Hi,
my beater is an ancient touring bike with a green B17 and bar ends.
Bar ends are great.
You will want cantilever brakes. Avoid Avid, if you can't find an old Mtb bike you can scavenge, the new Shimano cantis are nice. Get good pads and you will have no problem stopping. I think cyclocross style brake levers, in addition to the usual ones, really help in traffic. Especially at the end of a long day.
There are many ways to gear a bike. I have a 7 speed setup, and a Shimano 9 speed. The thing you want to have is a really low low gear. After that, it's as much personal preference as it is anything else. Camp is very expensive these days, truthfully, it's a Mercedes level style statement on a Hyundai.
Start bar shopping. Grab onto a few at a shop, ask what they are. I have a Rithey Biomax, cost me $60, and I love it.
I use Rivendell Ruffy Tuffy tires, 27c. Great tire.
Because of the size of your bike, you may need a rack that allows you to slide your rear panniers back further than normal. That will cut your rack choices down a lot. I have used Jandd, good stuff, check the sale section of their website.
There are handlebar pads, Specialized Bar Phat, Nashbar has one for only $10, and Azonic has one. I like them.