I'm more of a 50/50 loader...

Tent,pad,stove,sleeping bag and cooking stuff... all up front. Everything else in back. Small items I use while riding go in my bar bag. The reason I answered the way I did is... you will find what works best for you. The only real good answer is to keep you load low like you already mentioned. Have fun adjust as you go. All my stuff goes in the same way every single tour. This way I'm not searching for stuff I need.

kyakdiver