I tour on old junk that needs no defense... it says Suntour VX and is some of the best friction kt ever made. Some might prefer the slightly lighter Cyclone touring derailleurs but the earlier VX is only a few grams heavier and is more robust.

Aside from indexing (which I don't need) derailleurs have not changed much in the last 35 - 40 years and Suntour pretty much perfected things even before then as far as function went and then went and made things even better as they refined their models.

We have lots of customers who order up custom made frames who still prefer simple friction bar end shifters... it is not like you can't see the hill coming when you are touring, you are not racing, and knowing your kit will stand up and be easy to adjust and service on the road gives one peace of mind.