2011 Editors' Choice Snow Award: Beyond RoughRider/Steel

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