FWIW I bought my cross check as Frame,Fork, Headset, Crank and Brakes for $250. I built it up exactly how i wanted it for a little under $500.

Hard to beat that price for an awesome bike

The frame is wicked comfortable, can fit HUGE knobby tires, has a bit of bottom bracket lift for better clearance and cantilevers work great.

Sheldon Brown prefers canti's for touring due to their ability to adjust mechanical advantage to compensate for increased weight.
they work just fine in wet conditions.
I know a guy who has been touring around the country for a year on his LHT and he is not a big fan of disc brakes due to the fact that once the disc gets bent you really don't have any options in terms of road-side repairs to get it home.

I did LOVE the Salsa Casseroll.