BLISTER — Outdoor Gear Reviews, Podcasts, Buyer’s Guides, Giveaways

BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles

On our latest Blister Podcast, we ask the question: Why do we need centers of art in mountain towns and places of great natural beauty? It’s a question that any of us who live in or visit mountain towns ought to consider — and perhaps especially if you are someone who hasn’t typically sought out the art programming and events in the mountain towns you frequent. Last week, Jonathan was in Sun Valley, Idaho, to discuss this topic with Courtney Gilbert, the curator of the Sun Valley Museum of Art. They also discuss the history of the arts in Sun Valley; the current work of the SV Museum of Art; and the Sun Valley Wine Auction, which is a remarkable event put on by the Sun Valley Museum of Art to raise scholarship funds and to support a very broad range of arts in and around Sun Valley — and beyond.

Art & the Outdoors (Ep.267)

Why do we need centers of art in mountain towns and places of great natural beauty? It’s a question that any of us who live in or visit mountain towns ought to consider, and Jonathan discusses it with Courtney Gilbert, the curator of the Sun Valley Museum of Art.

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David Golay reviews the Canfield One.2 for Blister

Flash Review — Canfield One.2 Super Enduro

Enduro bikes have gotten longer-travel and burlier in recent years, but the Canfield One.2 Super Enduro still stands out, with 190 mm at both ends. So is it a long-legged Enduro bike, more of a pedalable DH rig, or something else entirely? We’ve started spending time on it to find out, and Blister Members can now read our early findings.

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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When it comes to gear, how do you balance the specific needs of world-class athletes with those of average skiers and riders? In this conversation from Blister Summit 2023, McKenna Petersen (K2 athlete), Drew Peterson (Salomon athlete), Tyler Curle (Moment athlete & ski builder), and Jed Yeiser (K2 engineer) discuss exactly that, plus a whole lot more.

Athletes & Product Design (Ep.252)

When it comes to gear, how do you balance the specific needs of world-class athletes with those of average skiers and riders? In this conversation from Blister Summit 2023, McKenna Petersen (K2 athlete), Drew Peterson (Salomon athlete), Tyler Curle (Moment athlete & ski builder), and Jed Yeiser (K2 engineer) discuss exactly that, plus a whole lot more.

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David Golay reviews the EXT Aria for Blister

EXT Aria

We’ve been very impressed by a number of EXT’s coil shocks over the years, and having now spent a lot of time on the Aria — their first air-sprung MTB rear shock — we’re ready to weigh in on how it stacks up to EXT’s own Storia, as well as the modern crop of high-volume, beefy air shocks.

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Kara Williard reviews the Wild Rye Baddie Bib for BLISTER.

Women’s Bike Bib & Chamois Roundup

If you spend any time in the saddle you’ll know that a proper chamois, butt, and saddle interface is essential for sustained comfort during rides. In this roundup, we discuss a variety of bib and chamois options that one of our female reviewers has been logging a lot of saddle time in recently.

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BLISTER — Outdoor Gear Reviews, Podcasts, Buyer’s Guides, Giveaways

Scott Kinabalu 2

A dependable, predictable option is an invaluable addition to any shoe quiver, especially one already loaded with terrain- and distance-specific models. After testing, the Scott Kinabalu 2 is giving strong indications of being just that. Check out our full review to learn more.

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Dylan Wood reviews the La Sportiva TX Canyon for BLISTER.

Stuff We Like: June 2023

For June’s edition of Stuff We Like we feature everything from daypacks to heavy-duty backcountry packs, shorts, lightweight mountain bike and ski apparel, bike helmets, espresso machines for on-the-go, river shoes, & more. Check it out to see all the latest stuff our reviewers have been digging.

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Hadley Hammer: Skiing "And"

Skiing “and”

In our latest Open Mic piece, Hadley Hammer offers a very poetic yet very concrete look at what skiing means to her (and what it means to you, too).

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Luke Koppa reviews the Hyperlite Headwall 55 for Blister

Flash Review: 23/24 Hyperlite Headwall 55

We’ve had several reviewers testing Cody Townsend’s signature backpack — here are some of our thoughts on the ultralight, Dyneema-covered Headwall 55.

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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David Golay reviews the Reserve Aluminum wheels for Blister

Reserve 30|SL & 30|HD AL Wheels

Reserve deserves a good chunk of the credit for making lifetime warranties the industry standard for carbon wheels, and now Reserve is offering the same on their first aluminum ones. But how do the new 30|HD AL wheels ride, and just how crucial is that warranty? We’ve put a lot of miles and abuse into a pair — time to weigh in.

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BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:

David Golay reviews the 2024 RockShox BoXXer for Blister

2024 RockShox BoXXer

The new 38mm-stanchioned RockShox BoXXer was a long-awaited and poorly kept secret. We have now logged a whole lot of laps on one and are ready to weigh in on how it performs, and how it compares to its competition. Check out our full review for all the info.

Paul Forward reviews the Folsom Giver for Blister

Flash Review: 23/24 Folsom Giver

Paul Forward has been spending time on a custom version of Folsom’s Giver shape that’s designed for daily skiing at Alyeska — check out his 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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Zack Henderson reviews the 2024 Orbea Rallon for Blister

Flash Review — 2024 Orbea Rallon

We were big fans of the prior-generation Orbea Rallon, but how does the new one stack up? 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.

If you’re already an active member, please log in.

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Blizzard announces 2024-2025 Black Pearl ski collection | Blister discusses

Blizzard Announces New 24/25 Black Pearl Skis

Blizzard’s Black Pearl skis are some of the most popular all-mountain skis in the world, and they just announced that they’re overhauling them for the 2024-2025 season. Here are the details.

BLISTER — Outdoor Gear Reviews, Podcasts, Buyer’s Guides, Giveaways

Ski / Snowboard Outerwear Mega Roundup — Men’s (2023-2024)

Over the past couple of seasons, we have been testing *a lot* of ski / snowboard outerwear. So in this huge, “mega roundup,” we’re comparing all of these pieces head-to-head to help you figure out which ones might be worth considering. In Part One, we cover 20 different jackets & pants.

BLISTER — Outdoor Gear Reviews, Podcasts, Buyer’s Guides, Giveaways

Win Skis From Elan

The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get Elan’s new Playmaker 101 ski!

On this week’s GEAR:30 podcast, Jonathan Ellsworth, Kara Williard, Justin Bobb, and Luke Koppa attempt to predict what’s “in” and what’s “out” when it comes to gear in 2024, what trends will be revived, what categories will see the most change, and they spin off into several other tangents.

Gear Predictions, 2024 (Ep.279)

Jonathan Ellsworth, Kara Williard, Justin Bobb, and Luke Koppa attempt to predict what’s “in” and what’s “out” when it comes to gear in 2024, what trends will be revived, what categories will see the most change, and they spin off into several other tangents.

Blister reviews the K2 Mindbender 106C

2023-2024 K2 Mindbender 106C

Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for two lengths of the K2 Mindbender 106C.

Kara Williard reviews the Mindbender 106C W for BLISTER.

Flash Review: 23/24 K2 Mindbender 106C W

K2 updated their lighter “Mindbender C” skis for 23/24, and we’ve been skiing the new Mindbender 106C W. Check out 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.

If you’re already an active member, please log in.

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Blister reviews the G3 SEEKr R3 100

2023-2024 G3 SEEKr R3 100

Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the G3 SEEKr R3 100.