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

BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles

David Golay and Xan Marshland Blister Mountain Bike Review on the EXT Era

EXT Era Fork

After making a big splash with their rear shocks, EXT’s first fork is here. There’s a whole lot that’s interesting and unusual about the Era, but how does it all add up on the trail? Check out our full review to find out — now with some additional thoughts from Xan Marshland.

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Finally. The coffee episode. This week on GEAR:30, we’re doing a deep dive on coffee with Sam Higby of First Ascent. We discuss the difference between good and bad instant coffee; light roasts vs. dark roasts (and what some dark roasts have in common with hot sauce or double IPAs); the brewing process & brewing at altitude; how to make great coffee on a budget; and more.

A Very Deep Dive on Coffee (Ep.158)

You had to know we’d do this, right? We sat down with Sam Higby to talk about Sam’s time in the outdoor industry and in the coffee business; the difference between good and bad instant coffee; light roasts vs. dark roasts (and what some dark roasts have in common with hot sauce or double IPAs); the brewing process & brewing at altitude; how to make great coffee on a budget; and more.

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Blister Guide to Mountain Bike Tires

Mountain Bike Tires: A Guide & Comparisons

In this guide, we’re comparing more than a dozen of the most popular Trail, Enduro, & DH tires to each other, highlighting their pros and cons, and helping you figure out which option might work best for you. In our latest update, we’ve got a couple of new additions from Schwalbe and Michelin.

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

Mtn Biking 201: A Guide to Tire Casings & Rubber Compounds

What are tire casings and rubber compounds — and why should you care? And how do one brand’s casing and compound options compare to another’s? In this Gear 201 article, we answer those questions and more, and we’ve just added our thoughts on the latest rubber compounds and casings from Schwalbe and Michelin.

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Steve Vanderhoek just put out one of the best video edits of the year, in which he and Yoann Barelli set out to ride as many of the gnarliest features in the Sea to Sky Corridor in one truly wild day. So this week on Bikes & Big Ideas, we sat down with Steve to talk about everything that went into making that day happen; the mental challenges of riding scary, high-consequence lines; filming and riding with Yoann and Remy Metailler; balancing all that with his career as a paramedic and firefighter; and a whole lot more.

Steve Vanderhoek on Le Tour de Gnar, Freeride, and Firefighting (Ep.78)

Steve Vanderhoek just put out one of the best video edits of the year, where he & Yoann Barelli rode just about all of the gnarliest features in the Sea to Sky Corridor in one truly wild day. We sat down with Steve to talk about the mental challenges of riding scary, high-consequence lines; filming & riding with Yoann & Remy Metailler; balancing all that with his career as a paramedic and firefighter; & a whole lot more.

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Blister reviews the Canfield Lithium

Flash Review — Canfield Lithium

We’ve been riding Canfield’s new longer-travel 29er — check out our thoughts on the bike so far.

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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Blister reviews the Canyon Spectral 29

Flash Review — Canyon Spectral 29

We’ve been spending time on Canyon’s overhauled Spectral 29 — check out some of our initial impressions and comparisons.

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.)

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David Golay Blister Mountain Bike Review on the GT Force

2021 GT Force

High-pivot Enduro bikes are popping up all over the place these days, and now there’s another option on the market — the all-new GT Force. Check out our First Look for more info.

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Cosmo Langsfeld reviews the La Sportiva VK BOA for Blister.

La Sportiva VK BOA

The Sportiva VK BOA is designed for something pretty specific — running up steep trails. That said, for the right people, we think it could be a really good option even if you’re not always sprinting up mountains. Check out our review for more.

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Blister What We're Watching — August 2021

What We’re Watching — August, 2021

Our What We’re Watching series is back, with an assortment of videos short & long; goofy & important; & relaxing to very high adrenaline. Check out a bunch of the best video content we’ve recently seen — plus a sneak preview of our next Bikes & Big Ideas guest.

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BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:

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

Altra Timp 4

Altra could have easily gotten away with making a few minor tweaks when updating their high-cushioned Timp; instead, the brand completely reengineered the Timp 4 from the ground up. Check out our review to see what we think of all the new changes.

Luke Koppa and Dylan Wood review the Rossignol Mandate for Blister

Flash Review — Rossignol Mandate

The Rossignol Mandate is a killer value in terms of parts spec, but is the frame up to 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.

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.)

Luke Koppa reviews the Stereo Piste RS for BLISTER.

2021-2022 Stereo Piste RS

Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the Stereo Piste RS.

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

Naked Sports Innovations Co-founder Lindsay Dakota on “Simplexity” & Their New Laceless Trail Racing Shoe (Ep.126)

Naked Sports Innovations’ line of products has evolved a lot from the popular Running Band that started it all, and this month they announced plans for their first (laceless!) trail running shoe, the Naked T/r. So we sat down with Naked’s President and Co-founder, Lindsay Dakota, to break down their debut model and to talk about how the notion of “simplexity” drives their design process

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

Blister Brand Guide: Arc’teryx Trail Running Shoe Lineup, 2022

Best known by many for their high-end outerwear, Arc’teryx has now been making trail running shoes for a few years — including one of the lightest models on the market. Check out our Brand Guide to learn more about their current options and how they stand out from each other.

Kristin Sinnott reviews the Renoun Earhart 88 for Blister

2022-2023 Renoun Earhart 88

Here are our thoughts on Renoun’s women-specific all-mountain ski, the Earhart 88, how it compares to the competition, and what sorts of skiers we think should have it on their lists.

David Golay reviews the Kavenz VHP 16 for Blister

Flash Review — Kavenz VHP 16

We’ve started spending time on the Kavenz VHP 16. 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.

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.)