I'm working on my touring conversion (1987 mtb as the subject) and trying to figure out the best gearing set up. I'm 45 and fairly strong but have never ridden a loaded bike.

The bike has an original 14-28 5 spd freewheel that I'll eventually update to 6 or 7 spd. The original crankset is was a 48-42-28. I was originally going to go with a 48-36-26. Using rings that I have on hand (i.e. low budget build) I changed my mind and set it up tonight with a 42-36-26. Based on gear inches from Sheldon's site the high is 78 and the low is 24. Does this seem appropriate for light to moderate weight touring? I don't have a lot of experience with gearing for that type of riding and I'm sure much is dependent on the route and weight of the bike/gear/rider and rider strength.

I'll have photos in the next couple of weeks as I'm waiting for some final parts to finish the conversion/build.