I agree with Vikram. Stay away from the zooms. Anything above 8x will need some support to keep it steady, especially after a long hike with the camera, lens etc. The longer the focal length, the more is the vibration. The max one can go is upto 10x. But beyond that becomes tough to handle interms of locating the subject as well as steadiness.

The only Nikon I wont be averse to using - apart from my Nikon photo vest - will be a Nikon bino. The Nikon binoculars are sturdy and value for money.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi
PS: Its a different matter that I had got the Nikon photo vest for free.