BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
PSA: Flaw in PIEPS DSP Sport & DSP Pro Avalanche Transceivers
If you or someone you know has a PIEPS DSP Sport or PIEPS DSP Pro avalanche transceiver, please read this.
What We’re Watching — October, 2020
Fall is the season of ski movies / edits, and this fall has definitely not disappointed in that regard. Check out our latest “What We’re Watching” video roundup to watch some of our favorites.
Brendan Leonard on his new FKT, the Deadline Dungeon, & More (Ep.71)
Today we’re putting our Off The Couch co-host, Brendan Leonard (semi-rad.com) in the interviewee seat to hear about his recent FKT; his review of his FKT route and whether you should do it; movies; his current running program; gas station donuts; how well he deals with deadlines; some of his current and upcoming projects, and more.
Strafe Cham Jacket & Pants
This season Strafe once again updated their touring-oriented Cham Jacket & Pant, and we think the latest iteration is one of the best backcountry outerwear kits we’ve used. Check out our full, in-depth review to see why.
Hunt to Eat founder, Mahting Putelis (Ep.147)
This is another installment in our series on food, and food systems, and our guest today was first introduced to me by Blister reviewer, Paul Forward. Mahting Putelis is the founder of Hunt to Eat, which is an organization that “exists to find modern, progressive, and inclusive ways to support and grow the community of folks that go outdoors, harvest wild meat, or plants, or fungi, and take these things home to be cooked with care for themselves or their friends and family.”
Cody Townsend on Coffee Makers, Bindings, & Beacons (Ep.119)
On our latest GEAR:30 podcast, we sat down in Blister HQ with Cody Townsend to talk about coffee makers, bindings, beacons, terrain management, mortality, movies, and more.
Win Hestra Gloves + Sweet Protection Helmet & Goggles
The winner this week will get Sweet Protection’s new Looper Helmet & Boondock Goggles + they’ll get to pick any Hestra glove or mitten they want!
Big Mtn Skier (& Trail Runner), Cody Townsend (Ep.70)
Six months ago, professional skier, Cody Townsend, hated running. Now he loves it. So what happened?? And will his current training program really get him ready to ski tour up and down some of the gnarliest peaks in North America for his ongoing Fifty Project? If you have ever found yourself in the “I hate running” camp, you should listen to this episode.
Blister Speaker Series 3.1: Cody Townsend (Ep.146)
Cody Townsend came to Western Colorado University and spoke about why his education has been so beneficial to his career; social media and the new responsibilities of athletes today; starting & growing a business (Arcade Belts); The Fifty Project and all of the behind-the-scenes work; and more.
Eric Pollard Leaves LINE Skis
Today Eric Pollard announced that, after spending 21 years and making 48 ski models with them, he is leaving LINE Skis. Learn more here.
What You’re Wearing, Part 6: Alpaca Wool (Ep.118)
How much do you know about Alpaca wool? And what do you about manufacturing in Peru? We talk about these things and more with the founders of Arms of Andes, which is a company that makes outdoor clothing from Royal Alpaca wool that is single-sourced and produced in Peru. We discuss the characteristics and benefits of Royal Alpaca wool; the traditional method used to collect the wool; their commitment to manufacturing in Peru; what they’re doing to try to be one of the most sustainable clothing brands in the world; and more.
Win Picture Organic Jackets + DPS Phantom
The TWO winners this week will each get a ski / snowboard jacket from Picture Organic + DPS’s permanent base-glide treatment, Phantom!
Ultimate Direction Race Vest 5.0
One of our reviewers says that the Ultimate Direction Race Vest 5.0 may be the best running vest he’s used for moderate distances and races. Check out our review to see why, and how it compares to alternatives from Nathan & Salomon.
Stan Rey & Alexi Godbout on Skiing Pillows; Spit Cups; & Their New Film (Ep.145)
We talk to Alexi Godbout and Stan Rey about their new film, Follow the Forecast; some potential alternate titles for the film; what’s harder: ski mountaineering or skiing pillow lines?; the founding of their film company, Blank Collective; who won the movie?; and Stan’s spit cup.
Folsom Skis 20/21 Lineup + Update on our Buyer’s Guide (Ep.117)
We’ve got Folsom Skis CEO, Mike McCabe, back on the show to catch us up on what’s been going on at Folsom; the PPE equipment they’ve been making; their lineup for the 20/21 season; and more. Mike also asks how things have been at Blister, we share what we’re celebrating this week, and give an update on the status of our 20/21 Winter Buyer’s Guide.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Bode Miller Joins SCARPA as Ski Ambassador
Today SCARPA announced that Bode Miller has joined their athlete team — and that they will be releasing a new collection of alpine-oriented ski boots.
Flash Review: 21/22 Head Kore 85 W
Here are some of our initial impressions of how the narrowest ski in the Head Kore lineup handles on-piste terrain.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Atomic Announces New 2022-2023 Bent Lineup
Atomic and Chris Benchetler have just announced the new 22/23 freeski “Bent” lineup, including 3 new models. Check out the details.
2021-2022 Scarpa F1 LT
The Scarpa Alien RS was one of our reviewer’s all-time favorite touring boots, but what about its replacement? The F1 LT is similarly impressive — check out our full review.
Reserve 30 SL Wheels
Reserve’s 30 SL carbon wheels are a new offering meant for Trail bike duty, and at first glance, they seem a lot like the longstanding Reserve 30 that’s been put on a diet. But that’s far from the whole story, and the on-trail results are compelling.
Flash Review: 21/22 Moment Wildcat
Moment says that the latest Wildcat is much more similar to the original Bibby / Blister Pro than before, so, is it? Check out our initial thoughts after a couple days of skiing the 21/22 Wildcat.
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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Debatable: Integrated Brake Lever Clamps are Nonsense
Integrated brake and shifter clamps have become commonplace on modern mountain bikes, but our Bike Editor makes his case for why they should go away.
Skiing Austria, Ski-Boot Mods, & the Atomic Redster G9 RS, X9 S, & X9 WB (Ep.178)
Matt Manser, Atomic’s ski boots product manager, is back to discuss Jonathan’s trip to Austria; Matt’s Jura coffee maker; our scotch & rye whiskey tasting sessions; skiing Zauchensee and Kitzsteinhorn on the Atomic Redster G9 RS, X9 S, and X9 WB; ski boot terms (and unconditional love); and some modifications we made to Jonathan’s ski boots — which you might want to consider for your own.
2021-2022 DPS Foundation Koala 118
This year DPS updated the big, burly, yet playful Koala 119 that many of us loved. So is the new Koala 118 more of a subtle update, or a different ski entirely? Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: DPS Foundation Koala 118
We compare the Koala 118 to the previous Koala 119, Black Crows Anima, Rossignol Blackops Gamer, Kye Shapes Numinous, Dynastar M-Free 118, J Skis Friend, Volkl Revolt 121, Moment Wildcat, Salomon QST Blank, Moment Chipotle Banana, 4FRNT Renegade, 4FRNT Inthayne, Line Outline, Line Vision 118, Season Forma, and Atomic Bent Chetler 120.
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 a Trip to the Blister Summit @ Mt. Crested Butte
You’re not going to want to miss this season’s Blister Summit, and this week, you have a chance to attend, stay, and ski for free!
Flash Review: 21/22 Moment Deathwish 104
We just wrapped up our first day on the new Deathwish 104 — check out some of our initial thoughts.
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.)