Reviewer Reports: Backcountry Ski Touring Gear w/ Paul Forward

At Blister Summit 2026, we had professional athletes & product developers talk with Jonathan about their own approaches and best tips for how to evaluate gear. You'll hear from Chris Rubens (Atomic); Lauren Samuels (Salomon); Shane Chappell (Burton); and Will Ritter (Spark R&D).  Note: We Want to Hear From You! Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on GEAR:30. You can email those to us here. RELATED LINKS:  DraftKings.com - code Blister Order our 26/27 Winter Buyer’s Guide BLISTER+: Get Yourself Covered: Enter Our Free Weekly Gear Giveaways CHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS: Blister Studios (our new channel) Blister Review (our original channel) TOPICS & TIMES: Blister Summit 2027: Save the Date (1:41) Winter Buyer’s Guide Update (2:20) BLISTER+ News (3:02) Panelists’ Experience Testing Gear (5:07) Process of Testing (12:45) The Value of Breaking Things (17:13) Rubens’ Approach to Testing (19:45) Declaring it ‘Done’ & Releasing to the Public (22:31) Consensus on Testing Results / Lack Thereof (25:36) Best Tips for How to Test Gear (27:25) Audience Questions (40:08) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: The Blister Vault Blister Cinematic CRAFTED Bikes & Big Ideas Blister Podcast

Luke and Jonathan give some updates about our Winter Buyer’s Guide, then share some thoughts on ski boots, hiking boots, and other types of footwear. Note: We Want to Hear From You! Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on GEAR:30. You can email those to us here. RELATED LINKS:  FactorMeals.com - code: BLISTERGEAR50OFF DraftKings.com - code Blister BLISTER+: Get Yourself Covered: Order our 26/27 Winter Buyer’s Guide Enter Our Free Weekly Gear Giveaways CHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS: Blister Studios (our new channel) Blister Review (our original channel) TOPICS & TIMES: News at BLISTER (1:01) Cam McCaul News (2:34) Buyer’s Guide Update #1 (5:32) Factor Hiking Boots & Ski Boots (10:02) Hiking Shoes, Running Shoes, & Ski Boots (19:55) DraftKings Buyer’s Guide Update #2 (26:21) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: The Blister Vault Blister Cinematic CRAFTED Bikes & Big Ideas Blister Podcast

G3 — aka, ‘Genuine Guide Gear’ — everyone who ventures into the backcountry knows them, but you’ve probably wondered what happened to them? Today, you'll get the full story — with all of its twists and turns — from the new head of G3, Cameron Shute. Note: We Want to Hear From You! Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on GEAR:30. You can email those to us here. RELATED LINKS:  DraftKings.com - code Blister LiveMomentous.com - code: Blister BLISTER+: Get Yourself Covered: Order our 26/27 Winter Buyer’s Guide Enter Our Free Weekly Gear Giveaways CHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS: Blister Studios (our new channel) Blister Review (our original channel) TOPICS & TIMES: G3 origin story (3:05) success can hide failure (16:11) G3 2014 - 2020 (27:53) G3's Second Lap (35:07) New Ideas and Problem Solving (40:30) First Haiku on Gear 30 (50:42) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: The Blister Vault Blister Cinematic CRAFTED Bikes & Big Ideas Blister Podcast

Scott Gaffney is one of the most accomplished ski-movie directors of all-time, and in this highlight from The Blister Vault, we’re sharing this clip where Jonathan Ellsworth got Scott to (try to) narrow down the most mind-blowing sessions he’s witnessed, and the skiers that made even the other pros watch in awe. And listening to this clip from 2017 today, it’s amazing how accurately Scott predicted who would be the next big thing in skiing. Note: We Want to Hear From You! We’d love for you to share with us the stories or topics you’d like us to cover next month on Reviewing the News; ask your most pressing mountain town advice questions, or offer your hot takes for us to rate. Email us at: [email protected] RELATED LINKS:  livemomentous.com – use code: Blister OneSkin: oneskin.co/BLISTER  Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ Order our 26/27 Winter Buyer’s Guide Enter Our Free Weekly Gear Giveaways For the Full Episode: Scott Gaffney – Skier & Director, Matchstick Productions (Ep.60) Blister Cinematic: 20th Anniversary of ‘Yearbook’ w/ Murray Wais & Scott Gaffney (Ep.22) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Podcast Blister Cinematic CRAFTED Bikes & Big Ideas GEAR:30

After the book, ‘Born to Run’ came out, minimalist, low-profile shoes were all the rage. But now, maximalism is the big trend. So who’s right and who’s wrong? Blister’s running editor, Gordon Gianniny, talks with Jonathan about the various trends and pendulum swings in the world of footwear — shoes made for running, hiking, trail-running, and walking. Note: We Want to Hear From You! Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on GEAR:30. You can email those to us here. RELATED LINKS:  Momentous: livemomentous.com use code: Blister BLISTER+: Get Yourself Covered: Order our 26/27 Winter Buyer’s Guide Enter Our Free Weekly Gear Giveaways CHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS: Blister Studios (our new channel) Blister Review (our original channel) TOPICS & TIMES: The Rise of Maximal Trail Shoes (2:44) Minimalists vs Maximalists: Who's Right? (6:16) ‘High Stack’ Vs ‘High Cushion’ (17:23) Upgrade Culture (22:02) Toe Boxes (27:44) Trickle-Down Tech (30:41) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: The Blister Vault Blister Cinematic CRAFTED Bikes & Big Ideas Blister Podcast

GPS sports watches are impressive little devices that are able to track and measure more and more things each year. But how do these devices actually work? How accurate are they? And what are the important differences among all the options? Today, Darian Allberry from COROS joins us and provides an outstanding overview of this entire product category. Note: We Want to Hear From You! Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on GEAR:30. You can email those to us here. RELATED LINKS:  Momentous: livemomentous.com use code: Blister OneSkin: oneskin.co/BLISTER Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ Order our 26/27 Winter Buyer’s Guide Enter Our Free Weekly Gear Giveaways CHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS: Blister Studios (our new channel) Blister Review (our original channel) TOPICS & TIMES:  What Should We Call This Product Category?? (3:08) How Hardware Differs (4:31) COROS History (10:26) Accuracy (16:57) Over-the-Air Updates (10:20) Displays (25:24) OLED vs AMOLED Displays (29:19) Darian’s Background (32:20) Data: How Much is Too Much? (34:53) Prices / Price Ranges (41:03) Size (46:06) What Feature is Most Underutilized? (49:35) A.I. (53:53) Durability & Care (58:26) What's Next at COROS? (1:02:31) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: The Blister Vault Blister Cinematic CRAFTED Bikes & Big Ideas Blister Podc Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nutrition apps? Body Composition Scales? Sleep Trackers? The category of home health & fitness tech is exploding, and Kristin Sinnott & Jonathan Ellsworth talk about the gear they've been using — or are currently avoiding — and why.  Note: We Want to Hear From You! Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on GEAR:30. You can email those to us here RELATED LINKS:  Momentous: livemomentous.com code: Blister  Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ Order our 26/27 Winter Buyer’s Guide Enter Our Free Weekly Gear Giveaways CHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS: Blister Studios (our new channel) Blister Review (our original channel) TOPICS & TIMES:  Kristin’s Upcoming Trip (3:10) Nutrition Apps - Cronometer (5:28) Body Composition Scales - InBody Dial H40 (23:59) Sleep Trackers - Coros Pace Pro (38:22) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: The Blister Vault Blister Cinematic CRAFTED Bikes & Big Ideas Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What’s the process like for having a custom ski built for you? What do you need to know? How much do you need to know about ski design? And are you someone who should consider it? Today, we’re going to help you figure out all of these questions, with Folsom Custom Skis owner, Mike McCabe, Jonathan Ellsworth, and Steve Janisch. Note: We Want to Hear From You! Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on GEAR:30. You can email those to us here. RELATED LINKS:  Momentous: livemomentous.com code: Blister Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ Order our 26/27 Winter Buyer’s Guide Enter Our Free Weekly Gear Giveaways CHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS: Blister Studios (our new channel) Blister Review (our original channel) TOPICS & TIMES: Shoutout: New BLISTER+ Members (1:42) The Process of Designing a Custom Ski (5:15) Steve’s Experience Testing Skis at Blister Summit (21:04) Who are You Skiing With? (28:29) Adjusting Rocker Profiles (36:52) Materials (41:33) Mount Position & Stance (49:29) Graphics (51:00) Putting It All Together (54:47) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: The Blister Vault Blister Cinematic CRAFTED Bikes & Big Ideas Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on The Vault, we’re sharing another momentous Blister moment: a section from the very first episode in a series that went on to become one of the biggest things — and arguably one of the best things — we’ve ever put together at Blister. Note: We Want to Hear From You! We’d love for you to share with us the stories or topics you’d like us to cover next month on Reviewing the News; ask your most pressing mountain town advice questions, or offer your hot takes for us to rate. Email us at: [email protected] RELATED LINKS:  Momentous: livemomentous.com use code: Blister Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ Order our 26/27 Winter Buyer’s Guide Enter Our Free Weekly Gear Giveaways CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic CRAFTED Bikes & Big Ideas GEAR:30 Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Footwear — running shoes, hiking shoes, walking shoes, etc — has never been more high-tech. Or confusing. Or expensive. It’s a wild world. So today, Jonathan talks with Blister’s running editor, Gordon Gianniny, about the current state of technical footwear; “super” shoes; AI; and more. Note: We Want to Hear From You! Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on GEAR:30. You can email those to us here. RELATED LINKS:  Momentous: livemomentous.com code: Blister OneSkin: oneskin.co/BLISTER Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ Order our 26/27 Winter Buyer’s Guide Enter Our Free Weekly Gear Giveaways CHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS: Blister Studios (our new channel) Blister Review (our original channel) TOPICS & TIMES: Gordon’s Background (6:19) The Confusing World of Footwear (9:35) Costs (20:41) The Super Shoe (23:20) Materials & Design (31:16) AI in Running Shoe Design (36:47) Predictions (45:20) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: The Blister Vault Blister Cinematic CRAFTED Bikes & Big Ideas Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.