BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Durston X-Mid Pro 2 Shelter
Our reviewer has been testing ultralight backcountry shelters for decades, and the Durston X-Mid Pro 2 is his current all-round favorite. Here’s why.
OpenSnow’s Joel Gratz on the Outlook for This Winter; Extended Snow Forecasts; AI Updates; & More (Ep.385)
Joel Gratz, the founding meteorologist & CEO of OpenSnow, is back to talk about … snow! And snow forecasting. And what’s new in the world of weather modeling. So if you like snow and you like to know when & where the snow will fly, listen up!
MTX Brake Pads
Brake pads are a small part with a huge impact on braking performance, and MTX’s Red Label Race and Gold Label HD pads deliver convincing performance on the trail. Check out our thoughts after five months of riding both options.
Gear Gossip w/ Moment Skis’ Luke Jacobson (Ep.371)
Today we spill some tea, break some news, fire off a few rants, and we walk through Moment’s 25/26 lineup, including what Moment CEO, Luke Jacobson, believes to be the most significant changes to the line.
Best Bikes of the Century, Part 2 (Ep. 302)
Our search for the best bike of the 21st century continues. For Part 2, Simon Stewart, David Golay, Xan Marshland, and Zack Henderson have 16 more brands to argue over.
Caviar 101 with Black River Caviar (Ep.90)
Caviar. Is there any word — or food — that more quickly conjures up associations of luxury and opulence? We talk with Sarah Mayo for a deep dive into the history of global caviar production and the ways in which the modern market is shaping consumption.
Flash Review: Diaz Upper & Lower Runt
Diaz Suspension Design’s new Lower Runt fork air spring upgrade runs counter to some current trends in air spring design, and makes some intriguing performance claims in doing so. So, how does it all come together on the trail? We’ve started to find out.
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.)
Diaz Upper & Lower Runt Fork Air Spring Upgrade
Diaz Suspension Design has doubled down on their Runt fork air spring upgrades, adding a Lower Runt to their lineup to go with the original Runt — now dubbed the “Upper Runt” — air spring upgrade kit. There’s a lot going on here, and it’s quite intriguing.
Setting a New Standard: Atomic’s Daron Rahlves, Janelle Yip, & Noah Wallace on Crash Stories & How Companies are Protecting Athletes (Ep.384)
Last year, Atomic became the first company to cover their entire global athlete team with BLISTER+. So how did it go? We get reports from Atomic’s global team manager, Noah Wallace, and Atomic athletes, Daron Rahlves and Janelle Yip. And Janelle shares her gnarly crash story from last season, and what her experience was like as a BLISTER+ member.
Flash Review: Hope Evo TR4 Brakes
Hope’s latest flagship GR4 gravity brakes are rapidly becoming a favorite at Blister. So, what about their Trail-oriented sibling, the TR4? Here’s our early take.
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.)
Flash Review: Norco Sight VLT
Norco’s Sight VLT combines one of the few high-pivot suspension layouts found on an eMTB with arguably the best drive system on the market for a unique take on the full-power eMTB category.
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.)
The Science of Staying Warm: Innovations in Insulation w/ PrimaLoft (Ep.370)
If you’ve worn a puffy jacket in the past 30+ years, there’s a good chance it used PrimaLoft insulation. And they just announced their warmest insulation to date. Today you’ll get all the details from PrimaLoft’s SVP of Innovation & Technology — and learn a lot in general about the stuff that keeps us warm.
Win Outerwear From Stellar Equipment
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a men’s or women’s Shell Jacket 2.0 and Shell Pants 2.0 from Stellar Equipment!
Best Bikes of the Century, Part 1 (Ep. 301)
What’s the best bike of the 21st century so far? We’re kicking off a debate on that subject with Simon Stewart, David Golay, Dylan Wood, and Xan Marshland offering their takes on the most important bikes from a wide array of manufacturers.
2025-2026 Jones Howler
The Jones Howler is an aggressive board for steep, technical terrain and big backcountry hits, but it’s appeal goes beyond all-out charging. Check out our Full Review for more.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
2025-2026 J Skis Flight
J Skis has released a narrower take on their Escalator twin-tip 50/50 ski. Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the all-new J Skis Flight.
Flash Review: 25/26 J Skis Flight
We’ve been testing the new 95mm-wide J Skis Flight on lifts and the skintrack — here are some of our initial thoughts on this lightweight all-mountain ski.
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.)
Shimano GE900 GTX Shoes
Our Bike Editor has been on a decade-plus-long hunt for his ideal waterproof clipless shoe. Is the Shimano GE9 GTX the answer?
Magura Gustav Pro Brakes
Magura’s Gustav Pro brakes aim to be a “set and forget” brake option while still delivering plenty of power and consistency. They’ve delivered on some of those promises, but aren’t without their quirks — check out our Full Review after six months of ride time.
5-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (25/26)
In Part Two of our reviewers’ 5-ski quiver selections, we hear from Jonathan Ellsworth, Kara Williard, and Paul Forward. Check out which skis they’ve picked this year, and let us know what your own ideal 5-ski quiver would look like!
Blister Podcast 10th Anniversary: Highlights, Lowlights, & Fun Facts (Ep.387)
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Blister Podcast. So to celebrate this milestone, we thought we’d share some of the highlights, lowlights, and crazy factoids about how this podcast came to be; how it led to the creation of the Blister Podcast Network; and what’s next.
Flash Review: 25/26 Völkl Peregrine 72
Völkl says the Peregrine 72 is “ultra-agile,” but also that it “can do everything on piste.” So, where does it actually excel? Here are our initial thoughts, including comparisons to the wider Peregrines and Head’s Supershape models.
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.)
2025-2026 Völkl Peregrine 72
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Völkl Peregrine 72.
Debatable: Are 32″ Wheels the Future?
Where is 32” going to go? We’ve seen a broad range of excitement and cynicism from friends and industry folk, so we asked our reviewers to make some predictions.
Win Custom ON3P Skis
This one is insanely good — this week’s winner will get a pair of custom skis from ON3P. Enter before December 19th for your chance to win! With over 200 topsheets, 100 bases, and 100 different shapes, ON3P is giving the winner the chance to create a pair of unique skis tailored to their style and ski preferences.
Fox 36 & 36 SL
Fox’s fork lineup got a big reshuffling this year, including an update to the longstanding 36, and the new 36 SL replacing the 34 as their shorter-travel Trail bike offering. So, how do the new 36 siblings stack up to each other, the forks they replaced, and some of their main competitors? Here’s our take.
A New Approach to Apparel: Raide Founder on Unconventional Shells, Zip-Off Baselayers, & ‘Staying Slippery’ (Ep.373)
The skis, ski boots, and bindings made for human-powered ski-touring are very different from the ones built for the resort. But what about the clothes? Raide has been rethinking what apparel for the skintrack vs. the resort could and should look like, and their new collection is quite the ambitious debut.