Wouldn't bother with a suspension fork unless you are riding on terrain that requires a suspension fork, such as rough singletrack. In that case, I'd go with a bikepacker setup (frame bag, handlebar bag, maybe rear rack). Otherwise, a rigid fork on a hardtail with high volume tires works great. A suspension fork is heavy unless you spend serious bucks, and won't do much for smoothing out the ride compared to better tires. Here is my offroad setup, which is well balanced and provides all-day comfort: