BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Liv Rail MIPS Helmet
Liv’s recently overhauled Rail MIPS helmet is the brand’s highest-end model for off-road use, and it’s been a welcome companion during all of our hot rides this summer.
GEAR THERAPY! — Session #1 (Ep.187)
Bikes are expensive, there are more good ones than ever before, and understanding the tradeoffs between options and how to find the right one to suit your needs can be tricky. We’re here to help. Welcome to Gear Therapy.
Flash Review — 2024 Yeti SB140
We’ve started spending time on Yeti’s long-awaited successor to the SB130 — so is the new SB140 a refreshed take on that longstanding and ultra-popular all-rounder, or is it something else entirely? Check out our early impressions.
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Dearborn Denim founder, Rob McMillan, on Building a Premium, Affordable, & Ethical Apparel Manufacturing Company in Chicago (Ep.35)
Dearborn Denim founder, Rob McMillan is working on building a big apparel company that ethically manufactures premium products at an affordable price, right in Chicago. Impossible you say? In this conversation, Rob lays out the blueprint.
2023 Manitou Mattoc
Our Bike Editor has long been a big fan of the Manitou Mezzer and got pretty excited when Manitou dropped a new version of their Mattoc Trail bike fork, since it looked a lot like a mini-Mezzer on paper. Having now spent a lot of time with the Mattoc, the story is a bit more complicated than that — but that’s probably a good thing for a lot of folks.
Flash Review — Santa Cruz Heckler SL
Santa Cruz has entered the lightweight eMTB market, and we’ve started spending time on the new Heckler SL. Check out our early impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Shore and Chore Beach and Utility Cart
Shore and Chore’s utility cart is a well-built, thoroughly-featured hauling device that’s proven to be practical for a wide variety of uses — from paddling our local rivers to DIY projects, errands, and more. Check out our Full Review for the whole rundown.
Mountain Gazette Editor, Mike Rogge, on Outdoor Media & Issue #200 (Ep.277)
Mike Rogge is back to talk about outdoor media (even though we lie and say we aren’t going to this time), plus Mountain Gazette’s big new issue #200, which includes contributions from Jeremy Jones, comedian Steve Martin & cartoonist Harry Bliss, Karl Fostvedt, and more.
Win a Bike Maintenance Kit from mountainFLOW
The TWO winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get a Bike Maintenance Kit from mountainFLOW!
BOA & Ski Boot Design with Hoji, K2’s Tom Pietrowski, Fischer’s Christoph Lentz, Dalbello’s Riccardo Bonaiti, and Dynafit’s Ross Herr (Ep.262)
Hoji and ski boot designers from K2, Fischer, Dalbello, and Dynafit discuss ski boot design in general; the hype and skepticism around BOA (are boot buckles dying?); the balancing act of designing a walk mechanism; the challenges presented by the boot-binding interface, and more.
Vemdalen Ski Shop
Vemdalen Ski Shop is a dedicated, specialty ski shop right beside the ski area Vemdalsskalet. At Vemdalen Ski Shop, you are guaranteed a great shopping experience with their staff full of expertise, an authentic atmosphere, and excellent gear to suit your needs.
We Are One Convergence Wheels
We Are One has been making some of our favorite carbon wheels for quite a while now, and the latest models in their Convergence line are claimed to be stronger and more damped than their longstanding Union rims — and they use a wild-looking design to get there. We’ve been spending a lot of time on the middle-width wheel in the range, the Triad, and are ready to weigh in.
Trek on the New High-Pivot Slash (Ep.186)
The Trek Slash has been in their lineup for a long time, but the new sixth-generation bike is a big departure from the earlier iterations — first and foremost because of its new high-pivot suspension layout — and we sat down with the lead engineer on the project, Matt Yerke, to hear all about it.
Flash Review — 2024 Trek Slash
The Trek Slash has gone high-pivot and grown a mullet, and we’ve started spending time on the new one.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Women’s MTB Jersey Roundup – 2023
Lots of miles on the bike this summer has meant plenty of time for testing a bunch of women-specific jerseys, and for this year’s women’s MTB Jersey Roundup, we have nine options that span everything from tank tops to long-sleeve downhill jerseys.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Radical Acts: How to Create Change (Ep.297)
As people who love the outdoors, why can’t we just steer clear of the often gross world of politics? Caroline Gleich (professional ski mountaineer & U.S. Senate candidate), Nina Waters (athlete, creative, & Summit County commissioner), & Dr. Len Necefer (founder, Sonoran Avalanche Center & Natives Outdoors) make the case.
Flash Review: 24/25 Elan Ripstick 96
We’ve been spending time on the newest version of Elan’s longstanding all-mountain ski — here are our initial thoughts on the updated Ripstick 96.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Elan Announces Updated 24/25 Ripstick, Primetime, Playmaker, & Element Skis
Elan is updating a whole bunch of their skis for the 2024-2025 season, including several brand-new shapes and new constructions. Here are the details.
Flash Review: 24/25 Fischer RC4 Pro MV DYN BOA Zipfit
Fischer is adding a new model to their high-end RC4 Pro line, and this one has tech inserts for touring — but no walk mode. Check out Paul Forward’s initial impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.
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New & Current Deals for BLISTER+ Members
Become a BLISTER+ member, save a lot of dough. Check out our newest deals, including 15% off RUX’s unique gear-hauling & storage products, 20% off skis from 4FRNT, 15% off carbon wheels from We Are One, 40% off Mountain Sense’s snow-safety courses, & dozens more!
2023-2024 RMU Professor 121
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the RMU Professor 121.
Hope Carbon Cranks, TR Stem, & More
Hope is launching a whole bunch of new stuff today, including a carbon fiber crank, a new stem, and more — and they’ve added bronze to the color options across their lineup.
Win Antti Ollila’s Setup
The winner of this week’s Gear Giveaway will win the Prodigy 3 ski from Faction and the fs 01 120 boot from phaenom Footwear, the go-to setup of Finnish freestyle skier Antti Ollila!
New Gear from Blister Summit 2024 (Ep.285)
Luke Koppa, Kristin Sinnott, Jonathan Ellsworth, Kara Williard, and Justin Bobb go over a few of the MANY highlights of last week’s Blister Summit, and then dive into a bunch of the standout products they were each able to try at the event.
Dynastar, Lange, & Look Announce 24/25 Skis, Ski Boots, & Bindings
For the 24/25 season, we’re getting a lot of new products from Dynastar, Lange, & Look — including several new skis, a whole new RS boot collection, and a new Look Pivot 2.0 binding. Check out the details.
Flash Review: 24/25 Dynastar M-Pro 98 W
Dynastar is overhauling their women-specific E-Pro 99 W for 24/25, and we spent time on the new version, the M-Pro 98 W. Here are our initial impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.
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Privateer 141 and 161 Gen 2
Privateer has made a name for itself by building burly, no-nonsense bikes for aggressive riders, and while their new second-generation 141 and 161 don’t appear to waver from that goal, a lot of the design details have changed, and in very interesting ways. Check out our First Look for all the info.