Originally Posted by
Spld cyclist
What gear setup do you currently use for biking in the mountains? That would go a long way toward answering your questions. If you're a really strong rider that doesn't need the range of a triple in that sort of terrain, then you may not need ultra low gearing when you add 15 pounds of gear for a supported tour.
A mountain double 42/28 with a 10 speed 11/36 cassette will get you an excellent touring range.
Combos like 42/26 and 11/34 can be done if you want 9 speed.
The size of MTB cassettes really means that you don't need a triple anymore and I can see them falling in popularity.