I took my D7000, Nikkor 28-300mm and Gitzo carbon tripod with me on the most of the C&O, the GAP, Cheif, and some of the silver comet.

The weight really doesn't slow you down nearly as much as stopping, setting up working on exposures......

At this point you don't plan on taking the tripod, that is fine. Do look into using the timer on the camera. Do think about packing clothing so you can use it to put the camera on. Do consider changing out lenses. That 50mm is very limiting. I love my 28-300mm lens. It is my walking around lens. It allows me to take photos of snakes from a save distance and setup for pans. But if you don't want to drop that much money my 17-70 Sigma would be next on the list for touring.

One more note, IMHO, quick detach connector on a tripod is not an option, it is an essential.