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Cairn Outdoor Subscription Box Review – April 2017

Andy
ByAndyMay 2, 2017 | 5 comments

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.

My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out our review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

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

Check out all of our Cairn box reviews and the Lifestyle Subscription Box Directory!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

Every month they include an info card detailing the items and their values, and a card with coupons for goods from the companies in that month’s box.

They also included a logo sticker this month.

Sugarsky Rocky Mountain National Park Headband – Value $22

First up this month, we have this headband from Sugarsky. It’s got a pretty cool print of the Rocky Mountain National Park map. It’s handmade here in the USA from US-made fabrics and can be worn 4 different ways. From what I can gather, Sugarsky markets pretty much exclusively to women, so this item is a miss for me personally. I will definitely be gifting it though!

EK USA Fat-Cat 3-Way Eyewear Retainer – Value $10.99

Next up this month is this eyewear retainer from EK USA. I have never used a product like this before, but I took these with me on a kayaking trip this past weekend and ended up using them pretty much the whole time. I have only really seen eyeglass retainers that are super long, so I wasn’t sure if these would actually work with my giant head, but they performed really well! The ends are a semi-hard rubber that has several different ports for holding different types of glasses arms.

I liked them for sure and will be using them regularly on future adventures.

PR Bars – Total Value $4.16 (buy a 12-pack for $24.95)

These PR bars are jam packed with protein and are completely gluten-free. They break down each bar with their 40/30/30 formula: 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat. I thought it was interesting that I got one bar with their old branding and one bar with their new branding, but both were well within their expiration date. I didn’t actually eat these because I’m avoiding soy and dairy at the moment, but I did share them with everyone on my trip and they got rave reviews.

Joshua Tree Citronella Camp Soap – Value $5.99

Finally this month we’ve got this Citronella camp soap from Joshua Tree Skin Care. This is similar to other camp soaps in that it’s strong enough to do camp dishes, but you can also use it as a shampoo/body wash. It’s got a very strong citronella scent so it will help keep bugs away. The soap is made up of several oils (coconut, olive, jojoba, citronella, tea tree, peppermint and cedar) along with some other biodegradable ingredients. The citronella scent is very powerful, so I’m reserving this for camp dishes exclusively at the moment.

Verdict: This is my first time reviewing Cairn, and while the high-value item this month wasn’t perfect for me, I still think it’s a well-curated subscription. I got a lot of use out of the eyeglass retainer already, and I know exactly who to gift the headband to so I’m getting value out of it in the end. This month’s value adds up to about $43.14, which is great for a $25 box.

What do you think of Cairn? Did you get the same box, or different items this month?

Andy
Andy
Andy is a professional photographer and a vinyl record collector. He loves coffee, gin, craft beer, and playing disc golf. Getting mail is one of his favorite things and he buys a new record every week but tells his wife it's much less often.

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5 comments

Gabby

I am unsure if I want to go with the 6-month-at-current-pricing option with Cairn. I’ve disliked one box (I got the January box instead of February), Liked the March, and did love my April box (although I wanted the Sugarsky wrap and didn’t get it, I did get a Luminoodle). Can’t tell if it would be worth it or not.

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celyn

This review is confusing. One of the best things about Cairn is that you fill out a customization questionnaire and Cairn sends you a box based on your preferences. You don’t mention that here. On their Facebook page, they mention that this box variation was geared to women. They had plenty of other variations. The only way they would send this to you is if your profile indicated you are female.

Also, your review lists two prices. To clarify, prices are changing at the end of the month to $29.95 per box, but current subscribers can lock in the $25 price if they subscribe up front for a 6 or 12 month subscription.

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Michelle

I love that headband! And I know several guys who would wear it, I don’t think it’s necessarily an item just for women.

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Chelsea

My boyfriend bought a wrap like that, marketed to men, at REI to protect his neck from the sun. He wore it on a 4 day section hike of the App Trail and it worked great! He’s a redhead who is pretty bad about sunscreen anywhere besides his face and his neck was nicely pale when he returned. He found it much more convenient and comfortable than any of the goofy looking hats with detachable neck guards that sell at REI to protect the back of your neck from the sun.

Andy, if you didn’t give it away already, keep it and wear it around your neck (just yank it over your head) to protect the back of your neck when doing outdoor activities. The skin on your neck will thank you!

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anon

I agree. the print is neutral enough to use as a sweat band when anyone’s out adventuring. just a thought.

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