BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Win any Renoun Ski
This week’s winner will get to pick any Renoun ski they want!
Manitou Mezzer Pro Fork
Manitou’s Mezzer Pro was one of the first “extra-stiff,” single-crown forks to hit the market, and we’ve spent the last 4 months comparing it to its growing competition. Check out our full review to see how it stacks up.
Patagonia Announces New CEO + Head of Patagonia, Inc.
Today Patagonia announced their new CEO, as well as their new head of Patagonia, Inc., which is the portion of the company that designs & produces their apparel & equipment.
Reviewer Reports: Trek Slash, Banshee Phantom, EXT Shock, Hayes Brakes (Ep.40)
We check in with reviewers Dylan Wood (who gets to keep his seat at the bar), David Golay (who is now reconsidering what makes brakes good or bad), and Eric Freson (who still enjoys a sick jazz soundtrack) to get their updates on the Trek Slash, EXT Storia shock, Hayes Dominion A4 brakes, and the Banshee Phantom V3.
Coree Woltering on his Ice Age Trail FKT, Catcalls, & Tick Removal (Ep.67)
Coree Woltering is definitely one of the most interesting ultrarunners out there, so Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talked to Coree about the one time when a catcall actually worked; why the running world needs to stop overlooking midwestern athletes; Quick Trip burgers and how to remove ticks; and the injury and the miracle that happened while he was setting a new FKT on the Ice Age Trail.
EXT Storia Lok V3 Shock
EXT’s custom shocks have been used on everything from F1 cars to motocross, but they also make some very interesting suspension components for mountain bikers. We’ve been testing the latest version of their Enduro-oriented Storia Lok shock, and it is very impressive. Check out our full review for an in-depth explanation.
Will Gadd on The Last Ascent + Doing all the Sports (Ep.143)
We talk to the elite ice climber, Will Gadd, about ice climbing, skiing, paragliding, rock climbing, kayaking, mountain biking — and how they relate to one another. And we talk about his new film, The Last Ascent, which documents Will’s return to Mount Kilimanjaro to climb the Messner route and the Tanzanian ice (at 19,000’ altitude) while there’s still time.
Car Camping Gear Roundup — 2020
We’ve rounded up a bunch of gear that has made our camping experiences more enjoyable, whether you need products that work for both car-camping and backpacking, like to head out with your little one, or simply want to make your next car-camping trip more pleasant.
The Skier’s Sportshop
Looking for ski gear — whether for you or the rest of your family — in the Edmonton, Alberta area? The Skier’s Sportshop is our top pick.
The Spokane Alpine Haus
Spokane Alpine Haus is our pick for all ski- and ride-related gear in the Spokane area, now with two convenient locations.
Win Ultralight Down Blankets from Rumpl
The TWO winners this week will each get Rumpl’s Featherlite Down Blanket!
Jason Levinthal & 4FRNT’s New Ownership Group (Ep.114)
Last week, it was announced that Jason Levinthal had sold 4FRNT Skis. So we talked to Jason about how this deal came about; learn the background of the new leadership group at 4FRNT; ask what the group does and doesn’t intend to change about the brand; and more.
Our Best / Worst Ski Ideas for 20/21
We’ve created the most cutting-edge lineup of skis for the coming season, so here are our best (or worst) designs to meet the current moment.
The Ski Monster
The Ski Monster is our go-to shop in Boston, MA, for all things ski- and snowboard-related.
Your Fully Customizable Dream Build? Introducing Sherpa Custom Mountain Bikes (Ep.39)
What if you could buy a bike without immediately looking to swap out a bunch of the stock parts? And what if this dream build of yours was competitively priced? Sherpa Custom Mountain Bikes is a brand-new company that allows you to customize every part and color of your new bike, with over 1,000,000 combinations to choose from; their “photorealistic 3D dream builder” provides life-like graphics that allow you to scrutinize every detail of your custom build; and they’re also offering a life-time warranty on their frames and rims. Sound too good to be true? We sat down with the founders of Sherpa to question them about this intriguing ambitious new venture.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
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
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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.
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.)
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.)
Gear of the Year, 2021 (Ep.99)
2021 was Blister’s busiest year ever for testing mountain bikes and gear, and there were some real standout products among that crop. So we rounded up a bunch of our reviewers to give a rundown of the highlights of the last year, and we make some predictions for the year to come and talk about a bunch of the bikes and gear that we’re most excited to spend time on soon, too.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Dec 2021) (Ep.197)
Cody and Jonathan discuss the current situation of under-staffed & overcrowded ski areas; national parks and Native American tribes; the looming shortage of lithium batteries for electric vehicles; whether or not to ski the backcountry with your dog; what we’re watching; and more.