Cairn is a monthly subscription box that sends members outdoor, 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 and identities.
In addition to the monthly subscription, Cairn also offers a premium quarterly box, Cairn Obsidian; UnStacked by Cairn, a unique gear auction site in which prices drop over time; and Kitted, a curated gear "styling" service.
Cairn also has a give-back program called Gear Up, Give Back, where outdoor enthusiasts can send in their retired gear and Gear Fix will repair it and sell it in their shop. The net proceeds are then matched by Cairn and Gear Fix and donated to Outdoors For All, an organization working to enrich the quality of life of children and adults with disabilities through the outdoors.
This is a review of the $34.99 monthly subscription.
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: $34.99 per month with discounts for 6- and 12-month and annual subscriptions.
The Products: Outdoor gear, including apparel, nutrition/energy products, skincare, and other essentials often curated around a theme to keep you prepared and comfortable on all your adventures.
Ships to: The U.S. for free, Canada for $5.00, and internationally for $10.00.
Good to know: Cairn's prices recently increased from $29.99 per month to $34.99 per month because they were also recently acquired by Outside Magazine. You can read more about the acquisition here.
Cairn July 2021 "Sunny Sustainability" Review
Summer in Maine is officially here and with it... a remarkable amount of rain. While the weather has been on the unpredictable side, nothing could stop me from enjoying this most glorious season. For me, summer means spending as much time as possible outdoors so lately, I've been heading straight from work to the beach for an evening surf or going for a trail run. July's Cairn box showed up just in time for beach days and surfy nights – ready to see what's inside? Read on!
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In typical fashion, the first thing out of the box is our Cairn Scout. This newspaper-style info sheet arrives with (almost) every box and provides details about what to expect in your box that month, shares info about upgrades, showcases a community member, and more. The theme for July is "Sunny Sustainability" and includes items that were made for soaking up the summer sun – all while supporting and promoting sustainability. After months of boxes that felt heavily aligned with camping and backpacking, I was stoked to open my Cairn box (er, bag) this month and see an image of people on a beach with a paddleboard. Finally! While I enjoy camping and hiking, there are so many other ways to enjoy the outdoors that I feel are often overlooked. Heck yes to a box that's beach-ready!
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Ecovessel Wanderware Reusable Utensil Set - Retail Value $24.95
Opening the shipping bag this month, this reusable utensil set from Ecovessel was the first thing I landed on, and friends, I could not be more stoked! This compact set includes just about everything you'd need to ditch single-use utensils – there's a set of chopsticks, a straw with a silicone tip, a fork, spoon, and knife, and even a straw brush; all made from substantial food-grade stainless steel. And it all zips up into a sleek canvas carrying case. I have a few reusable pieces of flatware and some reusable straws kicking around my kitchen already, but this set is so much more portable and travel-friendly than tossing a bunch of random items into my bag. I took it for a test run on a recent surf day, and it was the perfect thing for enjoying my lunch on the beach. I've also used it a bunch for work. All this to say, I love this thing and I'm pretty thrilled about it.
Not only is this set super useful, but Wanderware also donates 5% of sales to non-profit orgs such as Water for People and the Surfrider Foundation (of which I'm a card-carrying member!) – love a company that gives back.
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Gogglesoc Sunnysoc - Retail Value $14.95
When it comes to looking after sunglasses, I don't have a great track record. The one fancy pair I've ever invested in now resides at the bottom of a lake (I've never seen something sink so quickly), and most of my daily sunnies get scratched up pretty quickly. This summer I've been making an effort to really take better care of them, so this soft sunglass case couldn't have come at a better time. While this may look basic, it's actually really cool – and super handy. This sunglass case is thick, and the interior is lined with a lens cleaning cloth so you can clean your lenses right in the case. There's a small carabiner, so you can clip the case to a backpack or even a PFD, and the material is made from rPET, a fabric crafted from recycled plastic water bottles. I just bought a new pair of (cheap) sunglasses that I LOVE, and I've been storing them religiously in this case – so far, no scuffs!
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Patagonia Provisions Regenerative Organic Chili Mango - Retail Value $7.00
Want to know the key to my heart? Mangoes. Seriously, in the winter I dream about Atalufo mango season. They're my favorite. So yes, I was very excited to see this bag of dried Chili Mango from Patagonia Provisions included in the box this month. Like just about everything Patagonia does, these dried mangoes are super thoughtfully made – they're one of the first foods in the world to be Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC)™, "a rigorous standard that prioritizes soil health while protecting animal welfare and fair labor practices." The chili was very mild (if you've tried the chili-dusted mangoes from Trader joes, these are milder), and the mango was perfectly sweet without any added sugar (seriously, dried fruit doesn't need any extra sugar and it drives me bananas when I see it listed as an ingredient). Would I eat these again? Yes, definitely, but at $7 bucks a bag they'd be a splurge, so I'm glad I got to try them in this box! They were the perfect pick-me-up after my surf sesh.
Verdict: HECK YES! A Cairn box that felt as though it was curated for something other than hiking or camping! While I understand that hiking and camping are more universal activities and that it must be difficult to curate boxes towards other sports, like paddleboarding, kayaking, or surfing, I really appreciated that this box felt different from recent boxes and more beach-focused. For one thing, there wasn't a water element included this month (Cairn often sends water treatments and water bottles, and it was getting repetitive). I'm very happy with the utensil set – it's substantial, feels high quality, and is something I'll use frequently for beach and surf days, hiking, and even the office. The Sunnysoc has been in frequent rotation and has saved my newest pair of sunglasses from scratches and scuffs. And the mango was super tasty and an appreciated snack after a fun day on the water. For me, this Cairn box hit the nail on the head in terms of usefulness, sustainability, and style (you can't argue with a sleek set of cutlery). If this is what we can expect from Cairn now that they've been acquired by Outside, I'm happy!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, this was the July box, August boxes should be shipping soon.
Value Breakdown: This box costs $34.99 + free U.S. shipping, and I calculated that it contained about $46.90 worth of goods, which is on par for this box.
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 receive any of the same items as me?
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