That depends on the specifics of the environment, trail, and your pants. Indeed, going "pantsless" for short periods can be less risky if your pants are alread

That depends on the specifics of the environment, trail, and your pants. Indeed, going "pantsless" for short periods can be less risky if your pants are already soaked-through, it's very humid, there's ice build-up, and there's little to no risk of skin abrasion from terrain traversal.