That guy in the NC mtns with a lot of bikes is a pretty good place to look for a touring bike in your size esp. since you don't know quite what you're looking for. The features Thrifty Bill talks about in post no. 6 is pretty much what you are looking for (triple crank, cantilever brakes, etc.) Here's the problem, touring bikes don't pop often and it has to be in your size or it's no good to you. You're best bet may be to find a vintage mtb (one with a rigid fork). Those can make darn good touring bikes with a bit of tweaking and they can be found (unlike vintage touring bikes) at a reasonable price (again unlike vintage touring bikes which tend to command a premium). Personally if I were looking for a touring bike in your area, I'd talk to that guy in the NC mtns with the vintage touring bikes.