BLISTER — Outdoor Gear Reviews, Podcasts, Buyer’s Guides, Giveaways

BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles

Blister reviews the Salomon QST X

Flash Review: 24/25 Salomon QST X

Japow Update: Kara Williard brought the QST X with her on a recent trip to Japan and she’s now added her thoughts on this lightweight powder ski.

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Blister reviews the Ibis Oso 1.1

Flash Review: Ibis Oso 1.1

Ibis made some meaningful tweaks to the Oso 1.1, and we’ve gotten some initial trail time on Ibis’ burly eMTB. Check out our initial thoughts.

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Luke Koppa reviews the Head Kore 118Ti for Blister

Flash Review: 25/26 Head Kore 118Ti

Crested Butte has gotten 30+ inches of new snow in the past few days, so we’ve been breaking out several new pow skis. First up is the Kore 118Ti, which represents a pretty big shift for the Kore series. Here are our initial thoughts.

Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions

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BLISTER — Outdoor Gear Reviews, Podcasts, Buyer’s Guides, Giveaways

2024-2025 Scarpa Maestrale RS

Scarpa’s Maestrale boots have been ubiquitous in the touring category for many years now — and for good reason. But Scarpa hasn’t been afraid to refine these boots over the years, and we’ve spent the past couple of seasons testing the latest iteration. Here’s our Full Review.

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BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:

BLISTER — Outdoor Gear Reviews, Podcasts, Buyer’s Guides, Giveaways

Flash Review: Kona Hei Hei 10

The Kona Hei Hei has taken many forms over its 30+ year history. So, where does the most current, 10th generation of the Hei Hei sit in the market? We’ve been spending some time on it and have some initial thoughts.

Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions

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Paul Forward reviews the Dynafit Ridge Pro ski boot for Blister

2025-2026 Dynafit Ridge Pro Ski Boot

The Ridge Pro is the latest collab between Dynafit and Eric ‘Hoji’ Hjorleifson, and it’s proven to offer a really impressive blend of uphill efficiency and downhill capability — but there are some caveats to consider. Check out our Full Review for the whole story.

Simon Stewart riding the Santa Cruz Vala

Santa Cruz Vala

The Vala brings about a couple of firsts for Santa Cruz — their first Horst Link bike and their first Bosch-powered eMTB. After several months on board the Vala, it’s left quite an impression. Find out why in our Full Review.

Simon Stewart riding the Santa Cruz Vala

Deep Dive: Santa Cruz Vala

We compare the Santa Cruz Vala to the Cannondale Moterra SL, Santa Cruz Heckler SL, Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay, Pivot Shuttle AM, Devinci E-Troy, and Orbea Wild.

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Blister reviews the Volkl Mantra 88

Flash Review: 25/26 Völkl Mantra 88

Völkl is updating the Mantra 88 next season, and the new version has been impressive so far — here are Jonathan’s initial takeaways.

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Blister reviews the Völkl Mantra 88.

2025-2026 Völkl Mantra 88

Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the updated Völkl Mantra 88.

David Golay reviews the DT Swiss EXC 1200 Classic wheels for Blister

DT Swiss EXC 1200 Classic Wheels

DT Swiss’s 1700-series wheels are deservedly popular as higher-end aluminum options that come in at a reasonable price, but what about their flagship 1200-series carbon models? We’ve spent a ton of time on the Enduro-oriented EXC 1200 Classic wheelset to find out. Here’s our Full Review.

Blister reviews the La Sportiva Sender

Flash Review: 25/26 La Sportiva Sender

The Sender is a new freeride-touring boot from La Sportiva, and it’s proven to be an interesting option during our initial testing. Here’s what we’ve learned so far.

Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions

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Cascade Components’ Stumpjumper High-Pivot Conversion (Ep.270)

Cascade Components’ Stumpjumper High-Pivot Conversion (Ep.270)

Cascade Components is best known for making aftermarket suspension links to change the leverage curve of a wide range of bikes, but they’ve just launched something much more radical: a high-pivot conversion kit for the current Specialized Stumpjumper. So we sat down with them to discuss why, how, and what they learned from the project.