Originally Posted by tehz
I can't afford this ****ing thing, but after looking at it, I'm unsatisfied with all the other touring bikes I have seen! Help! Why are there no budget touring bikes that are really built like a touring bike?
I think the rest of your post answered this question.
You plan to spend lots of time on the bike, and you're picky about what you want.
Although it seems like bike touring might be picking up a little steam, the vast majority of cyclists are not tourers. And those that are, have very valid reasons to be very selective about their bike's configuration and setup.
You may want to check out Bike Friday, which does a ton of custom travel and touring bikes. Chances are you can get a bike kitted out exactly the way you want it, with the geometry you want,
and have it pack into a suitcase for a similar cost as the whole LHT thing....