BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Deep Dive: Salomon Ski Boots Brand Lineup, 22/23
Our Deep Dive series on ski boot lines is back for the 22/23 season, starting with Salomon’s expansive collection, including their brand-new S/Pro Alpha and MTN Summit series. We discuss all notable specs, features, most similar boots from other brands, and more. Become a Deep Dive subscriber or Blister Member to check it out.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2022 Intense Tracer 279
The Intense Tracer 279 is a capable and intuitive Enduro bike best suited for going fast and pushing your limits downhill, but its mixed-wheel configuration also helps make it stand out in a few key ways. Check out our full review to see how it compares to the latest batch of Enduro bikes on the market.
The Alchemist, Pt. 3: Sustainability, Beer, & the Bigger Picture (Ep.10)
This week Jonathan was back at The Alchemist to sit down with its founders, Jen & John Kimmich, to dive into their philosophy on sustainability — in all of its forms — and to hear how they created a company that is leading the way on a number of these fronts. It’s an impressive story driven by shared principles, and we hope this conversation serves as an inspiration to other companies across many sectors.
Climbing Skins: A Guide & Comparisons
Climbing skins often receive less attention than skis, boots, & bindings, but the skins you stick to your skis can make or break your days in the backcountry. So in this guide, we go through the qualities to look for in a pair of skins, then directly compare 13 different skins from 5 different brands.
Ted Hesser on “Chains of Habit” & Destigmatizing the Conversation Around Mental Health (Ep.142)
We spoke to adventure photographer and videographer, Ted Hesser, about his latest project, Chains of Habit, a short film focused on his lifelong battle with depression and the ways trail running has helped fend off its symptoms. We also talk about ways to destigmatize conversations around mental health; steps to take if you’re struggling; and much more.
Flash Review — Canyon Spectral 125
There are a lot of good ~120mm-travel Trail bikes out there, but the Canyon Spectral 125 offers a very different take on the category than most — and we’re having a lot of fun on it. Check out our Flash Review for 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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Trail Running 101: How to Choose a Headlamp
For many runners, headlamps are no mere accessory; they’re as indispensable to trail running at night as properly fitting trail shoes are to running during the day. Yet much like footwear, finding a lamp that best suits your needs can be a process cloaked in difficult jargon, numbers, and minutia. So in part eight of our Trail Running 101 series, we help explain some of the main things to look for when choosing a headlamp that will best suit your needs.
Blister Speaker Series: Jeremy Jones (Ep.231)
Jeremy Jones came to Western Colorado University for another installment of our Blister Speaker Series to discuss filming, snowboarding, founding POW, the ‘outdoor state,’ POW’s ongoing and evolving efforts to address climate change, and more.
Our 22/23 BLISTER Winter Buyer’s Guide Recap (Ep.218)
A bunch of our reviewers discuss why our 22/23 Winter Buyer’s Guide is still unique and still the best resource for your winter gear; what’s new & different this year; some of our personal favorite gear of the season; some industry trends and speculation; and why pumpkin-flavored pastries make Drew Kelly sweat.
Win Norse Skis
This week the winner of our Gear Giveaway will get to pick from Norse’s 100mm-wide Enduro or 110mm-wide Freeride!
Flash Review — 2022 Manitou Dorado
The Manitou Dorado is one of the few inverted forks left in the MTB market, and we’ve been spending time on multiple versions of the new one.
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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Petzl Bindi
The best pieces of gear are often those you forget about, products that integrate so seamlessly into your experience that they become, quite literally, afterthoughts. With the Bindi, an ultralight, ultra-compact headlamp that doesn’t compromise on features despite its size, Petzl offers a capable lighting option for daily use that does exactly that. Functional, intelligent, and smartly designed, the Bindi will benefit just about every type of runner.
2022-2023 Head Kore 120
Here are our initial impressions, images, and specs for the new Head Kore 120 GW.
Matthew Fairbrother’s Outrageous EWS Tour (Ep.139)
Racing a full EWS season is hard. Bikepacking between all the races makes it a lot harder. But that didn’t stop Matthew Fairbrother from doing just that, and on this week’s episode of Bikes & Big Ideas we sat down with him to get the whole crazy, hilarious, remarkable story.
Blue Collar Fine Art: Rob Dickinson of Precise Painting (Ep.9)
In addition to being one of our favorite people and favorite skiers, Rob Dickinson is the owner of Precise Painting, an interior and exterior paint and finishing company that does extremely fine work, and employs 25+ people in the Gunnison Valley of Colorado. We talk to Rob about the craft of painting and finishing homes; what anyone thinking about building, purchasing, or maintaining a home in mountain towns ought to know about exteriors; how to think about aesthetics vs. price v.s durability; and more.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Ski Binding Design: Past, Present, & Future | Blister Summit 2023 Video
At Blister Summit 2023, we brought together Eric ‘Hoji’ Hjorleifson (Dynafit), Lars Chickering-Ayers (CAST Touring), and Giray Dadali (Daymaker Touring) for an extremely interesting and wide-ranging discussion on the past, present, and future of ski bindings.
2022-2023 Meier Wrangler
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the Meier Wrangler.
On Art & Sport
In our latest Open Mic piece, Angel Collinson discusses the power of art, sport, and straight-lining crud with a skip-proof Walkman.
Preston Cates on Aid Station Dance Parties, Gas Station Go-To’s, & Redefining His Limits (Ep.168)
Nike Athlete Preston Cates just punched his ticket to represent the US at the World Mountain Running Championships in Austria at just 25 years old, so we sat down with him to talk about developing as a young athlete; never paying for shoes again; what he grabs at a gas station mid-run; and more.
Fox Float and Float SL
Fox is launching two new inline shocks — the Float and Float SL — that essentially replace the Float DPS and split it into two slightly different versions, for weight-conscious Trail riders and XC folks, respectively. Check out our First Look for all the info.
Flash Review: 23/24 Atomic Backland XTD Carbon 120
Update 4.17.23: Luke Koppa adds some more thoughts on the new Backland XTD Carbon 120 after spending more time in it in the backcountry on a wide variety of skis.
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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Tori Palmer, Helicopter Pilot (Ep.256)
Jonathan talks with Chugach Powder Guides helicopter pilot, Tori Palmer, to get her pilot’s perspective on their day in the mountains; her path to becoming a heli pilot and the training that’s involved; what you should – and should not – do as a passenger in a heli; and more.
2023-2024 Armada ARV 106
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Armada ARV 106.
2023-2024 DPS Koala 111
DPS has added a new ski to fill the void between the Koala 103 & Koala 118 — check out our Full Review of the new Koala 111 to see how exactly it blends together the playfulness of the 103 with the high-speed stability of the 118.
Deep Dive: DPS Koala 111
We compare the Koala 111 to the DPS Koala 118, DPS Koala 103, Rossignol Sender Free 110, Dynastar M-Free 108, Salomon QST Blank, Icelantic Nomad 105, Rossignol Sender Squad, K2 Reckoner 112, Meier Leeper, Rossignol Blackops 118, Moment Wildcat, Line Blade Optic 114, Moment Countach 110, Head Kore 111, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, RMU North Shore 110, Black Crows Anima, Fischer Ranger 108, Black Crows Corvus, Nordica Enforcer 110 Free, J Skis Friend, 4FRNT Hoji, Nordica Unleashed 108, Blizzard Rustler 11, Atomic Bent 110, & Parlor McFellon Pro.
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.)
Bacons, Chronics, & More: 23/24 Line Skis | Blister Summit 2023 Video
We discuss all the new skis Line is launching for 23/24, including the new Bacon 108 & Bacon 115; how they compare to the previous Sir Francis Bacon & Outline; the revised Chronic 94 & brand-new Chronic 101; we get some teasers about upcoming projects, and more.
Marin Rift Zone E
A new Marin Rift Zone eMTB drops today from Marin, a brand making a strong case as a value leader in eMTBs.