i hear you on this one.
and i've been playing around with a variety of touring combos, its an infinite function, no doubt
so in august, i rode Astoria to Ventura, Ca
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=566271
i used a set of Schwalbe marathon cross 700x38c
in Arcata I did 12hrs of Humboldt
12 laps, 92 miles, over 16,000ft of climbing
placed 3rd.
all i did was reduce the psi
i forget what it was, all i wanted was some tire cushion, but not so much that i'd pinch flat, so i played it on the safe side, i could have gone softer, i'm sure.
the bike i rode for this trip is a custom Hunter 29er, with a set of MAVIC SpeedCity wheels.
the bags i used are from Jeff Boatman at Carousel Design Works.
the whole setup, under 50lbs, no doubt.