[ss-22 (Martin)]

Hi guys,
I work in a pretty remote area in WA (Pilbara region) and am blessed with some very clear skies for the majority of winter. I've been visually observing the stars for several years and have reached a stage where I'd like to start observing them through a telescope.
Ordinarily I'd take the advice from countless experts and just get the 6-8" dob and be done with it. However this advice seems to be catered to ameteurs observing around their house and so the dob could be wheeled out of the garage on castors or something similar.
I on the other hand have to get a telescope to the mine site in my checked luggage, and in order to make decent observations would likely have to put the telescope in a work ute and drive it down the road so I was away from the horrible Na floodlights they use around the mine camp. Our rooms on site aren't exactly luxuriously sized so storage space is at a premium. A compact unit is a must.
The most logical solution seems to be a Cassegrain telescope or derivative (Mak-Cass etc). What kind of aperture/focal length am I going to need to be able to discern some of the larger nebula and a decent amount of planetary detail?
Any suggestions or comments are greatly appreciated. Thanks.