BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Loungewear Roundup
Sometimes, all you want is to be comfortable. It’s great to have soft, cozy clothing for those days when the main activity is doing no activity at all, and we’ve rounded up several of our favorite, comfy tops, bottoms, & slippers for men & women.
Norrona Tamok Gore-Tex Pro Jacket
According to Norrona, the Tamok Gore-Tex Pro Jacket is their “most durable jacket for the backcountry freeriders, blending a unique look with uncompromising freeride functionality.” It’s quickly become one of our favorite resort shells, and you can check out our full review to see how this high-end jacket compares to the competition.
Diets & Nutrition with Kylee Van Horn (Ep.32)
What’s the best way to eat to feel good and perform well? Nutrition and Diet are massive topics, as are all of the related issues surrounding them. So on our latest Off The Couch podcast, we talk with Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Kylee Van Horn, about the various diets out there; whether certain diets are prone to help or hurt training recovery; athletes & eating disorders, and more.
19/20 Kastle MX99
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of the Kastle MX99.
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La Sportiva Kaptiva
La Sportiva says their Kaptiva is designed for racing, and we think this lightweight, fairly minimal trail shoe definitely excels there. But we’ve also been surprised by how well it works outside of a race course — check out our review.
Our 2020 New Year’s Resolutions (Ep.114)
We’ve been thinking and talking about New Year’s resolutions, so in this episode, we ask a number of BLISTER reviewers what they’re pursuing in this new year and new decade.
Patagonia Women’s SnowDrifter Jacket
This season Patagonia launched a new outerwear line, the SnowDrifter, and we’ve come away very impressed by the comfort and versatility of the women’s SnowDrifter Jacket.
Win Custom Skis from Wagner
Enter for your chance to win a pair of fully custom Wagner skis!
New Skis, Ski Boots, & Bindings with Paul Forward (Ep.80)
We catch up with reviewer, Paul Forward, about some of the skis, AT boots, and an AT binding that Paul has been spending time on in Girdwood, Alaska. Paul and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the Volkl Mantra 102; the DPS Koala 119; the new Atomic Backland Carbon AT boot; the Fritschi Xenic lightweight touring binding; and more.
2021-2022 Kye Shapes Numinous
Last week we talked about the Metamorph, a new ski from Kye Petersen & Foon Skis’ new brand, Kye Shapes. Now it’s time to talk about the big gun in the Kye Shapes lineup, the Numinous. And for many people, we think there is a lot to like about this big-mountain ski. Check out our video First Look & writeup.
2021-2022 Shaggy’s Ahmeek 105
Shaggy’s is a small brand that builds their skis in Michigan, and we’ve been very impressed by the versatility of their Ahmeek 105. Check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons.
How to Design a Great Race (Ep.31)
New running events seem to be popping up all the time, which raises the question: Are there some specific policies, and practices that should be built into all or most running events? To help us think about this, we talked to Caleb Efta, the race director of the High Lonesome 100, about some of the specific policies and requirements of the event that are designed to mitigate its environmental impacts and increase gender equality.
Deep Dive: Shaggy’s Ahmeek 105
We compare the Ahmeek 105 to the Moment Deathwish, Moment Wildcat 108, Icelantic Nomad 105, Blizzard Rustler 10, ON3P Woodsman 108, J Skis Metal, Rossignol Soul 7 HD, Liberty Origin 106, Line Sick Day 104, 4FRNT MSP 107, Armada ARV 106Ti, Sego Big Horn 106, Nordica Enforcer Free 104, Fischer Ranger 102 FR, Salomon QST 106, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, and Faction Prodigy 3.0.
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 Brand Guide: Ibis Mountain Bike Lineup, 2020
Ibis started back in 1981, and now makes a variety of bikes from hardtails to Enduro sleds. Check out our Brand Guide for our breakdown of their lineup, and see which bike might be the best fit for you.
New Year’s Resolutions with Brendan Leonard (Ep.113)
A recent conversation with Brendan Leonard (semi-rad.com) about his 2019 goal of running 52 marathons in 52 weeks (!!!) got us thinking that we should take a more creative approach to New Year’s Resolutions and goals. And then very soon, we’ll be posting a series of interviews with some Blister reviewers and other folks about their own take on new year’s resolutions, and some of their own creative goals.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Win a Bike Rack from Rocky Mounts
This week the winner will get one of Rocky Mounts’ hitch-mounted bike racks!
AT Boots, Bindings, & Skis w/ Sebastian Steinbach (Ep.145)
We talk with the owner of Blacksheep Sports Freeride Shop in Munich, Germany, about a bunch of ski touring gear, including the new Tecnica Cochise 130, Lange XT3 Tour Pro, Dalbello Quantum Free 130, Plum Summit 12 binding, Moment Wildcat Tour 108, and more.
2021-2022 Salomon QST 98
The Salomon QST 99 was one of the most versatile skis we’ve reviewed in the past few years, and for 21/22, Salomon is replacing it with the new QST 98. While they’re pretty different, we think Salomon has once again made a ski that could work for a lot of people, but you should check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons to see if the new QST 98 is the ski for you.
Deep Dive: Salomon QST 98
We compare the QST 98 to the Salomon QST 99, Salomon Stance 96, Salomon QST 106, 4FRNT MSP 99, Volkl M6 Mantra, Blizzard Bonafide 97, Nordica Enforcer 100, Moment Commander 98, Fischer Ranger 102 FR, Dynastar M-Pro 99, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Black Crows Camox, Black Crows Justis, Liberty Origin 96, Blizzard Rustler 10, Nordica Soul Rider 97, Dynastar Menace 98, & J Skis Masterblaster.
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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Catching Up with Carson Storch (Ep.63)
Carson Storch is one of the most talented freeriders in the world, but his intense passion for mountain biking might actually be the most notable thing about him. We caught up with Carson about how his recovery is going from a recent injury — and how he approaches rehab in general; his background and ascendance in slopestyle and freeride mountain biking; his plans for 2021; and more.
Ride Concepts Transition Clipless Shoe
The Ride Concepts Transition is a gravity-oriented clipless shoe with a bunch of compelling features, and two of our reviewers have been spending time in it. Check out their thoughts in our full review.
Flash Review: 21/22 Shaggy’s Ahmeek 95
We recently spent time on two different versions of one of Shaggy’s playful all-mountain skis: the standard Ahmeek 95, and then an extra-heavy version that features sheets of … magnesium. Check out 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.
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2021 Pivot Switchblade
Over the past several months, three of our reviewers spent time on Pivot’s do-it-all Trail bike, the Switchblade, and they think it does an impressive job of standing out in a very crowded category. Check out our full review to see why.
Neli Vazquez Rowland on the Run to End Homelessness & A Safe Haven (Ep.84)
Neli Vasquez Rowland is the co-founder and president of A Safe Haven, which is a Chicago-based nonprofit whose goal is to end homelessness. So we talk to Neli about A Safe Haven’s comprehensive approach; how and why their model could be adopted by other cities around the world; their Run to End Homelessness; and more.
Blister Summit Brand Lineups: Wagner Custom Skis
At the Blister Summit, we talked to Wagner Custom Skis founder, Pete Wagner, about why Wagner had never done a ski demo before the Blister Summit; how & why they created skis specifically for the Summit (which are now a part of their offerings); and how their custom design process works.
2021-2022 WNDR Alpine Vital 100
From steep, techy lines in the backcountry, to fast laps at Mt. Crested Butte, we’ve now used the WNDR Alpine Vital 100 for a bit of everything. Check out our full review and Deep Dive comparisons for more on this ski and its algae-derived construction.
Deep Dive: WNDR Alpine Vital 100
We compare the Vital 100 to the WNDR Alpine Intention 110, 4FRNT Raven, Atomic Bent Chetler 100, Salomon MTN Explore 95, Line Sick Day 104, Armada Tracer 98, K2 Wayback 96, Line Vision 98, G3 FINDr 102, Fauna Pioneer, Blizzard Zero G 105, Volkl Blaze 106, Black Crows Camox, Liberty Origin 96, & Liberty Origin 101.
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.)