BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Flash Review — Pivot Shadowcat
Update 9.2.22: Luke Koppa is now the third reviewer we’ve had on Pivot’s new lightweight, 27.5″ Trail bike, and he’s a fan — check out his initial impressions.
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9point8 Fall Line Dropper Post
The 9point8 Fall Line is a lightweight dropper post with a bunch of unusual features that set it apart from many of its competitors.
Win a Sleep System from Zenbivy
This week’s lucky winner will get Zenbivy’s MotoBed — one of our favorite sleep systems for comfortable year-round car camping!
Dillon Osleger on Historic Trails, Changing Climates, & Evolving Communities (Ep.133)
On this week’s episode of Bikes & Big Ideas, we chatted with professional mountain biker, trail builder, and climate scientist, Dillon Osleger, about Rezduro; the Protect Our Winters Bike Alliance; trail building and advocacy; the development of mountain biking as both a sport and a community; and much more.
What is Natural Wine? Danielle & Katie Nichols of CORK, Stowe, VT (Ep.4)
To find out, we talked with Danielle and Katie Nichols, the two amazing sisters behind CORK Restaurant & Natural Wine Shop. Danielle and Katie provide a fantastic introduction and overview of natural wine, explain how they got into it; and they tell us about “Twinkie Wines,” too.
Flannel Shirt Roundup — 2022
Flannels — they’re basically the unofficial uniform of fall, and for good reason. Cozy enough to lounge in at home, and (usually) nice-looking enough for town. Check out our roundup for a bunch of options for women and men.
Todd Aydelotte on Running Through History, Edgar Allen Poe, & The Warriors UltraRun (Ep.135)
We sat down with ultrarunner and race director, Todd Aydelotte, to hear all about how he uses running to trace the lives of historical figures, like Edgar Allen Poe, Walt Whitman, and Teddy Roosevelt. Along the way, we also talk about the semi-legal 28-mile road race he created to reenact the 70’s cult film, “The Warriors”; running through New York City subways after dark; and a whole lot more.
Fathers and Sons
Sander Hadley reflects on the themes of expectations, potential, grace, and making your own path, and how they’ve been shared throughout the lives of fathers and sons from three different generations.
Camelbak M.U.L.E. Pro 14 100 oz
Camelbak is a very well-known name when it comes to hydration packs, and the M.U.L.E. name has been in their lineup since the ‘90s. This experience definitely shows in the M.U.L.E. Pro 14 100 oz, and it has a generous feature set and storage space that could work for a lot of riders.
Trail Running Glossary of Terms: Trail Running Shoe Categories
While roads almost always guarantee a consistent running surface, the same cannot be said for the wide-ranging “trails” out there. Trail running shoes mirror this variability in the range of different forms they can take, with some types of shoes performing better in certain scenarios than others. In the third installment in our Trail Running Glossary of Terms series, we’ve outlined several of the most common categories of trail running shoes, including some of the advantages they offer and where each one might be limited.
Chris Davenport on Skiing Portillo & Joining Peak Skis (Ep.226)
We catch up with Chris about his recent ski trip to Portillo, Chile, and discuss his decision to join Bode Miller at Peak Skis.
Get Our 2022-2023 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide
Pre-order your print and/or digital copy of the most honest, accurate, genuinely useful buyer’s guide in the ski industry. Includes 270+ skis, 50+ boots, & much more. Prices go up September 5th, so pre-order now!
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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Win $150 Outdoor Element Gift Cards
This week TWO lucky winners will each get $150 gift cards to spend on any of Outdoor Element’s numerous camping & outdoor accessories!
Blister Labs: MTB Wheelset Testing & Establishing Proof of Concept (Ep.211)
Greg Vanderbeek is back with a Blister Labs update on our mountain-bike-wheels testing. We discuss why the dynamic modeling we’ve been doing in the field is a critical component for ongoing testing back at the lab; what our test results are revealing about carbon vs. aluminum wheels; and more.
Hope Tech 4 V4
Hope’s disc brakes got a major overhaul in the form of the new Tech 4 generation earlier this year, and that brought a very major increase in power to the range. But how does their burliest brake, the Tech 4 V4, compare to the competition? Check out our full review.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Beer Collabs: A Love Story (Ep.22)
Why are there so many collabs in the craft beer world? We talk to Offset Bier co-founder, Conor Brown, and New Image Brewing founder, Brandon Capps, for answers, and also about the new collabs they’ve just released; “New World” or “West Coast” pilsners; snooty bike shops; skiing pow; barley wine; & more.
Blister Brand Guide: Adidas Terrex Trail Running Shoe Lineup, 2023
Adidas continues to expand their off-road-oriented Terrex line of running shoes, with everything from high-cushion, long-distance shoes to minimal, lightweight options. Check out our Brand Guide to get the rundown on all of their 2023 shoes.
Courtney Dauwalter on Building Her Pain Cave, Nacho Connoisseurship, & Running By Feel (Ep.166)
As far as superlatives go, there’s little hand wringing about Salomon Athlete Courtney Dauwalter’s standing as one of the best ultrarunners in the world, period. We caught up with her shortly after her 15th win in a row to talk about the virtues of keeping things simple; her fabled pain cave; what does and does not belong on top of nachos; and more.
Dynafit’s Brand-New Freeride Collection | Blister Summit 2023 Brand Lineup
We sat down with Ross Herr from Dynafit to discuss their new Tigard 130 and Tigard 110 boots; how they compare to Dynafit’s Radical & Hoji Free boots; the origins and design of the Tigard 114 ski; how it slots into the rest of Dynafit’s ski lineup, and more
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (March 2023) (Ep.254)
Cody and Jonathan discuss the Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial; Yakama Nation & hydro-electric energy development; the proposal to ban fixed bolts in wilderness areas; wieners in the wild; the most Canadian news; mountain town advice; and more.
Lazer Coyote Kineticore
The Lazer Coyote is the newer, less-expensive addition to their line of Kineticore helmets (after the Jackal that we reviewed last year) and it’s an especially impressive offering for the price — at exactly half the cost of the top-tier Jackal.
Ski / Snowboard Outerwear Mega Roundup — Women’s
In this updated mega roundup, we discuss over 30 different pieces of ski / snowboard outerwear that we’ve been testing over multiple seasons, from lightweight touring shells to insulated jackets and pants for cold resort days, including several new pieces for the upcoming 23/24 season.
Flash Review: 23/24 Fischer Ranger Pro 130
Fischer recently updated their freeride-touring boot and we’ve been testing the top-level Ranger Pro 130. 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.
(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.)
Diving into Blizzard’s 23/24 Ski Lineup (Ep.239)
We talk with Blizzard’s Christian Avery about the overhauled Rustler & Sheeva skis; where their Hustle line of skis slots into the mix; and why nobody should be sleeping on the Cochise.
Pro Skiers & Snowboarders: Stories from the Field | Blister Summit 2023 Panel Session
We talk with Hoji (Eric Hjorleifson), McKenna Peterson, Forrest Shearer, and Rory Bushfield about some of the highlights, lowlights, and craziest stories from their careers as pro skiers and snowboarders. This is a hilarious and *not-to-be-missed* conversation, so kick back and enjoy!
Skiing & Social Media Ethics
In our latest Open Mic piece, Hadley Hammer raises the question, “Do social media posts need disclaimers, context, or lengthy explanations?” And what are “our moral obligations to our communities?”
Win Majesty Skis
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get one of our all-time favorite touring skis, the Majesty Superwolf!