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Cairn Subscription Box Review + Coupon – September 2019

Christen Russo
ByChristen RussoSep 21, 2019 | 5 comments

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. 

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

Check out our review of the "Hammock Collection" welcome box to see what will be included.

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 2019 "Weekend Warrior" Review

 

As always, this month's box includes a copy of Cairn Scout, which gives the lowdown on the month's products, subscriber perks, the Adventure Upgrade, the Obsidian box, and more. Check out the Cairn blog for some great tips and pieces on outdoor-related topics.

 

Coalatree Nomad Packable Duffel - Retail Value $24

The Nature People in my life all have bags of a dozen shapes, sizes, weights, and pocketry offerings because they all know that having the just-right bag for the occasion is part of preparedness. When I read, "Packable Duffel" on the tag of this bag, I'll be honest, I thought this might be an item I'd end up gifting. But then when I unfurled it—and especially when I folded it back up into its attached stuff sack with ease—I realized it's a keeper. Among my selection of special-sized bags with various functions, I somehow don't have a classic duffel. Duffels are a good shape to fill with odds and ends and actually be able to see into them to find things, unlike the dark void that is the bottom of a backpack.

I just returned from an adventure to Arizona, where my husband and I hiked every day with our year-old baby in a Kelty Journey pack. As I was packing, something moved me to toss an empty tote bag into our suitcase, and as it turned out we used it to haul various snacks and books and toys in and out of the rental car every day. We also found it was nice to wear sandals driving to the trailhead and lace into our hiking shoes on-site. We just tossed our hiking shoes in plastic grocery bags to keep the car clean, but this duffel would have been great for that.

 

Heroclip Small - Retail Value $17.95

This clip-carabiner combo is undeniably cool and satisfying to swivel around in all its different directions. But, again, I confess to not immediately understanding how it would fit into my life. I poked around on the Heroclip website a bit to see some suggestions and now I don't know how I lived without one! A few examples of uses are to hang your bag from a branch so you can dig through it, to hang a water bottle (or anything else) from a stroller handle, to store things (again, basically anything) like bike helmets or hoses or tools, to hook your purse or diaper bag to a table or shopping cart. I mean, seriously, the uses are endless, and since the gadget was conceptualized by an outdoorsy parent, the site is full of suggestions for ways of offering parents an extra 'hand.' So awesome.

 

The Gluten Free Bar in Cranberry Toasted Almond, 2.05 oz - Estimated Value $2.33 (Buy a 12-bar case here for $28)

This GFB is a great trail snack as it offers carbs, sugar, and protein. It goes down pretty easily and has a mild flavor. Thumbs up!

Bonus: Cairn Sticker - Estimated Value $3

This month I got a Cairn sticker. I wish I had room to stick it on my Nalgene! So far my Hydroflask is unstickered but I may have to start filling it soon.

Verdict: This month's Cairn box was full of dark horse gems. The packable duffel bag might just end up coming along with us on every trip we take from here on out, for one-off needs that will surely arise. The Heroclip is about to become a staple item in my day-to-day life, I just know it. The GFB was a nice treat!

This box costs $29.95, which includes free shipping, and the contents add up to about $47.28, which I calculated using estimated values for the trail snack and sticker. Nice value this month.

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. 

Check out our review of the Hammock Collection welcome box to see what will be included.

Value Breakdown: This box cost $29.95 + free US shipping, but I estimate it contained $47.28 worth of product. That breaks down to approximately $11.82 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 the same items as I did?

Christen Russo
Christen Russo

Hi there, I'm Christen. I am all sorts of things:

🌳 a writer who loves to convey feeling

🌲 a mother who wants to have just as much fun as my kids do

🌳 an outdoors-lover who's achieved #1000hoursoutside with my family

🌲 a low-maintenance self-carer

🌳 a general hungry person with an unstoppable sweet tooth

You'll find me collecting stationery and squirreling away stickers, riding bikes and swimming with my family, creating outfits in colors and silhouettes that make me feel amazing, wearing big earrings, drinking beer and asking my husband to feed me harmonies to sing, taking my vitamins, living for dancing to live music, roping everyone into a craft, being human and vulnerable, and celebrating the phenomenon of being alive.

...and doing it all with energy, delight, and jokes along the way.


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5 comments

Boxy Fox

I cancelled my subscription because I get much better value in my battle box.

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anon

If you are reviewing Cairn, you should know the sticker is a given. If you care about the subscription, it would be great to know that.

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Christen Russo

Hi there,

Thanks for your feedback! This month marked the 10th Cairn box I’ve reviewed, but the first time I’ve ever received the sticker. Looking back on some of the Cairn reviews from our former reviewer Andy, it looks like he sometimes received it and sometimes didn’t. I’ll be curious to see if it comes again next month for me!

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Claire

I wonder if they ever include sunscreen? This would be an absolute essential.

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Christen Russo

I’m so with you on that, Claire, I’m big on using sun protection! They included sunscreen in the swim-themed version of their collab with Outside Mag (I’ll link to my review below) last month! I’ve never received sunscreen in a monthly box but I wouldn’t be surprised if I did down the line. 🙂

https://www.mysubscriptionaddiction.com/2019/08/cairn-outside-review-aug-2019.html

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