Originally Posted by
fietsbob
Weight balanced side to side on the front, the rear can be less equal side to side
dense heavy in the front .. bulky but less dense on the rear .. tent, sleeping bag pad, clothes .
Another second. Get the Jandd "low rider" rack. (They are considerably more sturdy than the Blackburns.) The small front Ortliebs are excellent. Handlebar bags, if you must have them should be no more than a map and energy bar holder. That is the single worst place to place weight on a bike. (The low riders are the best.)
I used to start loading my bike for a tour putting canned goods and the like in the front panniers. Then food, stove, bottles. All fabric items except perhaps my most likely to be used jackets went in back. Those jackets or whatever were used to silence the front bags until I needed to wear them and they were easy to reach just stopping. (I still do this every week grocery shopping. Farmer's market, the greens go in back.)
Consider putting a third WB cage under the downtube. You won't be able to get it riding, but it simplifies enough water for hot days and makes a great place to store fuel bottles. You can't ask for a better place to hang weight. (Warning, you might not want to take it off when you get home; it is so useful! Every custom I have made gets a set of bosses there.)
Ben