Blister Gear has been making a name for themselves over the years as one of the most thorough gear reviewers in the industry, and after seeing their recent Ski/Snowboard Outerwear Mega Roundup we can't help but be in awe of just how much time + effort they put into testing and writing about gear. 

And alongside our appreciation for their commitment to unbiased, detailed gear reviews, we are STOKED to see that they have been taking out some of our TREW threads form this year and....they've been digging it all! It's always so much fun to see how our gear holds up against all of the other phenomenal products out there.

Photo courtesy of Blister Review. Stella Jacket/W Capow Bib.

Blister's Ski/Snowboard Outerwear Mega Roundup

Men's

Over the past couple of seasons, the guys over at Blister have been taking out our signature 3L options and putting them through their paces all across the Rockies. Both the Capow kit and the Cosmic Jacket + TREWth Bib have been put to the test, and have come out with a cumulation of great feedback and positive experiences all around.

They were also able to get their hands on some of our newer 2L products at the beginning of this season, and have included the Popover Jacket in their roundup as well.

The Capow Jacket + the Capow Bib

"We’ve already posted a full review of the Capow Kit, but I want to again include it here since it’s one that I think could work for a lot of people.

This is primarily cause of the Capow’s Dermizax EV fabric, which is a bit more breathable than average, fully waterproof in our experience, and still quite burly overall. While the Capow’s fabric is fairly thick (particularly in the bib) and has held up well over two seasons, it’s also super stretchy, supple, and comfortable.

Combined with the Capow’s generous and useful feature set, that makes it an excellent option if you’ll be using it for both lift-accessed and human-powered skiing.

The deciding factor for some people might be the Capow’s fit — it’s on the slimmer side of the spectrum. I have no problem fitting a midlayer like the Patagonia Nano-Air or Micro Puff underneath and don’t feel restricted by the fit, but if you prefer a more relaxed, roomy fit through the torso and thighs, I’d check out the Patagonia SnowDrifter kit or Trew’s other offerings.

Overall though, if you want a super comfy shell that can handle heavy precipitation and abrasion at the resort as well as time spent skinning and hiking uphill, the Capow Kit warrants a close look — particularly if you prefer a slightly slimmer overall fit. If you want a roomier fit and don’t mind a more traditional hardshell feel, see the Trew Cosmic Jacket."

The Cosmic Jacket + the TREWth Bib 

"I skied a lot in the Trewth Bib and have now been using the Cosmic Jacket for most of this season, and I’m a fan of both — particularly because of their versatility and price-to-performance ratios.

Both of them use Trew’s 3L “PNW” laminate, which is reportedly rated at 20K/20K and has fended off plenty of wet and dry snow, and breathes as well as most non-air-permeable, high-end shells. The fabric is also pretty burly; this definitely is not a kit where I’m frequently worrying about brushing up against trees and rocks. It is a more traditional hardshell construction with a fairly crinkly feel, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Both pieces have a ton of pockets and large vents, though I do wish the Cosmic Jacket had an internal zippered chest pocket (it has two drop-in internal pockets).

Fortunately, the Trewth Bib has several chest pockets on its bib, so they work well together.

The Trewth Bib is a more traditonal full bib, with waterproof fabric extending all the way up the front and back. That means plenty of coverage, but also poorer breathability than bibs that are shorter or use a softshell material up top.

The fit of both the Cosmic Jacket and Trewth Bib is what I’d call roughly “average” — they’re neither super baggy, nor super slim (and notably roomier than the Trew Capow Kit). It’s a fit that I think many people could like, and the big thing to note with the Trewth Bib is that Trew now offers it in “short,” “regular,” and “tall” lengths, which is awesome for people who have trouble finding bibs that fit with the more traditional sizing scheme.

In sum, the Cosmic Jacket and Trewth Bib’s solid overall performance, versatile fabric, middle-of-the-road fit (plus length options), and generous feature set make them easy to recommend to a wide range of people. Plus, for how much you get, they come in at a pretty great price when compared to similar alternatives from other brands."

The Popover Jacket

"Trew’s new unisex Popover (sizes are based on men’s) gets you a very nice, rugged 2-layer fabric at a very reasonable price.

The 2L 20K/15K fabric on the Popover has easily shed both rain and snow so far, and it breathes just fine for resort skiing / riding. It is a bit warmer than most of the 3L pieces here, which is a plus on frigid days but that, combined with the Popover’s hefty weight, makes it notably less ideal for lots of human-powered turns.

However, I love how burly the fabric is for resort riding. The face fabric feels like a heavy canvas, and I have high hopes for how long it will last in the long run. It’s also got pretty big pit zips for the occasional boot pack, as well as plenty of pockets (in contrast to the other Anorak here, the Houdini Shelter).

The Popover’s half-zip closure and side zipper make it very easy to get on and off (in my experience), but you still get that classic anorak style. In terms of fit, similar to the Trew Cosmic, the Popover feels pretty middle of the road. Plenty of room for midlayers, but not excessively baggy.

This wouldn’t be my top pick for those who hike or skin for their turns super often, but if you want solid water resistance, useful features, a burly fabric, and get all of that at a price that’s significantly lower than most 3L shells, the Popover is excellent."

See the full Men's Outerwear Mega Roundup here.

Women's

While Blister hasn't been able to get the Chariot Bib out fo testing yet due to inventory shortages on our end (more info on their thoughts coming soon....), their female testers have been rocking the Stella Jacket and W Capow Bib and we're happy to report that the durability, functionality, and features on both items have been received well by their team. 

The Stella Jacket 

"With 20K/20K waterproofing and breathability and a robust and durable material, the Stella is a functional, technical jacket that offers those features at a lower price than most. It’s also a material that feels potentially suitable for both resort and backcountry skiing.

The material of the Stella strikes a nice balance between being durable but also fairly flexible and soft, and it feels really comfortable when being worn over extended periods, while also being protective and robust enough to hold up against most conditions.

The perfect length and fit, a size Large was the right choice to accommodate my tall frame and provide nice coverage in the back, while also being plenty long in the sleeves and roomy enough for several layers beneath. The Stella jacket feels slightly slimmer than the Flylow Billie Coat and has a more tailored cut, which feels a bit more feminine and cute. A simple detail, but one that I find useful is the angled exterior pockets which are really easy to open and close. The sleeves are a great length, though a little tight with a unique cinch and velcro design, which I find a little difficult to pull over my thicker gloves, but flexible enough to easily fit over my lower-profile gloves.

The Stella Jacket is a very versatile shell that is both functional and flattering, as well as durable, yet relatively affordable. I have yet to test this jacket over an entire season, but so far, I have been pleasantly surprised with the Stella Jacket and find myself wanting to wear it on everything from a warm, sunny day to a storm day. The Stella is also a reasonable option for touring, given that it is around the middle of the pack from what we have tested in terms of weight and packability. With four exterior pockets, there is plenty of storage in the Stella, but I also find myself picking this jacket for quick uphill resort laps, since the interior mesh pockets are great for storing skins when I don’t want to carry a backpack."

W Capow Bib

"The Trew Capow Bib is a well-rounded, technical, and comfortable bib that I have found to work for a variety of applications. While it’s a bit heavier than the average bib I would choose for touring, a lot of the features make it a great option for uphill skinning, including several pockets, a zippered drop-seat design for backcountry bathroom stops, and overall durability, water resistance, and slightly above-average breathability. Trew built a transceiver-specific pocket into the Capow Bibs that has a D-Ring to affix your beacon to, which is a small, but highly practical detail for those who prefer to keep their beacon in their pants / bibs. The material of the Capow Bib feels both soft and durable. The reinforced SuperFabric cuff offers great protection for clumsy kick turns, and I appreciated that the shoulder straps were grippy and stayed in place on my shoulders over extended periods on the ascent.

Similar to the Trew Stella Jacket, the Capow Bib is built with a 3L fabric that is rated at 20K/20K for water resistance / breathability, and while I have yet to test it in really wet, Pacific Northwest-type conditions, I know our male reviewers were happy with the weather resistance of the men’s Capow kit.

I chose the Capow Bib in a size Large-Tall. Trew designs this bib in a short, regular, and tall inseam, which interestingly have the same inseam across all sizes for each length. I love when I find a brand that makes a tall inseam, so I felt inclined to try it. Overall, the Large-Tall fits me really well, though it is slightly on the baggier/ roomier side throughout the hips and waist. Lengthwise it is similar to the Large and Medium-Tall Foxy Bib, but a little roomier in the torso and hips, which is comfortable but feels a little less flattering. This makes it a great option for the really cold days when I am choosing my heaviest base layers, but it might be worth sizing down (e.g., from Large to Medium) if you want a slimmer fit. The Capow Bib is also incredibly comfortable, and offers really good fabric flexibility and mobility when compared with the Flylow Foxy Bib."

See the full Women's Outerwear Mega Roundup here.

Our final say

In all, we're pretty dang happy about this!

We aren't in the market (yet) of making super lightweight gear - and this holds true for our women's products as well. With our main focus being on longevity and protection from the elements (ahem, rain!) our gear will be heavier than many other options out there - especially when going head to head with other brands' touring-specific offerings - but if you want something to stand up to abuse and keep you dry no matter the conditions, we've got you!

But between you and me, we're hard at work work on expanding our lineup in the future to meet the desires and demands of more outdoor recreationalists. Looking at you, mountaineers and ultra-light backcountry travelers ;) 

Plus, while we would never call our gear 'cheap' by any means, it's pretty clear from these round-ups that our bang-for-your-buck factor is pretty great when seen alongside a long list of other options. We've always put a priority on keeping our gear as financially accessible as we can, and we will continue to do so as long as we can!