I've always been a proponent of binocular astronomy. I remember my first pair of binoculars that my Dad bought me as a present for my seventh birthday, an old pair of 12x50s from the military disposals shop. It got me hooked into the hobby. Over the years I have obtained a number of pairs, ranging from the incredibly trashy to the marginally sharp. All of them needed tripod mounting to work well and while I duly provided them with that, I always wanted something light enough to take with me on hiking trips and overseas, something that didn't require a tripod and would be a good all-purpose performer.