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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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
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This month's issue of Cairn Scout features all the info we’re used to—full descriptions of each item, coupons from manufacturers, a look at the next Obsidian box, tips for using your new gear, and more. It looks like it’s printed on easily recyclable newsprint too.
Here's the Cairn logo sticker this month. Back to the brick red color for me. My hopes of building a rainbow of Cairn stickers are squashed!
GobiGear 20L Seg Sac – Value $24.99
First up this month, we have this awesome segmented stuff sack from GobiGear! Number one—how have I never heard of these? And number two—how has it taken this long to come up with this genius idea? At first, I was like “Oh great, a stuff sack, I have a billion of these,” but when I realized it had the segments, I was embarrassingly over-excited! I received a 20L version, though Cairn Scout lists the 15L version. I was able to easily fit my Serac hammock and straps in one segment, my ultralight Marmot sleeping bag in another, a rain fly and camping pillow in the third, and a shirt, socks, and underwear in the fourth. It was packed tight, but all in one convenient package! The seams held fine. The sack itself is very lightweight, though the fabric can be see-through when loaded fully. Did you receive the 15 or 20L version? What color did you get? I can’t seem to find this one on their site, so I’m wondering if it’s an exclusive like the Serac hammocks I got a few months ago.
The Tent Lab Deuce of Spades – Value $19.50
Up next, we have this little trowel from The Tent Lab. The Deuce of Spades is a strong but lightweight aluminum trowel that seems durable enough to dig a pit large enough to do your business in no time. The edge is thin enough to break soil easily, and at just 0.6oz, there’s really no reason not to have this in your backpack at all times. After perusing their site and the attached comment card, I have to say the designer and owner is a perfectionist, and I love it. He is actively seeking feedback on this item to see if he should redesign it once it’s been field tested by users. I plan on letting him know once I get some use out of it!
All Good Products (Formerly Elemental Herbs) All Good Lips 15SPF Lip Balm – Value $3.50
Hey, who doesn’t need lip balm? The All Good Lips 15SPF Original lip balm smells great, is all organic, and as far as I can tell, is protecting my lips from UVA and UVB rays right now. I’m all for a quality lip balm, but I have to admit, I don’t use them too much in the summer months. I decided to take a tip from Marne, one of our other reviewers here at MSA, and I’m going to stash this guy in my cold weather hiking jacket. It’ll be a welcome surprise come autumn and winter!
Buddy's Nut Butters Cinnamon Raisin and Honey Peanut Butter, 1.15 oz each – Value $3.00 ($1.50 each)
Finally, we have two packets of Peanut Butter from Buddy’s Nut Butters. These would be perfect to have as a trail snack and they both pack a ton of flavor. I just ate the Cinnamon Raisin one and it was truly delicious—think cinnamon raisin toast that’s been slathered in your favorite peanut butter. The Honey Peanut flavor was pretty much just standard peanut butter, but still very tasty. I like that they were in single-use packets and that they were both made from simple ingredients. No crazy preservatives or anything like that to be found.
Verdict: I really enjoyed Cairn this month! I know I’m going to get a lot of use out of the GobiGear SegSac, and the Deuce of Spades is going to cut my pack weight considerably. This month’s value adds up to about $50.99, doubling the initial investment and beating the value of last month!
What do you think of Cairn? Did you get the same color and size SegSac, or any different items this month?
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