Originally Posted by
thumpism
If you think you might be pushing on some climbs, practice around home before you go. Sounds silly but weight and its distribution on the bike can make a huge difference in how hard it is to keep everything upright and under control while you're slogging away to get it up a hill. You might decide that front panniers work better than rear, or that you need much less weight.
Yes, everyone has to decide how much they take, and how many panniers or bags they need.
For me, I always travel with 4 panniers, and easily detachable handlebar bag containing my valuables so i can take it with me
rather than leave that type of stuff with my bike, and anything like tents, ground sheets, etc secured on the top of my rear rack.
Having all 4 panniers allows me to distribute everything evenly even if the panniers are only half full. Having too much weight on
the back can be a problem in handling and when grinding uphill. One of the thrills of touring for me after struggling up a big mountain
is getting to 'let it all hang out' and go as fast as I can down the other side...having a evenly balanced load is critical when doing that.