BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Can We Future-Proof Public Lands? Working Together & the GORP Act (Ep.382)
How do you get everyone from cattle ranchers to cyclists, snowmobilers, hunters, wildlife biologists, indigenous tribes, and politicians from both sides of the aisle to agree on protecting public lands? The GORP Act took on this challenge, and its collaborative approach could serve as a blueprint for the future.
Propain Hugene 3 CF
Propain’s third-generation Hugene has less travel than the prior one, but its performance is a reminder that geometry matters at least as much as travel numbers. Check out how the Propain Hugene 3 CF stacks up as a unique take on a modern short-travel Trail bike.
Deep Dive: Propain Hugene 3
We compare the Propain Hugene 3 CF to the Propain Hugene 2, Revel Rascal V2, Kona Process 134, Rocky Mountain Instinct, Trek Top Fuel, Transition Smuggler, Pivot Trailcat LT, Chromag Reazon, Canyon Spectral 125, Knolly Fugitive 140, Forbidden Druid, and Norco Optic.
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Win OpenSnow Premium Weather Forecasting
The three winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get a 1-year OpenSnow Premium subscription!
Best Skis of the Century, Part 4 (Ep.368)
What are the Top 10 skis of the century? Top 3? #1 Ski? Today, Blister reviewer, Paul Forward, reveals his very personal picks, plus we share a story from the Blister archives that involves New Zealand farmers and helicopters.
Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide: eMTBs
Our Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide chapters on eMTBs are here, covering everything from quick-handling light-assist Trail bikes to full-power Enduro sleds.
The Future of Rampage & How to Fix It (Ep. 299)
With four helicopter evacuations, the 2025 Red Bull Rampage was one of the most injury-plagued Rampages ever. It’s been weighing heavily on our minds and left us questioning the safety of the event and what should be done.
Travel Coffee Gear, Hand Grinders, & Coffee Roasting with Calibration Coffee Lab’s Alex LeBlanc (Ep.87)
How do you make great coffee on the road? Jonathan talks with Alex LeBlanc of Calibration Coffee Lab about our recent attempts at this. Then, we discuss Alex’s own approach to roasting, and how to achieve things like consistency, versatility, and uniqueness in the process.
Scott Ransom
The Scott Ransom might look more like a hardtail eMTB than a full-suspension Enduro bike at first glance, but its wild hidden shock aesthetic belies surprisingly well-rounded on-trail performance.
Phil Casabon on ‘ORNADA,’ Armada’s New Team Film (Ep.57)
BDog, aka, Phil Casabon, is one of the most creative skiers to ever do it, and today, we talk with him about this banger of a film, ORNADA, the first team film put out by Armada in over a decade. Plus, in this conversation, Phil lays out his Top-5 movies & Top-5 ski films of all time.
WTB Peacekeeper Tires
WTB might not be the first name you think of in tires, but their new Peacekeeper tire presents a very strong case for itself as an especially high-performing XC/Trail tire. Check out our review to find out why we’re excited about WTB’s latest offering.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, October 2025 (Ep.381)
Cody and Jonathan discuss CT’s most recent travel horror story; ski industry cartels?; Jim Morrison’s Everest ski descent; Kilian Jornet’s ‘States of Elevation’; Red Bull Rampage; Balin Miller; the extreme insurance hikes at Timberline Lodge; and what we’re reading & watching.
2025-2026 United Shapes Deep Reach, 162 cm
The United Shapes Deep Reach promises powder performance, but with versatility to keep the good times rolling when the deep stuff goes away. Check out our Full Review to see how we got along with the Deep Reach in a wide range of conditions.
Blizzard-Tecnica: 10 Years of Designing Women-Specific Skis & Boots (Ep.367)
Do “women-specific” skis need to exist? What about ski boots? In our conversation today, Leslie Baker-Brown shares her thoughts after leading Blizzard-Tecnica’s Women2Women program for the past 10 years.
Priority Bicycles on the High-Pivot, Belt-Drive, Gearbox Vanth Enduro Bike (Ep. 298)
The Priority Vanth doesn’t look like much else out there, and the story of its development is similarly unconventional.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Can We Future-Proof Public Lands? Working Together & the GORP Act (Ep.382)
How do you get everyone from cattle ranchers to cyclists, snowmobilers, hunters, wildlife biologists, indigenous tribes, and politicians from both sides of the aisle to agree on protecting public lands? The GORP Act took on this challenge, and its collaborative approach could serve as a blueprint for the future.
Propain Hugene 3 CF
Propain’s third-generation Hugene has less travel than the prior one, but its performance is a reminder that geometry matters at least as much as travel numbers. Check out how the Propain Hugene 3 CF stacks up as a unique take on a modern short-travel Trail bike.
Deep Dive: Propain Hugene 3
We compare the Propain Hugene 3 CF to the Propain Hugene 2, Revel Rascal V2, Kona Process 134, Rocky Mountain Instinct, Trek Top Fuel, Transition Smuggler, Pivot Trailcat LT, Chromag Reazon, Canyon Spectral 125, Knolly Fugitive 140, Forbidden Druid, and Norco Optic.
Win OpenSnow Premium Weather Forecasting
The three winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get a 1-year OpenSnow Premium subscription!
Best Skis of the Century, Part 4 (Ep.368)
What are the Top 10 skis of the century? Top 3? #1 Ski? Today, Blister reviewer, Paul Forward, reveals his very personal picks, plus we share a story from the Blister archives that involves New Zealand farmers and helicopters.
Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide: eMTBs
Our Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide chapters on eMTBs are here, covering everything from quick-handling light-assist Trail bikes to full-power Enduro sleds.
The Future of Rampage & How to Fix It (Ep. 299)
With four helicopter evacuations, the 2025 Red Bull Rampage was one of the most injury-plagued Rampages ever. It’s been weighing heavily on our minds and left us questioning the safety of the event and what should be done.
Travel Coffee Gear, Hand Grinders, & Coffee Roasting with Calibration Coffee Lab’s Alex LeBlanc (Ep.87)
How do you make great coffee on the road? Jonathan talks with Alex LeBlanc of Calibration Coffee Lab about our recent attempts at this. Then, we discuss Alex’s own approach to roasting, and how to achieve things like consistency, versatility, and uniqueness in the process.
Scott Ransom
The Scott Ransom might look more like a hardtail eMTB than a full-suspension Enduro bike at first glance, but its wild hidden shock aesthetic belies surprisingly well-rounded on-trail performance.
Phil Casabon on ‘ORNADA,’ Armada’s New Team Film (Ep.57)
BDog, aka, Phil Casabon, is one of the most creative skiers to ever do it, and today, we talk with him about this banger of a film, ORNADA, the first team film put out by Armada in over a decade. Plus, in this conversation, Phil lays out his Top-5 movies & Top-5 ski films of all time.
WTB Peacekeeper Tires
WTB might not be the first name you think of in tires, but their new Peacekeeper tire presents a very strong case for itself as an especially high-performing XC/Trail tire. Check out our review to find out why we’re excited about WTB’s latest offering.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, October 2025 (Ep.381)
Cody and Jonathan discuss CT’s most recent travel horror story; ski industry cartels?; Jim Morrison’s Everest ski descent; Kilian Jornet’s ‘States of Elevation’; Red Bull Rampage; Balin Miller; the extreme insurance hikes at Timberline Lodge; and what we’re reading & watching.