BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
1-Ski Quiver: Reviewers’ Selections (18/19)
Check out part 4 of our reviewers’ 1-ski-quiver selections, with additions from Kara Williard, Scott Nelson, and Joey Teahan.
The North Face Flight RKT Jacket
The North Face Flight RKT jacket is one of the lightest wind shells we’ve ever reviewed. But what’s the cost of that low weight, and is it strictly a running piece, or could you also use it for activities like biking and hiking?
Anon M4 Goggle
Anon goggles feature the best lens-swap system we’ve used, and this year, they have a new goggle that lets you use two different types of lenses. Check out our review of the Anon M4.
Rock Climbing Pant Roundup — 2018
Previously a bit of an afterthought, climbing pants now come in a wide variety of styles and designs. We spent over 100 days climbing in a few of the current options, and here we’ve detailed what sets each one apart.
2021-2022 Whitedot Ragnarok 118 Carbonlite
By lightening up their big-mountain weapon, the Ragnarok, with their “Carbonlite” construction, Whitedot intended to make a true, big-mountain powder charger that’s still light enough to haul uphill. So did they hit the mark with the Ragnarok Carbonlite?
Win the Moment Blister Pro + a Blister Membership
Win a pair of this year’s Moment Blister Pro + a year-long Blister Membership.
2-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (18/19)
Check out part 3 of our reviewers’ 2-ski quivers, with additions from Paul Forward, Kristin Sinnott, and Joey Teahan.
DPS ‘s The Shadow Campaign — “Ski Photographer”
Oskar Enander is one of the best ski photographers out there. He also happens to be color blind. Check out DPS’s recent film to see how he got into photography, how his unique perspective has helped him as a photographer, and, of course, plenty of beautiful powder-skiing footage.
Leatt 3DF 6.0 Knee Guard
When it comes to biking knee pads, you’re usually stuck choosing between very protective, bulky pads, or less protective, more pedal-friendly options. But the Leatt 3DF 6.0 combines elements from both those categories, so what’s the end result?
Making Homemade Cams: Erick Davidson of Merlin Rock Gear (Ep.20)
Merlin Rock Gear makes the best cams you’ve never heard of — they aren’t sold in stores or online, and they don’t even have a website. Engineer Erick Davidson designs and builds extra-large format cams at home, trimming weight and introducing clever design elements to raise the bar significantly for large cams. We talk about his design improvements and how he convinced himself that they were safe to use in the real world.
2021-2022 Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro
The new Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro boot got a “Best Of” award in our 18/19 Winter Buyer’s Guide, and it was a contender for our Product of the Year. And now you can check out our full review to see why.
2019-2020 Armada ARV 106
It’s rare that an updated product is better than its predecessor in every respect, but the redesigned Armada ARV 106 might just be one of those products. Check out our full review.
3-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (18/19)
We’ve asked a number of our reviewers to discuss how they think about putting together a ski quiver, and which specific skis they’d choose. Check out part 2, including additions from Jonathan Ellsworth, Sascha Anastas, Kristin Sinnott, and Brian Lindahl.
Race Face Next R Wheels
We’ve now put over 1000 miles on Race Face’s carbon Next R wheels, including everything from multi-day Enduro races to DH courses. So, how’d they do?
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Deep Dive: Kastle FX106 HP
We compare the FX106 HP to the Rossignol Soul 7 HD, Head Kore 105, DPS Alchemist Wailer 106 C2, Rossignol BLACKOPS Sender & Sender Ti, Black Crows Corvus, Black Crows Atris, Fischer Ranger 102 FR, Fischer Ranger 107 Ti, Line Sick Day 104, Moment Wildcat 108, 4FRNT MSP 107, Blizzard Rustler 10, Liberty Origin 106, Salomon QST 106, Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, & K2 Mindbender 108Ti.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Women’s Mountain Bike Bike Jersey Roundup
We’ve rounded up 13 of the women’s MTB jerseys we’ve been using, all of which are designed for hot summer rides and many of which work well off the bike. Check out our roundup to see how they compare and which ones might work well for you.
OneUp Dropper Post V2
OneUp’s V2 Dropper Post manages to stand out in a crowded category with several unique features and a more affordable price. We’ve been testing the post for several months now and you can check out our review to see how it compares to the competition.
Salomon S/Lab Sense 8
The Salomon S/Lab Sense 8 is an example of a product that’s designed to do a pretty specific thing, and that does that exceptionally well. But what about using it outside of racing and fast runs? Check out our review.
2020-2021 Salomon Stance 90
New for 20/21, the Salomon Stance 90 is a metal-laminate all-mountain ski with a design that has us excited about its potential versatility. Check out our First Look to see why.
ON3P Skis 20/21 Lineup with Scott Andrus (Ep.102)
We talk to the founder of ON3P Skis, Scott Andrus, about the ON3P lineup for the upcoming season. There is a lot of new and interesting stuff going on at ON3P, and we break quite a bit of news in this conversation. Check it out.
Win Shorts & Vests from Ultimate Direction
Enter for a chance to win Ultimate Direction’s hydration-integrated Hydro Shorts + pick any of their vests!
Deep Dive: Alpine Touring Bindings, 2020
We directly compare several of the current, more downhill-oriented touring bindings, including the Salomon / Atomic Shift MNC 13, Marker Duke PT 16, CAST Freetour, Fritschi Tecton, Marker Kingpin, G3 ION 12, Fritschi Vipec EVO, & Dynafit ST Rotation 10. We also discuss what you tend to gain and give up by going to much lighter touring bindings, and in what scenarios that lighter category might make more sense for you.
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.)
Bikes, Bike Shops, & Crack Waffles (Ep. 27)
We sit down with bike-industry veterans Simon Stewart and Joe Parkin to announce their brand-new shop name; talk about what it’s like to own and operate a bike shop in these times; and finally, we discuss Joe’s wildly addictive creation that our editor-in-chief calls, the “Crack Waffle.”
Five Ten Kestrel Pro Boa
Five Ten’s Kestrel Pro Boa clipless mtb shoe combines elements from stiff & light XC shoes and much burlier, hike-friendly options, and the result is a very versatile shoe. Check out our review for more.
Running Shorts Roundup — 2020
Every year we get more and more running short options, from those that could replace your hydration vest to ultra minimal pairs. We’ve rounded up 8 men’s & women’s options that we’ve been using and detail what sets each apart from the others.
2021-2022 Movement Fly Two 115
Movement’s Fly Two collection is targeted at skiers who like to take a playful approach to the mountain, and their Fly Two 115 in particular has us very excited about its potential to be both playful and stable. Check out our First Look to see why.