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 identities. In mid-2021 Cairn was acquired by Outside Magazine.
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 editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
First Impressions
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After last month's paper mailer, we're back to regular programming with the Cairn box. This delivery felt a little light this month but made me all the more interested to dive into what we received.
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Included in every box is a newspaper-style insert with an overview of the month's theme, the items included, and more topical information. November's issue included a condensed article from Outside – this month you'll find detailed info on how to best care for one of the items. This month's theme is "Sustained Survival" with items to "slice, light, and bite through anything that comes your way this winter." Let's see what that means...
Ready? Let's go!
Outdoor Edge Razorwork Knife – Retail Value $30.95
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Out of the box, this knife has a nice heft to it – it doesn't feel cheap, and what's particularly unique about the Razorwork knife is that the blades are interchangeable. Two blade styles are included: there are two 3" utility blades, plus a 3" drop-point blade. The description included in the Outside mailer states the blades can "go from work to play with a push of a button" ... which is vague. I think what they mean here is that one blade is better suited for projects and one is better suited for trail work. It's a nice knife and I like that the blades can be changed out, but I had difficulty closing it once it was opened (the button you think you'd use to close the knife is actually the blade-release button, which could be dangerous. To close it, you press the flat metal bit exposed on the handle) and I noticed there's a Prop 65 warning on the product page. Now, I take Prop 65 with a grain of salt after working in the fashion industry, but it surprised me since I think most Cairn subscribers – myself included – are used to receiving items from B-corps and companies that are more closely aligned with sustainability. That said, it's smart to have a quality knife in your kit, and this one is sharp and feels high quality. I also appreciate that the Outside mailer included tips for taking care of it.
Live Fire Gear 550 Firecord - Retail Value Starting at $9.99 for 25 Feet
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Ok, I can honestly say I've never seen anything like this. When I pulled this bundle of cord out of the box, I thought "uh, ok... paracord?" But upon closer inspection this "Firecord" contains a unique feature: it can be used as a firestarter. As a cord, 550 parachute cord is the standard for most cordage needs, including securing your gear and as boot laces, but pull the color-coded 8th strand (the red one) from inside the cord, and you have a waterproof firestarter to use in case of emergencies or when your fire just won't start using other methods. I could see this item being a great addition to any backpacker's or hiker's pack - even if you're not going on overnight hikes, it's always smart to have something in your bag to make a fire in case of emergencies. That said, I have the same feedback as I did for the knife: This product also comes with a Prop 65 warning and because of that, feels slightly incongruous to previous boxes. It also appears to be scented. Like, heavily scented. I assume this has something to do with the fire starter included, but it smells heavily of fabric softener or Febreeze. It's just a scent I'm sensitive to, so I'll either be storing this in a sealed bag until I need to use it or gifting it to my brother who is more often in backcountry situations that may call for an emergency fire.
Bonus Item:
Sun & Swell Foods Clean Cookie Bites - Retail Value $3.33 (purchase a bundle of 6 snack packs here for $20)
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(swipe to the end to see my "helpers")
These clean cookie bites are more closely aligned with what I've come to expect from Cairn and Outside: Sun & Swell Foods is a certified B-Corp, is part of 1% For The Planet, and their products are certified organic. These cookie bites had a nice texture and I enjoyed the taste – not too sweet but reminiscent of an oatmeal cookie, albeit a more nutritious one, and I appreciated that one pack equaled one serving (it drives me crazy when a non-resealable package of food contains multiple servings and you're left to figure out where to store the remaining servings). I received the Oatmeal Cacao Chip, and the ingredients are incredibly simple: dates, cashews, oats, cacao, cinnamon. That's it. I enjoyed mine after the gym while on a beach walk, and they were the perfect snack to fill me up and energize me for the rest of the afternoon.
Value – Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost:$34.99
While Cairn has sent survival-aligned boxes in the past, this month's delivery felt more tactical than those past boxes, which could be a great addition to your gear stash depending on your needs. The knife feels like it's great quality and I love that the blades can be changed out – a quality knife has so many uses on the trail or even kept in your glove box, you never know when you might need one, and a sharper knife is always safer. I struggled with closing it, but that could be chalked up to user error more than anything else. The paracord fire starter was a unique item that I can honestly say I've never seen before – it would make a great stocking stuffer for the outdoors person in your life, or hardcore backcountry skier or snowboarder. That said, I found the scent of the paracord to be a deal-breaker for me (it's strong), and it was surprising to receive items that didn't align with the values I've come to expect from Cairn. That could simply be a product of my perception of the box, or it could be a product of the Outside acquisition – it's not necessarily a bad thing to see a company trying something new. I loved the cookie bites and could see myself purchasing these if I'm headed out for a winter hike or a day of snowboarding and in need of some quick on-trail sustenance. If you received this box, I'd love to know what you thought about it.
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Other Things You Should Know
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes! The December box is still shipping.
Value Breakdown: The value of this box rang in at $44.27, including the cookie bites which is on par with what I've come to expect from Cairn.
What do you think of Cairn this month? Did you receive any of the same items as me? Any thoughts on the knife and cord?
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