mostly i prefer boardshorts, like these:
monkeybuttsi also like drawstring athletic shorts. i like my shorts short enough so that i get a good amount of sun on my legs, but long enough that when i bend over nothing is showing and if i am climbing or crawling, they can't be looked up too far.
my general rule is longer shorts for public consumption/large amounts of bending activities and shorter shorts for less active things. if my creepy neighbor comes out to leer over the railing of his deck, (yes, he actually does this. openly too.) i go inside and throw pants on, just to spite him.