[simple_legate]

This is just about my first post here, so please go easy on me.

I am trying to work out the best lightest travel scope for me. I currently have a couple of 114 x 900mm reflectors and a couple of 60 x 700 mm refractors that I tinker with (My beloved and infinitely patient wife realised the other day that I am almost happier tinkering with them than I am observing through them.)

I usually take one of the 60mm refractors with me when I travel on the ground, but I have found that they are just that much too big and I am looking for lighter and smaller scopes. As a family we do a lot of travel and when we are travelling we go very light weight - we spent six weeks in Italy with just our carry on luggage.

I would like to take a scope with me that is better suited to my footprint and yet still gives some decent views. I struggle to use binoculars because I generally can't find a pair that have the right pupillary distance for my rather close set eyes. I am currently thinking about these options: Finding an old relephoto lense and attaching a star diagonal, buying a table top reflector and converting it to a truss model that can be packed away, buying a small mirror and making a mirror box style travelscope or saving for something like a Borg mini scope kit and adapters for a star diagonal.

Ideally, I want to be able to look at Messier type objects if it's possible, and I like sketching out what I can see. I happen also to like tinkering so something with an upgrade path also works. The only thing I don't have is lots of cash up front, so I either need to be upgrading over time or saving up. With all that said, I am open to other ideas that anyone might have.

Thanks,

Matthew