BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
David Laney on Ice Baths, Adventuring in the North Cascades, & Craft Footwear (Ep.124)
David Laney was already running 5 to 6 days a week by the time he turned 10, and has run professionally since bursting onto the trail scene in the early 2010s. He recently left his longtime sponsor and joined a relatively new player to the trail space in Craft Sportswear, and soon after doubled down with a full-time marketing job with them as well. So we talked to David about how it came about, what to expect from Craft Footwear, and much more — including, his signature ice bath routine, adventuring in the North Cascades, and running 100 miles for charity.
2022-2023 Nordica Unleashed 98 W
Nordica’s new Unleashed line offers skiers some more maneuverable, playful alternatives to their established Santa Ana & Enforcer series — check out our full review of the Unleashed 98 W to see how they compare.
Flash Review — Sage Flow Motion
We’ve started spending time on the new Sage Flow Motion, and it’s a very interesting combination of being quite playful and still fairly stable and capable in bigger terrain.
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2023 Glade Goggles & Helmets | Blister Summit Brand Lineup
We talk with Glade’s Head of Product & Sustainability, Michael Barker, about the origins of the Glade brand; their product design ethos; current goggle models; their brand-new Boundary Helmet; and more.
2022-2023 Head Supershape e-Titan
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the Head Supershape e-Titan.
Trail Running 101: Trail Running Etiquette
Trail running is a great way to enjoy a sense of freedom in the outdoors — but like most freedoms, it comes with a bit of responsibility. As more and more people flock to the trails, the greater the impact we’re likely to have on each other’s experience. In part four of our Trail Running 101 series, we offer nine guidelines for how to be a respectful steward to the trails and the people we share them with.
Snowboarding Pioneer, Kimmy Fasani (Ep.215)
Kimmy Fasani is a pioneer of women’s snowboarding, mother, partner of Chris Benchetler, and (among other things) someone who has been dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis. So we checked in with Kimmy to talk about how she’s doing, what she’s been learning, and what we can learn from her.
2022-2023 K2 Dispatch 101
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the new K2 Dispatch 101.
Win Wild Rye Bike Gear
This week one lucky winner will get shorts, a chammy, a tank, hat, socks, and a water bottle from Wild Rye!
ATK Bindings, Part 2: Product Lineup & Design Differences (Ep.200)
In part two of our conversation with ATK CEO, Davide Indulti, we discuss ATK’s current binding lineup; the design differences between their four collections: Race, Speed Touring, Touring, & Free Touring; how Davide thinks ATK bindings stack up against the competition; some new products that are in the works; and more.
2023 Fischer Ranger Skis | Blister Summit Brand Lineup
We sit down with Fischer’s content marketing manager, Jonathan Jay, to dive deep into Fischer’s overhauled 2022-2023 Ranger series of skis; the unisex construction & dual-graphic approach to the line; how each of the new Ranger skis compare to the previous Rangers; and more.
2021-2022 Fat-ypus D-Sender
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the Fat-ypus D-Sender.
REEB on Beer, MTB Design, & Doing Things Differently (Ep.121)
REEB Cycles do a lot of things differently, from their founding in a brewery, to how they think about bike design and manufacturing. So we spoke with REEB’s Jeff Lenosky and Adam Prosise about all of it, including how they both got involved with REEB, their current (and future) MTB lineup, making frames in Colorado, & a whole lot more.
On Cloudvista
In recent years, road-to-trail shoes have grown from occupying niche corners of brands’ lineups to quickly crowding their own category. The On Cloudvista is the latest addition to that space, and it has proved to be a highly versatile option for both new runners looking to ease onto trails for the first time and more experienced runners needing to downsize their shoe quiver.
Running Socks Roundup — 2022
Most folks are diligent when it comes to finding the right shoe for their needs, but many runners stop short of finding a compatible pair of socks and end up with a poor fit. We’ve been testing several socks over the last few months and have found some options that work well for a huge range of runners and conditions — check out our roundup to see which ones might be best for you.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
22/23 4FRNT MSP 91
Here are two of our reviewers’ initial impressions of the narrowest and newest ski in 4FRNT’s metal-laminate MSP collection.
Janji Repeat Merino Tech Long Sleeve
The art of winter layering for running is a skill often learned through patterns of mistakes. You’re just as likely to have an uncomfortable time out on the trails if you overdress or underdress, and threading the needle between takes an intuition gleaned from experience. Janji’s Repeat Merino Tech Long Sleeve, the brand’s new cold weather performance staple, is designed to give you a bit more room for error when it comes to dressing for chilly runs. Check out our full review to learn why we think it’s a must-add piece to most runners’ wardrobes.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (January 2023) (Ep.246)
Cody and Jonathan discuss Kyle Smaine, tragedy, & avalanche safety; separating vs always staying together in the backcountry; Mountain Town Advice, the most Canadian news; coffee gear; & more.
Flash Review: 23/24 Blizzard Sheeva 9 & Sheeva 10
Update 2.4.23: We’ve been spending some more time on the redesigned Sheeva 10, after Kristin Sinnott the Sheeva 9 & 10 this Fall in Austria — check out Kara Williard’s 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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2022-2023 Fischer Ranger 102
We’ve had six of our female and male reviewers on two different lengths of the overhauled Ranger 102 — check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to see how it stacks up to the previous Ranger 102 FR and the rest of the market.
Deep Dive: Fischer Ranger 102
We compare the Ranger 102 to the Ranger 102 FR, Ranger 108, Ranger 96, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Black Crows Justis, Blizzard Bonafide, Zag Slap 104, Blizzard Rustler 10, Rossignol Sender 104 Ti, Moment Commander 98, Line Blade Optic 104, Black Crows Atris, Elan Ripstick 106, Faction Dancer 2, Atomic Maverick 100 Ti, Dynastar M-Pro 99, Nordica Enforcer 100, Salomon QST 98, Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, Volkl Mantra 102, Salomon Stance 102, J Skis Masterblaster, & 4FRNT MSP 99.
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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Win Any Liberty Ski
The winner of this week’s gear giveaway will get to pick any ski they want from Liberty’s diverse lineup!
Shop Talk: 3D Printing & Bootfitting w/ Pulse Boot Lab (Ep.234)
We are back with Kai Palkeinen, founder of Pulse Boot Lab, to hear what Kai and the team at Pulse have been up to, including 3D printing, fitting race boots, and his thoughts on some other recent boot technology, including the rise of BOA dials.
In Search of the ‘Best’ Coffee Gear, Pt 1 (Ep.19)
What’s the best way to make coffee? Strong opinions abound, and our editor-in-chief is currently trying to figure it all out. So we are launching this CRAFTED mini series on coffee gear to try to gain some clarity on the topic. See what you think, and let us know what you recommend!
Trail Running 101: How to Recover from a Trail Run
How well you recover from a run is one of the largest factors dictating your potential for progress. Yet knowing exactly how to handle post-workout recovery can be confusing, with different approaches at times offering conflicting information. So in part ten of our Trail Running 101 series, we provide some basic and easy to follow tips for how to get started.
Braydon Bringhurst on Climbing the Whole Enchilada (Ep.155)
A few months ago, Braydon Bringhurst pulled off the incredible accomplishment of climbing the Whole Enchilada trail in Moab, Utah in a single day — and *rode* every inch of it. So we sat down with Braydon to get the whole story.
Flash Review: New Outerwear Update: Women’s Flylow & Trew
We’ve been testing some updated and interesting kits from Trew and Flylow this season — check out Kara Williard’s 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.)