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 September 2020 "Small & Mighty" Review
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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 called attention to the $4,500 worth of donations they were able to make to nonprofit Outdoor Afro thanks to a combination of monetary donations, Cairn subscribers redeeming their Cairn Points for charitable donations, and Cairn matching.
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Outdoor Element Fire Escape Multitool Carabiner, Silverthorne - Retail Value $24.95
"Small and mighty" sure is an accurate description for this supercharged multitool! When I think of a multitool I usually picture something with a knife or two, a screwdriver, some scissors perhaps, maybe a toothpick...this one is different in that its tools include a carbide-tipped glass (window) breaker, a seat belt cutter with a rubber cover, an O2 wrench and hex wrench, and a proprietary sparking fire starter wheel. Also a bottle opener and carabiner. A real first responder tool! Some of its features have double functions, like the wrenches can serve as hang slots and the seatbelt cutter can of course be used to cut other things. This carabiner can be filed under something I never would've bought for myself and now feel ten times more prepared and better equipped now that I own it.
That said, I almost feel like it requires training to use! For example, if I were to witness a car accident, I can't say that my instinct as a regular citizen would be to approach the vehicle, break the window, crawl in, and cut the belt. I would absolutely phone for help so that professionals who have a better chance of saving the person could step in. Of course, I live and hike and camp close to a city, where help could come quickly.
What's more, this is a serious piece of equipment with some sharp parts both out in the open and easily accessed. As someone who lives life with a curious toddler by my side a majority of the time, I will be sure this tool is kept somewhere out of my child's reach. But, does not having it handy defeat the purpose? Maybe it should be kept in the glove box of my car just in case? A real thought experiment this first Cairn item has sent me on!
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MPOWERD Luci Core Solar Light - Retail Value $17.95
It's one impressive product after the next with the September Cairn experience! This light shines for up to 12 hours on a single charge—wowzers. I have collected far too many camp lanterns over the years from Christmas stockings, subscription boxes, even as wedding gifts, and what I've learned from my large sample size is that nothing beats a solar charge. Seriously, why aren't all lanterns solar powered these days? In terms of "small and mighty," this one isn't nearly as compact as they come, but it's really powerful—with 3 brightness options and a blink setting—it's relatively light, and its bendable arm makes it extremely versatile. You also have the option to charge it with electricity if that's your wish, using a micro-USB cable that's included (but easily replaceable if misplaced). Really excited to put this guy to use.
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RXBAR Banana Chocolate Walnut, 1.83 oz. — Buy a 12-pack here for $25.99
I don't know how RXBAR does it! Their ingredients list is so simple, but the flavor is always fantastic. In addition to the ingredients listed on the front of the package, this one includes banana, chocolate, and cinnamon. The strongest flavor is by far the cinnamon (in a natural way), but I'll say you must be a banana fan to enjoy this bar. If snacking on dried banana appeals to you, you'll be in good shape with this snack.
Verdict: The September Cairn box really excited me, but also really got me thinking! With the multitool carabiner comes the opportunity to potentially save someone's life, but along with that comes great responsibility. Am I completely overthinking it? (My husband says yes I am, and that he would use it without hesitation if the need were to arise.) The lantern, on the other hand, is pure awesomeness and I know I'll get a ton of use out of it. The new-to-me RXBAR flavor was a fun one to try.
This box costs $29.95 (less if you subscribe for longer), including free shipping, and the contents add up to about $44.90 (using an estimated cost of $2 for the RXBAR, which is what a single bar costs at my local grocery store). This value is consistent with last month's, and 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 costs $29.95 + free US shipping, but I estimate it contained $44.90 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.
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What do you think of Cairn this month? Did you get any of the same items as me?
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