BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Blister Alpine Ski Bindings Guide
What’s the best ski binding? Which ones are compatible with your ski boots? There’s a lot of misinformation and confusion about the actual differences between bindings, so we’ve updated this guide to help clarify which ones will work best for you.
Open Wear Open One 3L Shell Jacket & Pants
Open Wear is a new Swiss outerwear brand focused on sustainability, transparency, and moderate prices, and we were so impressed with their Open One 3L jacket that it earned one of our “Best Of” awards.
DPS’s The Shadow Campaign — “The Abbey”
DPS just dropped the latest episode of their Shadow Campaign, and you can check out the full video here to get the doctor-recommended dose of beautiful pow-skiing goodness.
2019-2020 Sego Big Horn 106
We’ve now had two reviewers put over 30 days on the Sego Big Horn 106, and you can now check out our update on this playful all-mountain ski.
Edelrid Bulletproof Quickdraw
The Edelrid Bulletproof quickdraw features a unique hybrid construction that’s designed to offer the best of both worlds: steel’s durability and aluminum’s low weight. So does it actually work?
Gregory Endo 15 3D-Hydro
Gregory has been making all sorts of backpacks for years, but how do their new biking packs perform? Check out our review of the Gregory Endo 15 3D-Hydro.
2019-2020 Salomon XDR 88 Ti
The XDR 88 Ti replaced one of our favorite all-mountain skis, the Salomon X-Drive 8.8 FS. So how similar is the XDR 88 Ti, and what type of skiers will most enjoy it?
2021-2022 Blizzard Sheeva 11
Though it’s the widest women’s ski Blizzard makes, we’ve found the Sheeva 11 to be surprisingly versatile, and think it would work well for a wide variety of skiers.
Everyday Backpack Roundup — 2018
We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite backpacks that we use for everything from early-morning trips to the gym, urban commutes, and long day hikes.
2020-2021 Spark R&D Surge Pro Splitboard Binding
We’re big fans of Spark R&D’s simple and reliable splitboard bindings, and they just released an even lighter version of their Surge binding. So what, if any, compromises are made by going with the new, lighter Surge Pro?
Henrik Harlaut — “The Regiment”
Henrik Harlaut’s 2-year video project, The Regiment, showcases why he’s arguably the most passionate skier in the world, and why he’s also one of the all-time best.
Seeking Nirvana 3.2 — “Hard Nose The Highway”
If Wes Anderson made movies about skiing pillows and big-mountain lines, it would look like this. Check out the latest from the Seeking Nirvana crew.
2019-2020 Lange XT Free 130 LV
The previous Lange XT 130 Freetour was one of the best tech-binding-compatible AT ski boots we’ve used in terms of downhill performance, and Lange updated it this year. So how similar or different is the new Lange XT Free 130?
Matt Zia
Age: 26 | Vitals: 5’11”, 165 lbs | Years climbing: 10 | Years skiing: 15 | Current Residence: Bozeman, MT Background I grew up playing in the mountains of New Hampshire where my mother, a former Outward Bound instructor, took me on my first backpacking trip
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Win Sunglasses from ROKA
This week TWO people will get to pick any pair of sunglasses they want from ROKA!
2020 Santa Cruz Hightower
For six months now, we’ve had three different reviewers riding the recently overhauled Santa Cruz Hightower. Check out our long-term review to see why we think this 140 mm 29er is so versatile, and how it compares to the previous Hightower, Hightower LT, Megatower, & Yeti SB130.
Hoka One One Carbon X
The Hoka Carbon X is part of a new class of shoes designed with one goal in mind: running as fast as possible. But this carbon-reinforced road shoe doesn’t look like the race shoes of the past, so we were curious to see how it handled a variety of distances and speeds, and how it compared to more “normal” shoes like the Hoka Clifton 6. Check out our review to see what we found.
Flash Review: 20/21 Faction Agent 3.0
Update 6.11.20: Drew Kelly adds his thoughts on the Agent 3.0’s overall performance.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2021 Ibis Mojo 4
Shorter-travel, 27.5″ Trail bikes are becoming rare these days, especially if you want more modern geometry. But Ibis is breaking that trend with the introduction of their overhauled Mojo 4 — check out our First Look for more.
Creating Your Own Sport: Buzz Burrell & the Invention of the ‘FKT’ (Ep.53)
A few weeks ago Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talked to the legend, Buzz Burrell, about his first ever long-distance run; starting the first organic farm in Colorado; the time he delivered a baby; inventing the hydration pack; and more. Then we discuss Buzz’s role in establishing the concept of the Fastest Known Time; creativity and FKTs, the process of approving FKT submissions, and some of the trends he’s seeing in the world of FKTs.
Food Sovereignty, Indigenous Rights, & the Film, Gather (Ep.131)
We talk with our friend, Sanjay Rawal, about his new film, Gather. (Sanjay directed the film, Renan Ozturk was the cinematographer, & Jason Momoa produced it.) Gather tells the story of the growing food sovereignty movement among Native American tribes across the U.S., and this film is sure to cause you to re-evaluate your own relationship to food and to land and to a lot of other things.
Nathan VaporKrar 2.0 4L Race Vest
The Nathan VaporKrar 2.0 4L Race Vest is a part of a crowded category of running vests targeted at shorter, self-supported runs and we’ve spent 100 miles comparing it to some of its competition. Check out our review to see how it compares.
Flash Review: 20/21 Blizzard Black Pearl 88
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of the new Black Pearl 88.
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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Biking 101: Hubs
How do mountain bike hubs work, what do you gain with a more expensive hub, and why should you care? In this GEAR 101 article, we dive into those questions and more.
2020-2021 Kastle FX106 HP
The Kastle FX106 HP is a ski that’s quick & lively but that some skiers will still be able to ski quite hard. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to see if it’d be a good fit for you.
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
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.)