The Cairn subscription box is the best and one of the most established boxes for outdoor enthusiasts. We got the July box for our Cairn review.

Cairn is a monthly box of outdoor products designed for adventure in the backcountry. The name comes from those stacks of rocks used as trail markers.

A box is not always a box and we’re all for it. This month’s “box” was actually a bag. If stuff can fit and ship securely in a bag, the reduced packaging make sense. Yes, we like the presentation of boxes, but it’s not necessary. We’re all about the cool stuff that we get!

This month’s Cairn box came with EcoVessel straws, a Nomadix towel, and All Good Sunscreen Butter. A total value of $60, that subscribers get for $30!

We’ve previously received EcoVessel products and love them. We’ve got a couple of insulated water bottles and insulated tumblers that work great. They seriously keep it cold or keep it hot. This month’s box gave us a set of 4 reusable stainless steel straws with silicone tips and a cleaning brush. It’s been calculated that 500,000,000 plastic straws are used every single day in the US. It’s hard to fathom how that is possible, but it starts to make sense when you look at the population size and realize that a lot of people are using several straws a day. That’s a lot of plastic going into landfills and making its way into the oceans. Plastic straws! Let’s get rid of them! Some of the compostable ones don’t work very well and I’ve gone to just not using a straw. Boom – EcoVessel to the rescue! These stainless steel straws have soft silicone tips for your lips and they work great. The handy brush makes them easy to clean with some soapy hot water. EcoVessel has also partnered with Water for People to donate a percentage of sales to helping solve clean water access problems.

cairn review straw

We fully liked the product, but didn’t think that it would be something that we would use in the outdoors. Maybe car camping, but not backpacking.

The next item in the box was the Nomadix National Parks Collection Smoky Mountains camp towel. This had a beautifully colored print, measured about 2 feet by 6 feet and packed down small. Made with recycled plastic bottles, it was super soft. Always pack a towel! Did what a towel is supposed to do – absorbent and quick drying. Size and weight wise, this towel would be great for a 2 night backpack, but would have thoughts on bringing it on a longer trip. Nomadix is part of 1% for the Planet.

Cairn Box Review nomadix towel

It’s nice to have a towel this size for washing up or laying out. It’s also got some great multi-functions. You can use a dry towel as a pillow. You can use it for shade or as a little extra layer. And if you need to carry someone a short distance because of injury, you can roll it under their arm pits.

Lastly, was organic SPF 50 Water Resistant Zinc Sunscreen Butter from All Good. Designed to be non-toxic, this sunscreens base is made from coconut oil and beeswax with an active ingredient of Zinc Oxide. It had a nice non-greasy feel and rubbed into face. All Good is also part of the 1% for the Planet.

Cairn Subscription Box Review Sunscreen

Cairn is $29.95 a month and includes free shipping in the US. You can prepay for 6 months for a $10 discount or get a $30 discount on an annual subscription. There is also an option to upgrade to Obsidian and get a quarterly mega box for $249.95. We’ve never gotten the giant quarterly box, so we don’t know all the details. It looks like you step up to some seriously awesome gear. Cairn subscriptionstypically ships in the middle of the month and you get your box in the 3rd week of the month.

Also, we always like when there is a Gift option on subscription boxes and Cairn has a great gift feature that allows you to purchase as many boxes as you want. When you aren’t a subscriber, they do charge you a $5 shipping fee, so the better deal is definitely to get the subscription. Gift orders ship immediately after order.

You can cancel your monthly subscription at any time by logging into GetCairn and clicking the cancel subscription link.

Cairn asks some optional basic questions on sign up. Most of their stuff is universal, but occasionally there is something with a size, so fill in your gender and small/medium/large. They commonly ship snacks and food and you can specify if you are vegetarian, but that is about the limit to the food customization.

Use one of our GetCairn.com Coupon Codes for a discount on your first month’s box or a free gift with your first box.

We’re kinda gear junkies, so we love all of the new outdoor gear that we get each month.