BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
2023-2024 Armada Reliance 102 Ti
Here are our measured specs and rocker profile pictures for the Armada Reliance 102 Ti.
Boone Mountain Sports
Boone Mountain Sports is a family-owned and operated ski and snowboard shop in Evergreen, Colorado, and they offer a whole lot more than just amazing gear, including an unforgettable customer experience, word-class bootfitting and ski services, a brewery and coffee shop, and a place to connect with community and appreciate the outdoors.
2024 Fox Float
Fox says their new Float rear shock is meant to bring a lot of the performance of the Float X to a smaller, lighter package, but have they succeeded, and what are the tradeoffs? We’ve been logging a lot of time on the two back-to-back, and we’ve got some answers.
Stuff We Like: August 2023
For August’s edition of Stuff We Like, we’ve got everything from lightweight rain jackets to duffels and daypacks, trail running shoes, coolers, bike pumps, & more. Check it out to see all the latest stuff our reviewers have been digging.
Zack Giffin on Skiing, Tiny Houses, & Big Solutions (Ep.275)
Skier Zack Giffin (host of the TV series, Tiny House Nation & co-host of the podcast, Tiny House Tales) makes a compelling case for how smaller living spaces can be a significant part of the solution to affordable housing; homelessness; climate issues, energy consumption, and creating more real, actual, healthy communities.
A Guide to Skiing in New Zealand with Outside Sports (Ep.260)
Have you ever dreamt about skiing in New Zealand? We talk with local Kiwi experts from our Blister Recommended Shop, Outside Sports, to give us the rundown on what skiing in this Southern Hemisphere destination entails and how to make the most of it.
2023 GT Sensor & Sensor ST
The GT Sensor ST is their latest take on a short-travel bike that’s meant to be efficient and sprightly on the way up, while still being a lot of fun on the way back down. And having spent much of this spring and summer on one, we’re ready to weigh in.
Chromag’s Full Suspension Bike Development (Ep.184)
Chromag is unquestionably *the* first brand that a lot of people think of when it comes to hardcore hardtails, which makes their recent foray into full-suspension bikes especially interesting. And as we uncover in this conversation with Chromag engineer Joe Swann, the path to launching the Darco and Lowdown has been a long and winding — and fascinating — one.
Chef Yia Vang on Hmong Cuisine & Culture; ‘Run & Gun’ Restauranteering; & Spreading Appreciation (Ep.34)
Yia Vang is a multi-nominated James Beard Award chef, the founder & head chef of Union Hmong Kitchen; he competed on the Netflix show, “Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend”; hosts the show, ”Feral” on the Outdoors Channel; hosts another show, “Stoked” on the Food Network; and hosts the excellent podcast, “Hmonglish” which focuses on the Hmong people, their culture, and representation.
Park City Boot Room
When it comes to specialty bootfitting, particularly for those who ask a lot of their boots, spend countless days on skis, or really need to address some complex issues in order to enhance their time out on the hill, there are few places that have the breadth of experience and skills offered by Matt Schiller at Park City Boot Room.
Wolf Tooth Resolve Dropper Post and ReMote Pro Lever
There are a ton of good dropper posts on the market these days, but with their first effort at making a dropper, Wolftooth has managed to make an excellent premium option with some unique features.
Identity, Dreams, & Dislocations
In our latest Open Mic piece, Eric Booton shares a story that many of us probably need to hear.
Jason Hardrath & The Rocky Mountain Grand Slam (Ep.180)
The Rocky Mountain Grand Slam involves summiting 122 peaks and 318,000 feet of elevation gain, and Jason Hardrath recently set a new FKT by completing it in under 40 days. So we caught up with Jason to break down his most recent accomplishment, and to discuss the blurring of the lines between running, scrambling, and soloing.
Flash Review — REEB Steezl
We’ve started spending time on the REEB Steezl — check out our early impressions.
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Investing in the Planet: Kate Williams, CEO, 1% for the Planet (Ep.274)
What is 1% for the Planet, who started it, and what do they do? Furthermore, when a crisis breaks out (like the current fires in Hawaii), many of us wonder how best to contribute, which organizations to donate to, and how to go about determining that? Kate Wiliams offers some very helpful answers.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Rossignol Announces New 24/25 Skis, Ski Boots, & Snowboards
Rossignol has announced a ton of new ski & snowboard products for the 2024-2025 season — including multiple skis, ski boots, boards, & more. Here are the details.
Flash Review — Ibis HD6
We’ve started spending time on the HD6, Ibis’s first foray into making a true modern Enduro bike. So how have they done? Check out our early 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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LIVE: Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, Blister Summit Edition (Ep.296)
Last week at our Blister Summit, Cody and Jonathan recorded their first episode of Reviewing the News in front of a live audience, and it was great. Enjoy!
Blister Summit 2024: A Brief Recap of an Epic Event
Blister Summit 2024 was an absolute blast, and here’s a recap of some of the highlights — including lots of photos — from our favorite week of the winter.
Win Skis & More From Folsom, Bag Balm, & Rab
The winner of this week’s Gear Giveaway will win custom skis from Folsom, a skincare package from Bag Balm, and a jacket from Rab!
Consignment, Gear Repair, & Sustainability w/ Lone Pine Gear Exchange (Ep.284)
We talk with co-founder & CEO of Lone Pine Gear Exchange, Katy Jackson, about the importance of used gear, how to shop consignment, sustainability in outdoor retail, and a whole lot more.
Flash Review: 23/24 Dynafit Tigard 130 Boot
This season, Dynafit launched a new 130-flex AT boot that was pretty different for the brand — 2-piece overlap construction, GripWalk soles, and 4 buckles. Eric Freson has been spending a lot of time with it in the backcountry this season — check out his initial thoughts.
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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Reviewer Reports: Nicolai Nucleon Supre Drive, Ibis HD6, & More (Ep.208)
David Golay and Zack Henderson give their early impressions on a bunch of bikes they’ve been testing lately, including the wild Nicolai Nucleon Supre Drive, Ibis HD6, and Chromag Lowdown.
Flash Review — Chromag Lowdown
The Chromag Darco was one of our Bike Editor’s favorite bikes from last year, but how about its bigger sibling, the Lowdown? Check out his early 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.
If you’re already an active member, please log in.
(If you’re already logged in and a member in good standing and seeing this message in error, please refresh this page in your browser.)
EXT Era V2.1 Fork
The original EXT Era fork was hugely impressive in a number of respects but also had a few rough edges. Since then, EXT has been making iterative refinements to this high-end Trail / Enduro fork, and we’ve spent a ton of time on the latest V2.1 iteration. So has all that work paid off? Check out our full review for our take.
Ski Touring & Backcountry Gear: The Basics & What You Need to Know
Ski touring is great, but there’s a lot to know before you go. So whether you’re looking to go on your first ski tour, you want to sign up for an avalanche-safety course, or you want to skin uphill at your local resort, this video is for you.
Blister Labs Update: Ski (and Boot) Flex Test (Ep.283)
Dr. Sean Humbert is back to provide an update on our Blister Labs’ ski flex project, and to explain how and why ski boots are becoming an integral part of this project, too.