Originally Posted by cyccommute

As for your route, are you planning on a road tour or a mountain bike tour? Which one should definitely influence how you carry your stuff and how you outfit your bike. For example, a mountain bike tour would include knobbier (but slower) tires and you'd want to carry your gear higher to avoid hitting objects on rougher roads. That does have an effect on the handling of the bike, however. One other thing to consider when mountain bike touring, you aren't going to be making runs up too many single tracks through the woods. Dirt roads, yes but not single track. At least not unless you want to be horribly frustrated. Single track on a loaded mountain bike is not fun.

But your route sounds more like a road tour and I would suggest you approach it as such. Run smooth tires and go for a lower center of gravity on the larger part of your load, i.e. use panniers and lowriders. The bike will handle better and you won't be fighting it as much.