Which scope to pack

[tshoff]

Hi,

I've been tossing around which spotting scope to pack on my up-coming high country mule deer hunt. The options are:
At a total of 2.7 pounds, my Nikon Spotter XL scope with lightweight Bushnell tripod OR
At a total of 6.37 pounds, my Vortex Razor scope with SLIK tripod.

I generally pack in about six miles and a few thousand feet in elevation gain for a few days at a time.

I've heard it said, that when it comes to optics weight doesn't matter. But I can say, weight still matters.

Even though the Nikon is not as bright, and has a slightly lower magnification than the Vortex, it's still not bad glass and offers a quality look. So at a difference of 3.67 pounds, is the extra weight worth it when packing your entire camp and gear on your back? I'm interested to see opinions.

Thanks.

 

[bonepicker]

If you are only doing a 6 mile pack, I would definitely take the Razor. You laid out the money for the better optics, definitely use them, 4 pounds will not break you on the pack but it may make the difference in your hunt. That high country hunting can be alot of time behind a spotter (depending on where you are) I would take the best that you have. It could be the difference maker between an average buck and a great buck. Good luck!