an hour. I’ve had other clothes from MEC, but this is definitely my favourite. They don’t seem to make it anymore, but this badboy seems like it’s fairly close to the original.
DarrenBarefoot.com 
MEC rocks!
I believe your shirt has also been to china … no clues as to it’s exact birthplace.
Joyce: Good point, I’ll check. Mind you, MEC ethically sources their clothes, so I’d hope that it was made under reasonable conditions.
I’ve got a blue version of the sameish shirt from MEC and it’s fantastic for summer when you want to be cool, could get wet, and want to keep the sun off your arms. The chest pockets also make it perfect for fishing in, since they’re accessible in waders.
I believe newer versions of the shirt are even lighter, have a vent in the back panel to improve breathing, and feature a button on the outside of each arm so you can roll and button up the sleeves.
Hey I saw your post durring a google search for MEC shirts.
We’ve got a Menswear site that sells MEC. Check it out:
http://www.fashionmenswear.com/IBS/SimpleCat/Shelf/ASP/Hierarchy/1F.html