2011 Editors' Choice Snow Award: Beyond RoughRider/Steel
Custom-made pants that fit every body type.
People’s lower halves are notoriously tricky to clothe—especially those of us with long (or short) legs, powerful quads, or ample cushions. Enter Beyond’s made-to-order trousers. Just plug in your specs and choose your features (extras like built-in gaiters cost an additional $15 to $30 per item).
After wearing the RoughRider on ski tours in the Rockies and Iceland, plus a series of extreme bushwhacks in Colorado’s Gore Range, our 36-inch-inseam editor-in-chief praised its durability, breathability, and comfort. “The pants provided wind protection and warmth in dead-of-winter blustery conditions, and with a layer underneath, I stayed warm below zero with 20-mph winds,” he says. The abrasion-resistant Schoeller Dynamic fabric and reinforced ankle cuffs stand up to crampons and ski edges, and the four-way stretch lets free-heelers sink into deep telemark turns.
The broad waistband is comfortable and secure beneath a pack. But the style is better for guys than gals: Although our female tester (who wore the women’s Steel, $159) enjoyed the precision fit, she deemed the pants unflattering due to a clunky waistband and bulging hip pockets.
$179
1 lb. 3 oz. (m’s 36”/36”)
beyondclothing.com