BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Evoc Trail Builder Pack
Trails need maintenance, and that requires a lot of gear. Evoc’s Trail Builder pack makes carrying all that gear a lot more comfortable, and it still rides well when loaded down.
Arc’teryx Atom SL Hoody
As the fast-and-light take on the classic Atom LT, Arc’teryx’s Atom SL Hoody might initially seem like a niche piece for specific objectives. However, we’ve been impressed not only by the Atom SL’s light weight and packability, but also its versatility.
Backcountry Travel & Wilderness Medicine (Ep.62)
What items should you be carrying with you, and what do you need to know before venturing out into the backcountry in the first place? We discuss backcountry travel and wilderness medicine with Blister reviewer, AWLS instructor, and physician Paul Forward.
Blister’s Holiday Gift Guide 2017 — In the Garage
Time for the final roundup: these are our big-ticket (or just plain big) gift ideas.
2017-2018 Line Honey Badger
Line calls the Honey Badger “the best option for lapping the park, bashing urban features, and charging the whole mountain.” So we weighed in on where we think this Honey Badger feels most at home.
2018-2019 Scott Superguide 105
The Scott Superguide 105 has all the ingredients of a powerful backcountry & mountaineering ski, and it shares a lot in common with one of our favorite skis in that category. Check out our measured specs, rocker pics, and initial impressions.
The New Salomon S/LAB SHIFT MNC (Ep.3)
Salomon’s new S/Lab Shift represents a significant leap forward in binding design. Check out our conversation with Salomon’s Cody Townsend Chris Rubens, and Benoit Sublet, and our initial on-snow review.
Alpenglow Sports Winter Mountain Festival
Today, one of Blister’s Recommended Shops, Alpenglow Sports in Tahoe City, announced the schedule for their upcoming Mountain Festival — a nine-day free event aimed at beginner and intermediate backcountry users to celebrate human-powered mountain travel.
Win a Pair of Wagner Custom Skis
This week we’re giving away a pair of fully-custom skis from Wagner. Enter now for your chance to win.
2nd Look: J Skis The Metal
We’ve weighed in on The Metal as a more playful directional ski, but coming from the opposite end of the spectrum, how well does The Metal fare when compared to lighter, jibbier skis?
Win a Pair of Mountain Collective Passes
Best Christmas present ever? Give yourself and your favorite ski partner the gift of a pair of Mountain Collective passes. You’ll get access to a bunch of world-class mountains without any blackout dates. Enter Now.
Blister’s Holiday Gift Guide 2017 — Under the Tree
Here are some more of our favorite gift ideas…
What does it mean to talk about the “top end” of a ski?
What do we mean when we talk about the “top end” of a ski? Let’s clarify…
Full Movie: The Faction Collective — This is Home
With huge descents in Switzerland, pillows in Montana, gnarly urban in Finland, technical lines in the Wasatch, and a Verbier segment to end all Verbier segments — the Faction Collective movie, This is Home, highlights the mind-boggling talent on the Faction team. Check out the full film for yourself here.
Blister’s Holiday Gift Guide 2017 — Stocking Stuffers
‘Tis the season to do, say, and / or give some nice things to the people you care about, so this week we’re sharing a few of our own favorite gift ideas. (And don’t feel bad about picking up one or two of these items for yourself. Because screw it, you probably deserve it. Here’s to you, too.)
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Win Women’s & Men’s Outerwear Kits from Spyder
Get a jacket & pants from Spyder’s new Freeski line!
2-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (19/20)
The quivers keep getting smaller, and the decisions keep getting harder. We’re now asking our reviewers to cut their quivers down to 2 skis, and you can now check out all of their selections.
3-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (19/20)
Check out Part 2 of our reviewers’ 3-ski-quiver selections, with additions from Kristin Sinnott, Kara Williard, Sascha Anastas, Jonathan Ellsworth, & Cy Whitling.
Cappuccino Cowboys Apologizes + Jared Hazen & Eric Senseman (Ep.26)
Mr. Cappuccino of the Cappuccino Cowboys is back on the show to issue an apology for his performance last week. And then Jared Hazen and Eric Senseman join us, so we got to ask them why they continue to associate with Mr. Cappuccino, and more.
4-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (19/20)
Check out part 2 of our reviewers’ 4-ski-quiver selections, including additions from Eric Freson, Kara Williard, Paul Forward, Sascha Anastas, and Sam Shaheen.
Reporter Jason Blevins on Backcountry.com (Ep.109)
Jason Blevins of the Colorado Sun broke the story about backcountry.com’s practices around trademark issues, so we talk to Jason about how this story got on his radar; the specifics of what backcountry.com was doing; how common or uncommon these practices are; how backcountry.com has subsequently responded; and what needs to be done going forward.
Our Climbing & MTB Trip with 57hours
With the help of 57hours and our guide, Willie Benegas, we spent a few days biking and climbing around Moab — check out our recap video and trip report.
5-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (19/20)
It’s that time of year — we’re fantasizing about skiing and our ideal ski quivers. We’ll be rolling out a bunch of our reviewers’ personal selections, and we’re kicking it off with our 5-ski quivers.
What is The North Face Futurelight? (Ep.74)
The North Face is attempting to do something that many have tried, but few have succeeded: compete head-to-head with Gore-Tex in the waterproof / breathable fabric category. So we talked with Scott Mellin, the Global General Manager of Mountain Sports at The North Face, about their new fabric technology, Futurelight, the ideas behind it; what sets it apart in the waterproof / breathable fabric market; sustainability practices related to Futurelight; some stories from athlete testing, and much more.
Win an Avalanche Safety Course with 57hours
Win a 3-day AIARE Level 1 or Level 2 avalanche safety course!
Insulated Skirt Roundup
An insulated skirt may seem like a niche product, but after using several of them this fall, many of our reviewers now consider them an essential piece. Check out our roundup for a bunch of skirts that can take you from your morning run, bike, or ski tour all the way to après.
Blister Brand Guide: Topo Athletic Running Shoe Lineup, 2019
Topo Athletic takes a different approach than many brands when it comes to running shoes. They specialize in lower-drop shoes with wider, foot-shaped toe boxes, and their lineup covers a wide range of road and trail shoes. Check out our Brand Guide to figure out which Topo shoe might be best for you.