All you have to do is whack a 24T chainring on the crankset, and with that combination you should be right. If you already ride most of your miles/km in the middle chainring and are comfortable with it, then the small chainring is all you have to worry about. By the way, you don't say how much load you are carrying, which also might influence your decision.

I used to run 22-32-44 up front, and 32-11 on the rear of my old Fuji Touring bike. It got me just about everywhere on tours and randonnees, and commuting. When I built up my Thorn touring, I went with a 26-36-48 crankset, but remained with the 32-11. It has been fine, although at times I have thought the 22 granny might be a better bet. Or a 34 big cog on the rear.

Chainrings really are pretty cheap if you order from one of the UK suppliers. I think the smaller ones are under $20. However, and here is the big warning: Make sure the ring(s) you buy are compatible with your crankset. 9sp or 10sp or 11sp? Double or triple... or single? 104mm BCD, or 104BCD but with the bolt holes not equidistance apart? Thick/thin or plain? Steel or aluminium? XT, Deore, XTR, SLX or...?

I've just been through the process of ordering replacement parts for our randonnee bikes, and Machka's Marinoni. Trust me (a) you have to double check everything to ensure that you getting what you need if you have older Shimano parts and (b) 9sp is starting to become more difficult to source if you want original Shimano parts (even new 9sp, triple Ultegra shifters have become like hen's teeth). Not sure about SRAM.