BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
19/20 Elan Ripstick 106 Black Edition
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of the Ripstick 106 Black Edition, including notes on how it compares to the standard Ripstick 106.
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Win any Sunglasses You Want from Dragon
Win a new pair of shades from Dragon!
Father’s Day Gift Guide — 2019
Still looking for a way to thank your dad this Father’s Day? Fear not — we’ve rounded up several last-minute gift ideas that won’t feel last-minute to the dads in your life.
Tecnica Plasma S Shoe
Best known for their ski boots, Tecnica recently launched a hiking line that brings something entirely new to the market: a heat-moldable fit. And after using their new Plasma S Shoe for the past year, you can now check out our full review.
19/20 Salomon QST 99
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of Salomon’s updated QST 99.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Mark Abma’s Regimen for Skiing Well & Living Well (Ep.91)
For a long time now, Mark Abma has stood right at the center of big-mountain skiing. So we talk to him about living with JP Auclair, Julien Regnier, and Anthony Boronowski; filming with Shane McConkey, Hugo Harrison, and Ingrid Backstrom; serving as a guide for a new generation of skiers; and the specific fitness, dietary, and health regimen that keeps Mark functioning at a high level on and off the mountain.
Outdoor Research Refuge Air Hooded Jacket
“Active insulation” midlayers are designed to be warmer than fleece, but more breathable than traditional puffies. And despite strong competition in this growing category, Outdoor Research’s new Refuge Air Hooded Jacket clearly stands out. Check out our review.
Petzl Meteor Helmet
The Meteor has served as Petzl’s lightweight climbing helmet for more than 20 years. This year, they made their most significant update yet — making it dual-certified for both climbing and ski touring. Check out our full review of this versatile helmet.
GPS Devices & Backcountry Safety with Bivy (Ep.51)
GPS communication devices can be the difference between life and death in remote places. So we talk with Bivy’s Pitt Grewe about the different types of technology and devices on the market; how these devices can affect decision making; satellite networks; complicated payment plans; and … Pitt’s impressive skills as a DJ.
Deep Dive: 4FRNT Inthayne
We compare the Inthayne to the Moment Deathwish, Faction Candide 4.0, Armada ARV 116 JJ, Moment Wildcat / Blister Pro, Blizzard Rustler 11, Atomic Bent Chetler 120, Dynastar PR-OTO Factory, Rossignol Black Ops 118, Line Outline, Prior CBC, Icelantic Nomad 115, Folsom Trophy Carbon, Blizzard Spur, and Line Sick Day 114.
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 Norrona’s Men’s or Women’s MTB Shorts
Need a new pair of MTB shorts? If so, you’re in luck…
2020-2021 Armada Tracer 98
Armada is tweaking their Tracer 98 for 19/20 in order to be more competitive with the growing class of ~100mm-wide backcountry and 50/50 skis. Check out our measured specs, rocker pics, and initial impressions to see what they changed.
Strafe Sunnyside Alpha Anorak
If you’re looking for a good-looking and versatile midlayer that you can use for a bit of everything, we highly recommend giving the Strafe Sunnyside Alpha Anorak a look. Check out our full review.
2021-2022 Fischer Ranger 94 FR
When Fischer announced a narrower version of their excellent Ranger 102 FR, we were instantly intrigued. Now you can check out our full review to see how the new Ranger 94 FR performs, and what type of skier will like it most.
Deep Dive: Fischer Ranger 94 FR
We compare the Ranger 94 FR to the Fischer Ranger 102 FR, Fischer Ranger 99Ti, Moment Commander 98, J Skis Masterblaster, Nordica Enforcer 100, Renoun Endurance 98, Armada ARV 96Ti, Rossignol Black Ops 98, Dynastar Menace 98, Liberty Origin 96, 4FRNT MSP 99, Blizzard Rustler 9, Atomic Bent Chetler 100, ON3P Wrenegade 96, and Blizzard Brahma.
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, Podcasts, & Articles:
Flash Review: 20/21 4FRNT Devastator
Check out our initial impressions of the new Devastator, where we answer some of the questions we first posed in our First Look.
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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Flash Review: 20/21 Movement Fly Two 115
Check out our initial thoughts on Movement’s playful (but also pretty stable) pow ski.
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: Columbia Montrail Trail Running Shoes ’20
While it doesn’t include a huge number of shoes, Columbia-Montrail’s 2020 trail running shoe lineup offers runners a few different options to suit specific needs, and is particularly appealing for those not looking to drop a ton of money on their next pair of shoes. Check out our Brand Guide to see how each shoe differs and which might be worth a look from you.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Dec 2020) (Ep.156)
Cody Towsend and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about chess & The Queen’s Gambit; savants & skier savants; ski media; political appointees; avalanche accidents; Cody’s new film, The Mountain Why; and more.
Sage Cattabriga-Alosa on Biking, Skiing, Similarities, & Transitions (Ep.47)
Sage Cattabriga-Alosa is one of the best big line skiers of all time, and he’s an extremely good — and extremely passionate — mountain biker, too. So we talked with Sage about how he thinks about the similarities of skiing & mountain biking; riding lines in Virgin, Utah back in 2004; riding with Cam McCaul; what aspect of mountain biking he is most focused on improving; and his film, Balance.
2021-2022 Armada Declivity 92 Ti
We’ve spent the past few weeks skiing one of Armada’s new metal-laminate skis, the Declivity 92 Ti. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons of this fun, lively, & versatile ski.
Deep Dive: Armada Declivity 92 Ti
We compare the Declivity 92 Ti to the Salomon Stance 90, Fischer Ranger 94 FR, Head Kore 93, Nordica Enforcer 94, J Skis Masterblaster, Volkl Mantra M5, Folsom Spar 88, Blizzard Brahma 88, Elan Wingman 86 CTi, Line Blade, Liberty Evolv 90, & Liberty V92.
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 Kastle Skis & Spyder Jackets
The TWO winners this week will each get a pair of Kastle skis + a jacket from Spyder.
Shop Talk: Backcountry Essentials, Bellingham WA (Ep.128)
On our latest edition of ‘Shop Talk’, we’ve got the founder of Backcountry Essentials, Chris Gerston, talking about Bellingham; starting Backcountry Essentials; and some of the gear that he thinks works really well for skiing at Mt Baker and for volcano skiing.
PNW Components Rainier Gen 3 Dropper Post
The PNW Components Gen-3 Rainier is a very promising option in the increasingly crowded field of dropper posts, and comes at an unusually attractive price. So how does it compare to the competition? Check out our review.
La Sportiva Blizzard GTX
The Blizzard GTX is one of a few shoes on the market specifically designed for running on snow and ice. We’ve spent time in it doing just that, and in our full review, we go into who would really benefit from a specialized shoe like this, and who might be better off in something more versatile.
Flash Review: 20/21 Salomon Stance 90
Here are our initial thoughts on the new Stance 90, with comparisons to several other skis in its class.
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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