Cairn is a subscription service that delivers outdoor gear every month. They are inspired to enrich and expand the outdoor experience by fostering connections among those who create and enjoy it.
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About Cairn
The Subscription Box: Cairn
The Cost: $29.95 per month with discounts for 6- and 12- month subscriptions
The Products: “A recurring delivery of outdoor related products sent to your doorstep! Get introduced to new brands and products, including gear, apparel, nutrition/energy, skincare, and more.”
Ships to: U.S. for free, Canada for $5, and Internationally for $10
Cairn April 2019 "Hungry for Adventure" Review
As always, this month's box includes this Cairn Scout publication, which gives the lowdown on what's in your box each month, as well as offering details on the monthly "Adventure Upgrade" prize, subscriber perks, and more. This Scout tells of their Gear Up, Give Back program, which offers incentives if you mail in you pre-loved outdoors gear. More info here!
Light My Fire LunchKit, Green – Retail Value $19.99 (Found on sale here for $11.73)
This trail lunch kit is the complete package: it has a large, medium, and small container and a two-ended utensil with a serrated edge to the fork. They even save you from having to set your utensil down on the earth by providing a notch along the largest container for propping. So clever! You could either use this meal kit to pre-pack food to bring onto the trail, or you could carry it to your campsite empty and use it sort of as Tupperware for anything leftover from your campfire cooking sesh. I would say the latter makes a bit more sense to me since it doesn't fit together nicely unless it's empty. Because of that fact and because it isn't super lightweight, this kit clearly isn't meant for backpacking. Because of that, I sort of think of it as a superfluous item to own; if it's just acting as Tupperware, might as well bring Tupperware that you already own along, and avoid having an extra plastic item in your home. That said, the Light My Fire website is now selling eco-friendly versions of this kit, which is awesome. I will say it's a seemingly well-made kit, so I will keep it on hand to gift to a fellow outdoorsy friend.
Morakniv Basic 511 Knife — Retail Value $8
This is my first utility knife! We have a couple of various sized multi-tools that we bring on outdoors adventures, but no straight-up knives. To be honest, it makes me a bit nervous to carry a blade on my belt, but I immediately thought of a friend who would love this. He does everything in a slow, intentional, old school manner, and I can see him using this knife for purposes I could never think of.
It's a really cool tool, and if I were less haphazard (and didn't have an almost-crawling baby in the house who will be a grabby toddler in no time), I would embrace the opportunity to carry this knife around and see how it might come in handy!
A note from the Morakniv website:
This knife is designed and intended for Scandinavian construction workers. Here, our priority is a sharp and durable edge with a good grip, which means that the look of the spine isn’t a high priority feature. You are more than welcome to use any of our knives for your intended needs, but keep in mind that the spine will be “raw” (not grinded) on most craftsmen and construction knives. Therefore, it’s not compatible with a fire starter.
325 Medium Duty Paracord Utility Line – Retail Value $6.50
Paracord is one of those things that's always on Outdoors preparedness lists and you think, "What could I possibly need paracord for?" but alas, you pretty much always do. Actually, the knife is a really good accompaniment to a 50 ft stretch of paracord; it would give it a nice, clean cut. I always carry a lighter on me while in nature, and always burn the end of freshly cut paracord to give it a tidy end and make sure it doesn't fray (though, I'm pretty sure the point of paracord is that it's strong and doesn't fray). Backpacking and camping in Western Pennsylvania, we tie our food up in a tree overnight to avoid bears visiting our campsite, so that's likely how this line will be used by me. Among other spontaneous needs!
Peak Fuel Chicken Alfredo Pasta — Retail Value $12.99
This month's camp food is a freeze-dried meal. Yum! This is a nice change from the bars I've received in the past. I practically salivate just looking at this package—there's nothing like a warm camp meal at the end of a long day on the trail. My last backpacking trip brought a lot of cold rain, and seriously, it was our camp meals that kept us putting one foot in front of another each day instead of calling a friend to bail us out at the next trailhead. I can't wait to give this one a try!
Verdict: I'm quite pleased with this month's Cairn box! I'm pumped to have some fresh paracord for my trail kit and to have a new meal to try. While the meal kit and knife aren't as useful for me in this current phase of life, I'm excited to make someone's day by gifting them to friends! This box costs $29.95, which includes free shipping, and the contents add up to $47.48 (using the full price for the meal kit), which is a great deal.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Based on their subscription model, your items may vary based on your survey responses and boxes you have received in the past.
Coupon – Use code TRAILHEAD to get the Trailhead welcome box your first month! Check out our review of the Trailhead Welcome Box to see what will be included.
Value Breakdown: At $29.95 for this box, here’s what you are paying approximately per item:
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LunchKit: $12.61
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Knife: $5.05
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Paracord: $4.10
- Meal: $8.19
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