GEAR:30

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 & TIMES:

• Flex Patterns & All the Feels (4:13)
• “Progressive” vs. “Linear” flex patterns (5:10)
• The mess that is Flex Ratings (13:13)
• How Atomic arrives at their own flex ratings (17:24)
• How brands make a “110” vs. “120” vs. “130” etc. (27:34)
• Colorways & Geopolitics (34:20)
• Why a standardized flex rating probably won’t happen (35:55)
• The damping / “suspension” of a boot (42:32)
• Weight & Damping (47:04)
• Next areas of innovation for Atomic boots? (55:08)

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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 dislike your current boots, and what you ought to be looking for in your next pair.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• What has been the focus of your recent work in ski boots? (2:10)
• The 3 main families of plastics: PP, PU, and PA (6:57)
• “PP” — Polypropylene (11:15)
• How recycled plastics are used in the production process (19:18)
• “PU” — Polyurethane (23:06)
• Low-grade PU: Recycled PU (26:53)
• Mid-grade PU: PU-Ester (27:53)
• High-grade PU: PU-Ether (31:33)
• Colors: how they affect plastics’ performance (33:44)
• What is Desmopan? (38:32)
• “True Flex” PU — Atomic’s proprietary PU (44:26)
• How to make a lightweight boot out of heavy materials (49:40)
• “PA” — Polyamide (53:58)
• How to verify which plastics your boot is made of (1:00:24)

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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 & packs (6:37)
• Mystery Ranch Skyline 23 Pack (9:11)
• Sunski Sunglasses (10:40)
• Patagonia Storm Racer Shell (12:35)
• Rab Mythic Ultra sleeping bags (14:34)
• New Gore-Tex Paclite Plus (17:53)
• Black Diamond Z4 Cams (20:02)
• Saola Shoes (23:05)
• Notable trends (26:16)
• Products we wanted to steal (29:34)
• Weirdest / most alarming booths (30:55)

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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:

• Review: Hard Seltzers (2:30)
• Salomon S/Max 120 W (6:20)
• K2 Mindbender 99Ti (9:45)
• Tecnica Plasma S Hiking Shoe (16:47)
• Nordica Promachine 120 (21:34)
• Fjallraven Keb Eco-Shell Jacket (27:39)
• Maui Jim North Star Sunglasses (29:10)
• ON3P Woodsman 108 (31:40)
• Smashburger’s Black Bean Burger (34:47)
• Larabar flavors (37:33)
• Dirtbag Chic (39:17)

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GPS communication devices can be the difference between life and death in remote places. So we talk with Bivy’s Pitt Grewe about the different types of technology and devices on the market; how these devices can affect decision making; satellite networks; complicated payment plans; and … Pitt’s impressive skills as a DJ.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Pitt’s background in the outdoor industry (1:21)
• Bar Mitzvahs and the Humpty Dance? (5:32)
• The differences between GPS devices (10:13)
• When should you bring a GPS device? (13:53)
• Providing peace of mind for friends & family (21:28)
• Garmin vs. Spot vs. Bivystick: the state of the market (25:44)
• After you push the SOS button, what happens next? (31:26)
• (Confusing) payment plans of various GPS devices (37:50)

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Last Saturday, Sam Shaheen skied three different lines in one day on the Colorado 14er, Torrey’s Peak. Jonathan Ellsworth sits down with Sam to discuss the details of this “Torrey’s Peak Triple Crown”; the ‘D-Scale’ of rating ski descents; the gear, apparel, and food he used on the mountain; and the safety and decision-making process throughout the day.

We’ve also included a complete list of the gear, apparel, and food that Sam used on the day in the the shownotes to this episode.  

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Torrey’s Peak Triple Crown (1:03)
• What is the D-scale? (3:45)
• What did Sam pick for skis? (14:04)
• Bindings (18:00)
• Skins (19:40)
• Poles (20:53)
• Pack (21:20)
• Apparel (22:39)
• Food (27:04)
• Avalanche forecasts vs. decision making in the field (33:10)

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Jonathan Ellsworth talks about testing the ON3P Woodsman 108 and Black Crows Navis while heli skiing with Eleven Experience in Iceland, and Sam Shaheen and Luke Koppa talk about their time on the Volkl Mantra 102 & Revolt 121, Faction Candide 5.0, and more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Heli Skiing at Deplar Farm, Iceland (1:15)
• ON3P Woodsman 108 (5:00)
• Volkl Mantra 102 (13:25)
• Volkl Revolt 121 (17:05)
• Faction Candide 5.0 (20:51)
• HEAD Raptor 140 RS (24:12)
• Fischer Ranger 99 (25:49)
• Salomon QST 99 (27:16)
• Icelantic Nomad 105 (31:08)
• Black Crows Navis (33:02)
• Liberty Origin 106 (36:45)

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Supercapacitors, Venturi valves, and scary-high currents — this week we discuss airbag design and technology with Black Diamond’s Director of Design Engineering.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Pete’s Background at BD (1:10)
• Why is BD using 3 different airbag technologies in 19/20? (2:55)
• Supercapacitors, pt. 1 (7:30)
• Jetforce technology and design (11:03)
• Airbag standards testing (16:04)
• Alpride E1 — Supercapacitors pt. 2 (18:54)
• Alpride canister systems (27:19)
• Pete’s airbag pack of choice (35:45)

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This week we talk to Patagonia’s senior material developer, Pasha Whitmire, about how Patagonia designs, develops, and tests their technical fabrics; myths surrounding waterproof / breathable materials; why the future of fabric development lies in sustainability; the advantages and disadvantages of working with big names like Gore-Tex; and a whole lot more outerwear geekery.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• The “Killer Wash” and Patagonia’s other fabric tests (3:50)
• The relationship between fabric and garment (12:50)
• Waterproof laminates — 3L? 4L?? 5L?!?! (19:00)
• What comes first: concept or material? (22:43)
• Designing fabrics to be recycled (23:45)
• Gore-Tex — challenges and advantages of working with the fabric juggernaut (29:44)
• Biggest misconceptions about waterproof / breathable fabrics (34:52)
• Why the future of fabric tech is green (46:08)
• Other brands that Pasha is excited about (48:04)

Sam and Luke’s article on Outerwear Care

Outerwear 101

Outerwear 201

Information on Breathability Testing

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We talk to ON3P founder, Scott Andrus, about the 19/20 ON3P lineup, building skis for Michael Jordan & Tinker Hatfield, and we break quite a bit of news along the way.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• ON3P’s 10-yr anniversary & the ON3P name (2:41)
• Building custom ON3Ps for Michael Jordan & Tinker Hatfield (5:22)
• Wrenegade Lineup (12:00)
• Metal Wrenegades (13:18)
• Metal Jeffrey & Woodsman?? (18:30)
• ON3P Touring Skis (19:22)
• How Scott’s trying to help people understand skis specs better (21:04)
• Jeffery and Jessie Lineups (23:30)
• Mount Points, Part 1 (26:24)
• Woodsman Lineup (29:21)
• Mount Points, Part 2 (31:55)
• Sidecut Radius: why it does — and doesn’t — matter (36:08)
• ON3P custom skis (40:35)
• Scott’s Random Review selection for us (43:02)

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