BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Zen & the Art of Creating the World’s Biggest Splitboard Binding Company: Will Ritter, Spark R&D (Ep.27)
We talk to Will Ritter about starting – and running – the largest splitboard binding company in the world, Spark R&D, and Will provides a number of valuable insights for anyone thinking of starting anything.
Deep Dive: 130-Flex Alpine Ski Boots
We directly compare several 130-flex alpine boots, including the Salomon S/Max 130 & S/Max 130 Carbon, Nordica Promachine 130, Head Raptor 140 RS & Nexo LYT 130, Atomic Hawx Ultra 130, and K2 Recon 130.
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Win Goggles + a Helmet from Smith
Enter to win Smith’s new I/O Mag goggle and Code helmet!
Timely Words from Conrad Anker
Yesterday afternoon, the great alpinist, Conrad Anker, posted what he called, “a short essay on being positive.” And they are words worth far more than the time it takes to read them. Check out the full essay here.
Big Agnes Flume UL 30 Sleeping Bag
Picking out the right sleeping bag comes down to a lot of compromises: Light, or durable? Packable, or comfortable? But the Big Agnes Flume UL 30 is one of the best bags we’ve used when it comes to being very light and still maintaining comfort.
Ski Sock Roundup — 2018
The wrong pair of ski socks can screw up your day. So we’ve rounded up 17 pairs — from ultra-thin to thickly cushioned — and noted what sets each apart, and which will likely work best for you.
Blank Collective — “Before Blank”
Blank Collective’s new film “Before Blank” won the Standout Big Mountain Film award at iF3 this year, and now you can watch the whole film for free.
The North Face Morph Vest
Down vests have been around forever, but The North Face Morph Vest brings some interesting new tech to this classic insulation piece.
Phil Powers and Alex Honnold on a Permit System for The Nose? (Ep.19)
Are we moving toward a future where The Nose (or other well-traveled walls) are headed for a permit system? Dave and Luke debate this hypothetical with the help of American Alpine Club CEO Phil Powers, Maury Birdwell, and Alex Honnold.
Flylow Cooper Jacket
The Cooper is a brand-new shell from Flylow that uses their new air-permeable waterproof fabric. It also offers a rare combination of traits that make it a great shell for both inbounds and backcountry use.
2020-2021 Rossignol Experience 92 Ti Basalt
The new Rossi Experience 94 Ti has a fairly forgiving shovel and a pretty powerful tail. So does it feel like more of a wider, dedicated carver? Or is it a truly versatile, go-anywhere, all-mountain ski? Check out our full review.
Our 18/19 Winter Buyer’s Guide & “Best Of” Awards (Ep.26)
Jonathan Ellsworth, Luke Koppa, and Sam Shaheen discuss some of the “Best Of” award winners in the 18/19 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide.
Marzocchi Bomber Z1 Fork
The Marzocchi Bomber Z1 may be the best fork we’ve used when it comes to getting the most performance for your money.
2018-2019 Moment Blister Pro
The Blister Pro is back. Check out the story behind the new graphic, the story behind the ski itself, and learn how to get your pair.
ON3P — “3”
Love it or hate it, just don’t ignore it. With their latest film, “3” ON3P’s team continues to set the tone for the new direction of park skiing, and it’s definitely worth a watch.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Bikes vs. Skis, 2nd Edition (2020): Part 2 (Ep. 26)
Which bike company is currently the most like which ski company? Here in part 2, we get into more arguments and offer more parallels and analogies between these two industries to get a better sense of the current position, reputation, and trajectory of a bunch of different brands in these sports.
Gregory Targhee 32
We spent most of this past season skiing with Gregory’s recently revised Targhee 32 backpack and think it’s an excellent option for a do-it-all snowsports pack, and it’s also worth a look for photographers who spend time sliding on snow. Check out our review.
Revel RW30 Wheels
Revel claims that their new RW30 carbon wheels are not only more durable and better damped than other carbon rims, but also more easily recyclable and similarly lightweight. These are some pretty bold claims, so check out our review to see how they went about doing this and our initial on-trail impressions.
2021-2022 Nordica Santa Ana 93
Nordica is overhauling their women’s all-mountain Santa Ana skis for the 20/21 season, and you can check out our First Look & Flash Review of the Santa Ana 93 for more on what’s changed, what hasn’t, and how the new ski’s design compares to the rest of the market.
Flash Review: 20/21 Nordica Santa Ana 93
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of the new Santa Ana 93.
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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Geoff McFetridge on The Abstract Wild by Jack Turner (Ep. 129)
In the latest installment of our Blister Book Club, we talk with the artist, Geoff McFetridge, about Jack Turner’s book, The Abstract Wild. We discuss why Geoff selected this book; why it isn’t designed to be a comfortable read; why we need to get clear on the distinction between “the wild” and “wilderness”; and why we think that every reader of BLISTER ought to read this book.
Blister Brand Guide: Norco Mountain Bike Lineup, 2020
One of the oldest mtb brands, Norco’s current lineup consists of everything from budget hardtails to World Cup DH bikes and everything in between. Check out our Brand Guide to get an idea of their current line and which bike might best suit you.
Testing Limits: Mike McKnight on Running 100 Miles, 0 Calories (Ep.51)
Is it humanly possible to run 100 miles without consuming a single calorie? On May 8th, Mike McKnight set out to find out, and Mike not only accomplished this extraordinary feat, he did it in 18 hours and 37 minutes. So we talked to Mike about why and when he first thought this was possible; how he prepared and trained for the feat; intermittent fasting and his ketogenic diet; some of the criticism he’s received for even attempting this; and what else he thinks might be possible.
Flash Review: 20/21 Majesty Vanguard
We just spent a day on the 118mm-wide, twin-tipped Vanguard — check out our initial impressions.
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.)
Salomon Sense 4 /Pro
The Salomon Sense 4 /Pro is basically the less racing-oriented, more cushioned version of their high-end S/Lab Sense 8, and we’ve been running in both to see how they compare, who’d be better off in each particular shoe, and how the Sense 4 /Pro compares to several other moderate-cushion trail shoes.
Watch Live: Zach Bitter’s 100-Mile Treadmill World Record (MAY 16)
With all the race cancellations, 100-mile world record holder, Zach Bitter, thought it was a good time to attempt to go after another world record: fastest 100 miles run on a treadmill. Learn more about it here, how & when you can watch, and what other world-class runners will be joining Zach virtually to cheer him on.
Hoji on Tinkering, Climbing Skins, Monoskiing, & Michael Jordan (Ep.100)
In celebration of episode #100, we of course had to have Hoji back on, our patron saint of GEAR:30. We discuss all the tinkering he’s been doing during quarantine; what ski gear has the most room for improvement; snowmobiles; climbing skins; monoskiing; and then, one of the all time greats talks about another all time great, Michael Jordan.