August '15 Highlight Reel
It’s the last full month of summer, and if you’re working on squeezing a few more adventures in before autumn hits, everything in this month’s Cairn will be a helpful addition to your pack. With items that’ll help you see in the dark, survive short-term emergencies, and stay fueled, there’s plenty of fun for every Cairn subscriber.
LuminAID PackLite 16
When you're camping or backpacking, it can be incredibly relaxing to be at the mercy of Mother Nature's rhythms, including sunrise and sunset. But when you need a little extra light around camp without adding too much weight to your load, LuminAID has just the ticket.
Founded by two graduate students in an effort to help light the way for aid workers in post-earthquake Haiti, the company makes a handful of products that help you see what you're doing in the dark. The LuminAID PackLite 16 provides 65 lumens on the extra bright setting, takes 7-10 hours of sunlight to charge, is waterproof up to one meter, and it floats. The PackLite 16 folds into a small rectangular shape that makes it easy to drop into your pack, and inflates into a lantern to help diffuse the light. It's a new and improved version of the original, and given it weighs in at 2.9 oz., you'll want to consider leaving your traditional lantern at home.
The Pocket Outdoor Survival Guide
Have trouble figuring out how to deal with getting lost on a trip? Not sure what to do when you're injured in the middle of a hike? Tuck The Pocket Outdoor Survival Guide from this month's Cairn into your pack on your next trip and you'll be equipped to handle a variety of short-term survival situations.
Adequate training and preparation is essential to dealing with unexpected emergencies, but sometimes things happen that we're not ready for. If the worst happens, this handy little book can help you figure out what to do next. The Pocket Outdoor Survival Guide is packed with 144 pages of survival tips, preparation pointers, survival kit essentials, instructions on building shelters, and many more useful tidbits.
Omnibar Mango Curry Beef (Meat Eaters Only)
Subscribers were first introduced to Omnibar back in the December 2014 Cairn, and if you've been a subscriber since then, you'll be stoked to see another one in this month's box. The folks behind Omnibar still believe in creating snacks that give adventurers sustainable energy via the high protein grass fed beef from the company's ranch in Montana. Unlike traditional energy bars, meat is the base, which makes Omnibars both calorie dense and packed with high quality protein.
If you specified you're a meat-eater, you're going to love the savory and sweet Mango Curry flavor. The bar combines grass fed beef, dried prunes, almonds, organic oats, and more to keep you fueled.
Kate's Real Food Grizzly Bar (Non-Meat Eaters Only)
Immediately after tasting the Kate's Real Food Stash Bar in April 2015's Cairn, I bought two cases of them. They're absolutely phenomenal, and non-meat eaters get to try the Grizzly Bar in this month's delivery.
A delightful combination of dark chocolate, honey, dried fruit, creamy peanut butter, and crunchy rice nuggets will keep you fueled for hours. With 360 energy-packed calories in every bar, these are ideal for adventures involving a whole lot of calorie-burning effort. I'm still partial to the Stash Bar, given it tastes like a peanut butter cookie, but the Grizzly Bar is sure to please.
Qancha by Nazqiz
One of the best things about being a Cairn subscriber is the opportunity to try new things, and to be exposed to products new to the market. Nazquiz was founded in 2013 by a Peruvian entrepreneur hoping to bring Peruvian snacks to the United States and beyond. The company’s main product, Qancha, is an air toasted corn snack made from a variety of corn that is prolific in the Peruvian Andes. It is then toasted, seasoned, and packaged in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Though it makes sense to assume the Qancha snack might look like popcorn, it doesn’t. The texture is more akin to a sunflower seed with the outer shell still attached, and the kernels themselves are whole. They’re delightfully crunchy and taste like corn, which makes the little kernels great to eat alone. They’re also ideal for topping salads and soups with.
Think you’d give any of these products a try if you’re not a subscriber? If you are, what’s your favorite item in this month’s box? Sound off in the comments! And subscribers, don’t forget to look in the box for an envelope full of coupons. Our highlight reel author may or may not have already used her coupon for Kate’s Real Food.