BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
2021-2022 Nordica Promachine 130
Nordica is entering the lighter weight alpine boot category for 18/19, and they claim their new Promachine line combines “race-boot performance” with “all-mountain comfort and versatility.” (Yeah, right. Right?) Check out our measured specs, fit notes, and initial impressions of the new Promachine 130.
First Look: 2019 Devinci Troy
Today Devinci announced that they’re changing up one of our favorite Trail bikes, the Troy. So how similar or different is the new bike? Check out our initial impressions.
Alpenglow Sports Summer Mountain Festival 2018
Last week we attended Alpenglow Sports’ Summer Mountain Festival, which is one of the coolest events happening in the outdoor sports world. Check out our trip report to learn more about it — and when to attend their Winter Mountain Festival next year.
Julian Carr on Big Mtn Running & Massive Cliff Jumping (Ep.73)
We talk to Julian Carr about his series of big-mountain “adventure” races, the Cirque Series; on the preparation and state of mind required to send massive cliffs; and how his company, Discrete, has evolved over the past 10 years.
2020-2021 Dynafit TLT Speed
The Dynafit TLT Speed is the newest lightweight touring binding from Dynafit. But with all the new competition in the tech-binding category, how does the TLT Speed compare to the other options out there? Check out our full review.
Nik Berry (Ep.13)
Nik Berry is pushing the boundaries of his sport in a direction that many climbers aren’t even looking: his skill and composure on hard and scary trad routes fuel an obsession with freeing big aid lines and seeking out adventurous climbing. In this episode, we talk about his recent stellar season in Yosemite and how he balances a career with all that hard climbing.
18/19 Liberty Origin 96
Here are our initial on-snow impressions of the 18/19 Origin 96, with comparisons to the 17/18 version, as well as a few other skis in this class.
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2018 Trek Slash 9.8
The Trek Slash is currently the best all-around Enduro bike we’ve ever reviewed. Check out our full review to find out why.
2018-2019 K2 Fulluvit 95Ti
Part of K2’s women’s Freeride Collection, the Fulluvit 95Ti is said to crush “all conditions at top speeds” while still being “lightweight and nimble for a freeride ski.” That’s some pretty big talk, but how does the Fulluvit 95Ti compare to the previous version, and how does it stack up against other ~95mm women’s all-mountain skis on the market? Check out our full review.
Stio Ralston Canvas Jacket
The Stio Ralston Canvas Jacket. Good for baling hay, building railroads, and a bunch of other less cool stuff, too. And it’s more comfortable than stiff, heavy canvas jackets of the past.
Win Men’s & Women’s Sandals from Chaco
Win men’s and women’s sandals from Chaco.
18/19 4FRNT MSP 99
Here are our initial on-snow impressions of the MSP 99, with comparisons to some other all-mountain skis like the Nordica Enforcer 100, Liberty Origin 96, and J Skis Masterblaster.
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 a 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.)
Deep Dive: Black Crows Daemon
We compare the Daemon to the new Volkl Mantra, the Blizzard Bonafide, Nordica Enforcer 100, Fischer Ranger 102 FR, J Skis Masterblaster, Liberty Origin 96, and more…
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 a member, please log in.
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2018 Pivot Mach 5.5
The new Pivot Mach 5.5 is a compelling option in the “does-everything-pretty-well” category of Trail bikes.
2019-2020 Black Crows Daemon
After getting more reviewers and more days on it in even more conditions, you can now check out our full review of Black Crows’ reverse-camber, all-mountain ski, the Daemon.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
2019-2020 Moment PB&J
This year Moment tweaked their long-standing all-mountain-freestyle ski, the PB&J, and we’ll be spending more time on the new version this season. For now, check out our First Look video & writeup for our initial impressions.
Win a Helmet & Goggles from Giro
Enter to win Giro’s new Method goggle and pick from 5 of their new helmets!
Blister’s Holiday Gift Guide 2019 — Stocking Stuffers
‘Tis the season to do some nice things, say some nice things, and maybe give one or two nice things to the people you care about, so this week we’re sharing a few of our own favorite gift ideas, starting with our top picks for stocking stuffers.
Ski Quiver Questions, Part 1 (Ep.77)
We’ve been thinking and talking a lot recently about ski quivers, and posted our reviewers’ personal selections for their 5-ski, 4-ski, 3-ski, 2-ski, and 1-ski quivers. And now on our latest episodes of GEAR:30 we discuss some of your related questions; what our biggest takeaways are; the dreaded 1-boot quiver; and more.
Blister Brand Guide: Inov-8 Running Shoe Lineup, 2019
Inov-8 got their start by making ultra-aggressive fell-running shoes, but they now make almost 30 trail and road shoes that cover a huge range. Check out our Brand Guide to see which Inov-8 shoes might be right for you.
Runner & Chef: Kelly Newlon of RAD (“Real Athlete Diets”) (Ep.28)
By the time she was 5 years old, Kelly Newlon had already identified two of her biggest passions: running and cooking. Those passions led her to running longer and longer races and becoming a classically trained chef who now is — quite literally — feeding and fueling the ultrarunning community, including a high number of its elite performers.
Eric Pollard on Skiing, Creating, & Evolving (Ep.111)
When it comes to skiing, product design, filmmaking, and art, few people have exhibited a more distinctive style than Eric Pollard. But for someone who has been working at the forefront of these mediums for about 20 years, we know a relatively small amount about the person behind all of it. So in this conversation, we talk to Eric about skiing and art and creating and evolving, and we discuss his soon-to-be-released film and book that share the same title, ‘Drawn From Here.’
Casual Shoe & Boot Roundup — 2019
While we love to talk about the newest and most technical footwear, we spend most of our time in much more casual shoes and boots. The good news is that we’re continuing to see casual-looking shoes that are more comfortable, more versatile, and / or more environmentally sustainable, and you can check out our roundup for several of our favorite men’s and women’s options.
2021-2022 Salomon S/Max 130 and S/Max 130 Carbon
Blister reviewer, Eric Freson, spent most of last season skiing the Salomon S/Max 130 & S/Max 130 Carbon, and he offers his take on the two boots, how they differ, and where he thinks they excel.
Win Goggles, Poles, & a Backpack from Zipline
Enter to win some new gear from Zipline!
Nikwax & the Future of DWRs (Ep.76)
DWRs — or “Durable Water Repellent” coatings — play an enormous role in the performance of your outdoor gear, and are used on nearly every waterproof garment on the market. But most DWRs are made with chemicals called PFCs, which can be harmful to you and the environment. Nikwax, however, has never made any of their specialized cleaning, conditioning, or waterproofing products with PFCs. So we talked with Heidi Allen from Nikwax about how DWRs work; the dangers of PFCs; how the industry is attempting to shift away from PFCs; garment care; and more.
2019-2020 Kastle MX99
We recently received the Kastle MX99, and this ski has many of us at Blister very, very excited. Check out our First Look to see why.