I never tried Tamron, I know a few people that had some and they weren't impressed but each their own. I have sigma 18-200 (my work horse) and my first lens + 10-24mm (or something like that) like them both very much. I have an other sigma I think it's a 18-300 macro-tele combo. I'm not thrilled with that one, it's ok in high sun but that's about it. If I can sneak in with my Nikor 40mm, I'll go with that any day. The rest of my lenses are Nikkor and I really like them, so crisp and vivid.

Haha "deep into the wild". Different camping then in Canada then. Some of our camping is deep into the wild with nothing more than a cheap camp site and what you bring. No phone, internet or signal for 30km all around!! They are not all like that. hehe

Yeah for sure bigger lens. I will be bringing my 18-200 and my 300. I got a phone call this afternoon, IT IS A GO!!! Whoaaaaa. lol. Can't use flash but the ring is well lit. Harder because once the boxers get sweaty, they look like big white glow in the dark blobs with iphone fully zoomed in. I don't like violence and never thought I would like to watch ppl punch each other in the face repeatedly but I have a coworker that had his pro-debut last weekend and we went to support him and it was so much fun. It's actually an elegant sport to be there, they have so much grace even outside the ring. The next match is almost on my birthday so we are getting ring side table seats with other co-workers anyway(that's what I asked @silvergingerman for my birthday gift & outing). Nice that I will get to bring my camera at least for this event. I can also get pretty close when they come out to get in and off the ring, get some hugz and handshakes & fist bumps from the boxers...so special.