GEAR:30

DWRs — or “Durable Water Repellent” coatings — play a huge 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, makes products intended to extend the lifespan of outdoor gear, and none of their specialized cleaning, conditioni...

We talk to Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson, about Moment’s entire “Commander” series; why we still need to do a better job educating skiers; how the Deathwish got its name; the history of the Bibby and the Blister Pro; some upcoming changes to the Blister Pro; and more. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to catch the video of this episode (coming soon). TOPICS & TIMES: Moment Commander 108 (1:28)...

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 crowded waterproof / breathable fa...

In our “Reviewing the Reviewer” series, we ask various BLISTER reviewers questions about their backgrounds and gear preferences to give you a more complete picture of the people behind our reviews. And since we like to rank & review things around here, we also give a score to each of our reviewers’ answers, then come up with a cumulative review grade for each of them.  In the hot seat tod...

Today, Marker unveiled their brand-new Duke PT binding, so Luke Koppa, Sam Shaheen, and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the new binding and where it fits with respect to the Shift MNC and CAST Touring binding. We also discuss some big new changes at GORE; the new GORE-TEX Pro vs. The North Face Futurelight; the appalling behavior of backcountry.com ; several new skis from Moment, Blizzard, and Prior; a...

Gore-Tex has been the leader in waterproof fabrics for decades, and today, they’re announcing a complete overhaul of their flagship fabric, Gore-Tex Pro. So this week we went to Banff, Alberta, and sat down with the category manager of Gore’s “Pro” line, Mark McKinnie, for an in-depth discussion about the new fabrics. We talk about what makes the new Gore Pro unique; the 3 different versions of Go...

How do the world’s elite ski racers and their technicians squeeze every drop of performance out of their skis? We sat down with Cameron Smith who runs the race department for Head USA to learn about all the major aspects of ski tuning including base vs edge angles, base prep, and waxing. We also discuss why World Cup racers have 50 skis per discipline; the elusive “speed wagon”; and the delicate b...

In this episode, we answer a bunch of the questions you submitted, then assess some of the product reviews from several of the other ski review publications — and one gear recommendation website. And fair warning here, we get pretty fired up. Because there are still a lot of fake reviews and extremely misleading product reviews and product recommendation services out there, and this needs to stop....

We just released our new 19/20 BLISTER Winter Buyer’s Guide , and given that it’s over 200 pages long, there’s a lot to talk about. So we’re going to have a 2-part conversation about the Guide, and here in part 1, we’re going to discuss some of our Blister “Best Of” selections; and some of the products that just missed the cut; some general trends and takeaways from putting this big book together,...

This episode is the 2nd installment of our “Reviewing the Reviewer” series, where we ask various Blister reviewers questions about their backgrounds and gear preferences to give you a more complete picture of the people behind our reviews. Today, it’s the founder of Blister’s turn. So you’re going to be hearing about Jonathan Ellsworth’s life, including being charged by a bear; nearly burning his...

We’ve been working on a special project with Folsom Custom Skis, and it’s finally time to discuss the details about the new Blister Pro 104 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 some 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. TOPICS...

For centuries, hemp has been cultivated around the world and used to make just about everything: rope, clothing, paper, currency, sails — even the earliest American flags. But in 1937, the United States effectively banned the cultivation of hemp, and since then, hemp has faced an uphill battle of public perception and viable production in the US. Just last year, however, Congress passed the Farm B...

Misconceptions about down are everywhere — fill power, proper care, and animal welfare are all often wildly misunderstood. So today, in part 3 of our “What You’re Wearing” miniseries , we talk to Matthew Betcher of Allied Feather & Down , a company that works with and supplies down for some of the biggest names in the outdoor industry. (There’s a good chance your down jacket is stuffed with Al...

4FRNT Skis founder, Matt Sterbenz, recently launched WNDR Alpine , a company that’s incorporating biotech into skis. So we sat down with Sterbenz and WNDR’s brand manager, Xan Marshland, to discuss the creation of and the future plans for WNDR Alpine; its relation to the biotech company, Checkerspot; and we dive deep into the details of their new ski, the Intention 110, which is available now for...

Why are more and more companies making products out of wool?  In part two of our “What You’re Wearing” miniseries , we’re taking a closer look at the fabric that was once most associated with itchy old sweaters and fancy suits, but that’s now being used in some of the most comfortable and highest-performing apparel on the market. But how exactly does wool naturally suppress odor? How does the...

Crosson Skis is a small, new company building skis outside of Seattle — and they are making some very big claims. So we talk to their founder, Chase Englehart, about the origins of Crosson; what makes their skis different — and better — than what’s out there; manufacturing skis in Tukwila, WA; working with athletes like Bobby Brown and Banks Gilberti; and their 19/20 lineup. Topics & Times The...

How do elite ski racers like Marcel Hirsher, Mikaela Shiffrin, Bode Miller, and Daron Rahlves “feel” their gear, and their ski boots in particular? Matt Manser and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss how some of the all-time greats are superhumanly attuned to the slightest changes of a binding or ski boot. They also discuss Forward Lean (how to measure it, whether lots or less of it is better, etc.); ‘stat...

Jonathan Ellsworth, Luke Koppa, & Sam Shaheen argue about the new Volkl Mantra 102 and how it compares to the M5 Mantra; discuss with more civility the Line Vision 98; Dalbello Lupo Pro HD ski boot; Camp Nano 22 vs. Orbit Wire carabiners; and close with several extremely random reviews. This episode is presented by Tribe Alpha & GEAR:30 listeners get a special discount! Tribe Alpha is grea...

Today we are launching a new series called, “Reviewing the Reviewer,” and the idea is pretty simple: we’ll be asking various Blister reviewers questions about their backgrounds and gear preferences, to give you a more complete picture of the people behind our reviews. And since we like to rank & review things around here, we will be scoring each of our reviewers’ answers to come up with a revi...

How much do you actually know about the clothes in your closet, and the stuff you wear to go play in the mountains? Today we’re introducing our “What You’re Wearing” miniseries, where we’ll be shining a light on the most foundational part of apparel: the fibers. In part one, we dive into the world synthetic fibers with Sara Ellis from Gore (the makers of GORE-TEX) to discuss everything from the pe...

We talk to DPS Skis founder, Stephan Drake, about the new DPS 19/20 product lineup, and about two new skis — that incorporate a brand-new construction — they are introducing for their DPS “Dreamtime” event, which officially runs from July 15th to August 1st. Stephan also breaks news about their “Koala” skis, gives an update on the DPS ski boots that he and I spoke about back on Ep. 38 of the Blist...

Last week on GEAR:30, we talked plastics with Atomic Ski Boots product manager, Matt Manser. Here in part 2, we talk with Matt about the messy world of flex ratings; progressive vs. linear flex patterns; the actual differences between some brands’ 120 and 130 rated boot; how Atomic arrives at their own flex ratings; the next areas of innovation that Atomic is focused on, and more. TOPICS & TIM...

Ski boots are made of plastic, and different plastics feel and perform very differently from one another. So we get deep into the details with Atomic Ski Boots product manager, Matt Manser, to help you figure out which plastics are used in your ski boots, and the pros & cons & general performance characteristics of different plastics — which will help you understand why you might like or d...

BLISTER Editors Sam Shaheen and Luke Koppa discuss their time this week at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, including mind-boggling new technologies like titanium-coated fibres; inventive sustainability stories involving recycled medical supplies; and noteworthy trends — both good and bad. TOPICS & TIMES: Rumpl Puffy Blankets (1:08) Gore-Tex Infinium Fibers (3:08) Topo Designs’ new apparel &amp...

Things get a little loose in this roundtable conversation, and kind of go off the rails. So consider yourself warned. But there are a few gems in here, including our group review of the ON3P Woodsman 108; Luke Koppa’s take on the new Tecnica heat-moldable hiking shoe, the Plasma S; Kristin Sinnot’s and my conversations about two new ski boots we’re excited about, and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Revi...