Hi Paul and welcome mate , my choice would be the Celestron 8 inch because by the sounds of it you will be travelling to dark sky sites and there is NO
I repeat NO ! substitute for aperture and the Evo's get very good reports , so go the 8 inch .
If you go the smaller scopes you will always be thinking in the back of your mind ,,,,, I wonder what this or that would have looked like in the larger scope , trust me no 2.4 inch or 5 inch will come close to 8 inches , ever ! . I know as I have been there .
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Brian.