Should you need to answer nature’s call, zips on either side of the Patagonia Powslayer pants let you drop the rear fabric down. This prevents the need to fully remove your pants (and therefore your boots, too), and we don’t need to tell you what a massive hassle-saver that feature could be…

The shoulder straps can be fed through built-in loops should you wish to stash them while hiking, and several stash pockets give you plenty of places to stow your various bits and pieces. All of them use high-quality waterproof zippers that won’t fail you, even after excessive use.

“There’s a lot to be said for investing in the highest quality gear when you’ll be venturing far from the cosy cafes of the resort boundaries”

There’s also a RECCO reflector built into these pants – while no substitute for a proper avalanche transceiver, it’s an added bonus and could make the difference in a burial situation.

Like all Patagonia products, the asking price is towards the top end here. However, factor in the brand’s sterling reputation for making gear that lasts, by buying the Patagonia Powslayer snowboard pants you could be looking at a saving in the long run. Plus there’s a lot to be said for investing in the highest quality gear when you’ll be venturing far from the cosy cafes of the resort boundaries.