I only encountered a few on-snow days when Stio’s Environ ski pants didn’t excel at my local ski resort. And that’s only because I prefer ski bibs when I’m slashing (and occasionally tomahawking) ...

My home mountain range outside of Vail, Colo., is notorious for challenging tree skiing due to pokey or fallen beetle-kill pines. I’m used to my ski outerwear torn and tattered by scraggly branches.

With lifts finally open and runs groomed, it’s time to pick the best ski pants for your wintertime adventures. But finding awesome technical ski gear can be challenging and expensive, especially in ...