Try it out, and good luck with it! Lots of cyclists use the front load only. I drove across Oregon's Malheur country high desert just yesterday and met a touring cyclist with a front-only load and he was doing well with it. Be sure to try riding in a stiff crosswind--some notice a difference, some do not.

Try rear only, too. That's what I prefer but only because I like the way my bike handles that way, after trying it both ways. Plus the rear panniers I have are larger and sometimes I like to carry more food than would fit in my front packs with my load. I was also able to ditch the handlebar bag, which in my case had a lousy weight-to-payload ratio.