Cairn is a monthly subscription box that sends members outdoors, adventure, and fitness gear. Cairn's goal is to enrich your outdoor adventures by connecting you with best-in-class products. It was chosen as one of our favorite subscription boxes for men but is suited to adventurers of all genders.
FYI - COVID-19 Update, from Cairn:
Due to the impacts of COVID-19 on distribution centers, Monthly Cairn Subscribers, as well as Monthly Cairn Gift recipients that are beyond their first month of the gift term, may experience delays of up to two weeks on their Monthly Cairn delivery. Cairn products that are not experiencing shipping delays:
- Initial Cairn Gift deliveries (the first month of the gift term)
- Cairn Apparel
- UnStacked orders
- Obsidian Subscriptions
If you have questions about your order, please email [email protected]
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out our review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Cairn
The Subscription Box: Cairn
The Cost: $29.95 per month with discounts for 6- and 12-month subscriptions
The Products: Outdoor gear, including apparel, nutrition/energy products, skincare, and other essentials to keep you prepared and comfortable on your adventures.
Ships to: The US for free, Canada for $5, and internationally for $10
Cairn August 2020 "Get Going" Review
1 of 5
Every Cairn box comes with the Cairn Scout, which is a newspaper-style info sheet. It lets you know about the monthly theme, some details about each of the items included in the box, and all sorts of great stuff about all things Cairn: upgrade opportunities, subscriber perks, a community feature, and more. This month the Cairn Scout prompted me to go visit their YouTube channel, and I recommend you do it, too! There you can find unboxings of Cairn Obsidian (their quarterly, higher price-point subscription), short video reviews of individual products from the monthly boxes, and more.
1 of 4
Kammok Burro Hip Pack, Black - Retail Value $35
August has been the month of the fanny pack for me—I also received one, in a very different style, in my first Wild Woman box. Whereas the one from WW is low-profile and printed with feminine florals, this one is roomy and plain black. So roomy, in fact, that it fits at 32 oz. Nalgene inside! Dang! I learned this fun fact from the product review on Cairn's YouTube channel. It's made with water-resistant material, seaming, and zippers, and can be worn on your waist or across your chest. I love that both sides have subtle loops stitched in so you can carabiner stuff to them. The back has a hidden zipper pocket, great for keeping cash or a card in. This is a brand new product and a great, versatile pack that I can see serving a variety of functions on adventures.
1 of 2
My mind went to not-necessarily-in-nature uses for this pack—my daughter just turned 2, so while bringing a full-blown diaper bag with us on a quick errand is starting to feel like overkill, we do still need to bring a handful of extras with us. This pack can comfortably fit our baseline needs: my phone and wallet, our two masks, 1 diaper and a few wipes (we sometimes grab a small stack of wipes and bring them in a snack-size Stasher bag), and a travel bottle of hand sanitizer. I was also able to fold up her favorite hat and sneak it in there (parents: best purchase ever).
My husband's mind, on the other hand, went to bikepacking or long day trips on his bike. His bike bento box is imperfect and sometimes sags or rubs on his leg, so he said he'd happily consider this as an alternative. And then if it got irritating on his waist he could easily strap it to his frame or rack. He's only given it a spin for a 16-mile ride, so the jury's still out on how it does on a long ride, but he's hopeful. That's him modeling it above...with nothing in it, haha.
1 of 5
Humangear GoTubb, small - Retail Value $7.99 (currently on sale for $7.19)
Cairn sends a lot of Humangear products, and they're often really clever! These small tubs are waterproof, food-safe, and able to be opened using one hand. They're also 100% BPA-free, PC-free, and phthalate-free—and recyclable. They're pretty small, and I admit that at first I thought perhaps they were too small to really be useful. But my mind was changed by reading some great suggestions of what to pack them with: ear plugs, hair ties, spices, peanut butter. Honestly, just any small thing that you don't want to lose at the bottom of your bag, be that your trail pack or your purse. I'm a believer now!
1 of 4
JiMMY! Keto Protein Bar, Macadamia Nut Crunch, 1.59 oz. — Buy a 12-pack here for $34.99
This protein bar is packed with macadamia nuts, almonds, and peanuts, and flecked with dark chocolate. Nobody in my family follows a keto diet, but the ingredients combo is still totally our speed. The bar is oddly both crumbly and oily at the same time, which makes for a bit of a tricky trail snack.
Verdict: My favorite Cairn boxes are the ones with a "big ticket item," which I put in quotes because they're only big ticket relative to the parameters of this subscription (the real big ticket items come in the quarterly Obsidian box!). Anyway, this month checks that box! The fanny pack is a really cool, high-quality bag that my family is already making use of. The 2 smaller products—the GoTubbs and protein bar—feel like great supporting items to round out this month's spread. I'm happy with everything!
This box costs $29.95 (less if you subscribe for longer), including free shipping, and the contents add up to approximately $45.11 (using the sale price for the GoTubbs and an estimated cost of $2.92 for the protein bar). This value is a few dollars higher than usual for Cairn!
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.
Value Breakdown: This box cost $29.95 + free US shipping, but I estimate it contained $45.11 worth of goods. That comes down to a value of approximately $9.98 per item.
Check out all of our Cairn reviews, and learn more about our readers' favorite fitness boxes.
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
What do you think of Cairn this month? Did you get any of the same items as me?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.