BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
ENVE’s new M Series Wheels
ENVE’s new M Series is promising unprecedented pinch-flat protection, impact resistance, and ride quality.
Salomon Quest 4D 2 GTX Boot
Salomon’s flagship backpacking boot provides an excellent combination of grip, comfort, and stability.
Eric Hjorleifson on Skiing Trends & His Boot Project (Ep.52)
In part 2 of our conversation with Eric Hjorleifson, we discuss the state of the ski industry; the AT boot he’s been working on for years and why he thinks it could represent the next chapter in ski boot design, and more…
On Pinkbike’s eFailure
Pinkbike announced this week that they’ll be ramping up coverage of eMTBs. Here’s why we think that’s very problematic.
RECALL: Arc’teryx Procline Boots
Arc’teryx has announced a voluntary recall for all of their Procline Ski Boots.
Osprey Aether AG 60 Backpack
Osprey’s revamped Aether is a versatile pack that offers solutions to some of the most common backpacking issues.
Eric Hjorleifson on Ski Design & Pillow Lines (Ep.51)
Eric Hjorleifson is one of the best big-mountain skiers of all-time, and he’s also known for being one of the master tinkerers in the ski industry, and someone who absolutely obsesses over ski, boot, and bindings design. So we talked to Hoji about skiing pillows, ski design, and the evolution of his Renegade, Hoji, and Raven.
2018 Rockshox Pike RCT3
We put the new 2018 Pike RCT3 up against the 2017 fork, and weigh in on what’s different, what’s better, and what isn’t.
Patagonia’s Newest Campaign
Patagonia is spending nearly $700,000 on an ad campaign — and it’s not for one of their products.
MSR WindBurner Stove System
The MSR WindBurner might be the best canister stove currently on the market. Check out our full review and comparisons to find out why.
Deep Dive: 4FRNT Raven
We compare the 4FRNT Raven to the HEAD Kore 105, LINE Tourist 102, Volkl BMT 109, Black Diamond Helio 105, Blizzard Zero G 108, Faction Candide 3.0, Salomon QST 106, and G3 FINDr 102.
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New Tech — Down “Fabric”?
Eddie Bauer’s new midlayer — and the insulation it utilizes — is a significant departure from traditional down jackets.
2020-2021 Spark R&D Surge Splitboard Binding
Spark R&D updated their Surge binding for the 17/18 season. So how burly is it, and how does it compare to other lightweight, stiff splitboard bindings like the Karakoram Prime Carbon?
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Video: Verb Cabin — “Another Way”
Ian Compton has taken a very different approach to skiing. Once one of the best park / urban skiers out there, Ian decided to leave skiing and move to, as he calls it, the “middle of nowhere,” Vermont. Verb Cabin’s short film, “Another Way,” documents Ian’s rise in the sport, the reasoning behind and the outcome of his decision to leave it, and now his return to skiing, in the form of a tiny undisclosed rope-tow near his new home. We think the video is incredibly well done, and you can watch it here.
J Skis founder, Jason Levinthal (Ep.102)
J Skis founder, Jason Levinthal, is back on the show, and this time, our conversation is made up almost entirely of your questions. And in his trademark style, Jason answers each of them with extreme candor. Check out the full video and conversation here.
2020 Ibis Mojo HD5
Ibis is releasing today the 5th generation of their longer-travel 27.5″ bike, the Mojo HD5. We came away impressed with the prior-generation HD4, so how similar is the HD5 to the HD4? Is this new bike an entirely different beast? Check out our First Look.
Support Robb Gaffney
Robb Gaffney is a historic figure in the ski world, and he & his family need our help. Robb (who wrote the book Squallywood, created the Game of GNAR, and produced GNAR The Movie) was diagnosed with a rare form of bone-marrow cancer that he’s fighting hard against. But that has left him unable to work for the foreseeable future, and this has created a very significant financial burden for his family. A GoFundMe page has been started for Robb, and we would ask you to please make a donation.
Strafe Sickbird Suit
One-piece snowsuits have had an interesting history. They were once very common, then they became a bit of a joke, and now some brands are making high-end one-pieces with modern materials and features. The Strafe Sickbird Suit falls into that last category, and we’ve come away both surprised and impressed by it. Check out our review.
2020-2021 Liberty Genome
Summer in the Northern Hemisphere officially ends tomorrow, and just in case that’s got you down, we thought we’d get you dreaming of skiing deep pow on super-fat skis. So check out our full review of the 140mm-wide Liberty Genome.
Folsom Skis & the New Blister Pro 104 (Ep.66)
We’ve been working on a special project with Folsom Skis, and it’s finally time to discuss the details with Folsom’s Mike McCabe. We also talk about Folsom’s (insane?) new plan to build and deliver custom skis in 2-3 days; go over a few highlights from the 19/20 Folsom lineup; and we ask Mike how much of a nightmare it was to work with us on this project.
Win a Backpack from Mystery Ranch
Enter now to win Mystery Ranch’s brand-new alpine pack, the Scepter 35.
Blister Brand Guide: Santa Cruz / Juliana Mountain Bike Lineup, 2020
Santa Cruz and its sister brand, Juliana, have garnered a strong following over the years, and they make a wide range of mountain bikes. Check out our Brand Guide for an overview of their entire lineups.
Blister Brand Guide: Salomon Running Shoe Lineup, 2019
From shoes designed to help Kilian Jornet dance up technical terrain, to studded winter spikes and everyday road and trail shoes, Salomon makes a really wide variety of running shoes. Check out our Salomon Brand Guide to quickly get clear on their whole lineup and figure out which shoes might work best for you.
Why We Built a Running-Shoe Brand Guide (Ep.17)
Finding the right running shoe can be extremely complicated and confusing. So reviewers Luke Koppa, Jonathan Ellsworth, Maddie Hart, and Gordon Gianniny discuss our new BLISTER Brand Guide to Running Shoes; why we saw a need for it; what we hope it accomplishes for runners everywhere; and the trends and takeaways we’ve seen in the process of building it.
Blister Speaker Series 2.1: Claudio Caluori (Ep.101)
Last week, we kicked off season #2 of our monthly Blister Speaker Series at Western Colorado University, where we invite influential figures to come talk about how they are shaping the outdoor industry. Our first guest of the new season was Claudio Caluori, the announcer for the World Cup Downhill series, a former pro XC and DH racer, the founder of Velosolutions, and the initiator of #pumpforpeace. We touch on all of these things in our conversation, and get Claudio’s perspective on a wide range of topics and questions.