BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles

2020-2021 Dynafit Hoji Pro Tour
We now have around 30 days in Dynafit’s new touring boot, the Hoji Pro Tour, and here you can check out our updated review.

Win a Men’s or Women’s Jacket from Strafe
Win a super versatile jacket from Strafe!

2020-2021 Fischer RC4 The Curv
The Fischer RC4 The Curv has been one of our favorite frontside skis since it came out, and it is a 3 x winner of a Blister “Best Of” award. Check out our full review to see why.

Deep Dive: Liberty Helix 98
We compare the Helix 98 to the Liberty Origin 96, Atomic Bent Chetler 100, J Skis Masterblaster, Nordica Enforcer 100, 4FRNT MSP 99, Moment Commander 98, Renoun Endurance 98, K2 Pinnacle 95 Ti, Blizzard Rustler 9, and ON3P Wrenegade 96.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2021-2022 Liberty Helix 98
This year Liberty re-introduced the Helix name to their lineup with the new Helix 98, and you can now check out our full review of this versatile all-mountain ski.

19/20 Scarpa Maestrale XT
Here are our initial on-snow impressions of Scarpa’s new, burly touring boot.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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18/19 J Skis The Friend
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of the redesigned J Skis Friend.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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18/19 Rossignol Black Ops 118
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of Rossignol’s big freestyle pow ski, the Black Ops 118.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Index: Base Layers
We just updated our Base Layer Index with several new options — from versatile year-round pieces to warm layers for the coldest winter days.

Deep Dive: K2 Super Charger
We compare the Super Charger to several other carvers, including the Head Worldcup Rebels i.Speed Pro, Head Supershape i.Rally & i.Titan, Fischer RC4 The Curv & RC4 The Curv GT, Liberty V76, Dynastar Speedzone 12 Ti, and DPS Alchemist Cassiar 79.
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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Volant Spatula (2002-2003)
WARNING: Yesterday we let Shane talk about his creation, the Volant Spatula. Now it’s our turn. Prepare to go disturbingly in-depth about a ski made back in 2002.

2019-2020 K2 Super Charger
The K2 Super Charger is an aptly named ski, so if you like to ski hard and fast on groomers, it’s certainly worth a look. Check out our full review for more.

Big Sky Mountain Products Nylon Climbing Skins
Big Sky Mountain Products probably isn’t the first name that you think of when it comes to climbing skins. But for getting the most performance for your money, they might just be the best skins we’ve used.

18/19 Faction Prodigy 4.0
Here are our initial impressions of Faction’s wider all-mountain freestyle ski, the Prodigy 4.0.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Deep Dive: Renoun Endurance 98
We compare the Endurance 98 to the Moment Commander 98, 4FRNT MSP 99, Nordica Enforcer 100, Blizzard Bonafide, Volkl Mantra M5, J Skis Masterblaster, Blizzard Rustler 9, K2 Pinnacle 95 Ti, Liberty Origin 96, and ON3P Wrenegade 96.
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 Salomon QST 118
Update 7.3.20: Jonathan Ellsworth weighs in on the Salomon QST 118.
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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2020 Revel Rail
We’ve now had two reviewers riding Revel’s 165mm-travel bike, the Rail, and they’ve both come away very impressed by its versatility. Check out our full review to see why, and how it compares to some other options in its class.

Our Favorite Kid’s Gear, Part 1 (Ep.105)
Kristin Sinnott and Justin Bobb join Jonathan Ellsworth to talk about some of the kid’s gear they’ve found to be the most game changing. And even if you don’t have kids, you should still listen to learn about a piece of gear that we’ve currently named, “The JBobber.” And there’s another piece of equipment that currently has a unanimous approval rating among our Blister parents, and might be the single greatest piece of kid’s gear of all time? Check it out.

The History & Future of the BC Bike Race with Dean Payne & Simon Stewart (Ep. 29)
We talk with Dean Payne, the president and co-founder of the BC Bike Race, about the origins and evolution of one of the most epic bike races and events in the world. And Simon Stewart (aka, Mr. Tank Driver) is sitting in as co-host to discuss with Dean all things BC Bike Race, the world’s largest hockey stick, drinking with Russell Crowe, and what goes into putting together an event like this.

WTB Verdict & Judge
The Judge & Verdict are two of WTB’s newest, aggressive tire options and we’ve put around 500 miles on them. Check out our review to see what makes them stand out in this crowded category, and how they compare to similar options like the Maxxis Minion DHF & DHRII.

Abby & Cordis Hall on Couple Goals, FKTs, & their Pfiffner Traverse ‘Date Run’ (Ep. 56)
Abby and Cordis Hall are both very good runners who both run for Adidas TERREX and who both recently set FKTs for the Cottonwood Marble Loop in Death Valley. And Abby and Cordis are soon going to both be going after another FKT, this time, on the rather gnarly Pfiffner Traverse. So we discuss all of that, plus the benefits and challenges that arise when your partner is also a competitive runner. And we also talk about a current rule that is in place specifically for women’s FKTs that deserves to be re-considered.

2021 Transition Spur
Transition just announced a new addition to their lineup: the 120mm-travel, 29”-wheeled Spur. Check out our First Look for more on the new “All-Country” bike and how its design compares to the current crop of shorter-travel 29ers.

What You Need to Know – and Do – about the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) (Ep. 134)
You are probably familiar with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but what do you know about the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)? NEPA is a critical piece of legislation, and each of us needs to understand what it does and why it matters so much — especially since some major changes to NEPA are being proposed that could have extremely serious environmental and human rights consequences. So to help us understand the high stakes of the changes being proposed, we spoke to Hilary Eisen, the policy director for the Winter Wildlands Alliance.

La Sportiva Helios III
When it was first introduced, the Helios was an outlier in the La Sportiva trail running lineup — an ultralight, minimal, flexible shoe for mellower terrain. They recently brought back the Helios and we think the new Helios III is the most refined version yet. Check out our review.

Backcountry Access Announces Software Update for Tracker2 Avalanche Transceivers
BCA just announced a free software update for their popular Tracker2 transceiver. Learn more about how to take advantage of it here.

2021-2022 4FRNT Raven
For the 20/21 season, 4FRNT is offering a new, special edition of their excellent Raven ski. Check out our First Look & Flash Review for more on this collab with Eric Hjorleifson & Pomoca, and how the newest Raven compares to the rest of the market.

Win Hiking Shoes from Tecnica
This week TWO people will each get a pair of Tecnica’s customizable Plasma S shoes!