I agree with the posters who've had good things to say about the VO touring hub. It's dead simple to take off the freehub if you pop a spoke. No need for a hypercracker. Also easy to lube and clean the pawls if they get contaminated.
I personally wouldn't use Shimano hubs but I get the appeal. They do last a long time and they're cheap, but once the freehub fails it's a toss up whether a bike shop will have the right one in stock. The axles do break too. And servicing them requires cone wrenches, which I wouldn't want to lug around on a tour.
My wife's rear Shimano hub started making scary noises in the middle of our 5-month Euro tour. We stopped by a couple of bike shops in Geneva. No one would service the hub. Instead we bought a new wheel. I was miffed but the wheel was cheap (another Shimano hub) and it lasted the rest of the trip.
Last edited by niknak; 04-06-18 at 09:57 PM.