Thanks for your quick replies
Budget is not my biggest issue but always a concern. (i will hunt out the best deal after i know what i want)

I currently have a small fleet of bikes a few fixed gear and single speeds as this is where i started out and my passion still is. A 26" nishiki mtb with deore XT, a Planet X tt bike with sram rival, and a couple of 3 speed city bikes for everyday bad weather use.

I have all or have access to all tools needed.

I have sourced a couple of KHS cromo cyclocross frames to build on and and happy sourcing the rest of the parts to my preferences.
(Some advice on good wheels wouldn't hurt)

The question is what Shimano Mtb groupsets work best for touring and why? Deore SLX XT ? Is the cheaper Deore more durable? does the higher end XT give lighter shifting but lose out on overall lifespan? Is SLX a good middle ground? I'm Looking at carrying a lot of weight what handles the torq best?
Where would you spend your money?