Originally Posted by Trevtassie

I have cooked my discs touring, never cooked rims. You need to watch out for steep sections where you need to brake constantly because you can't let speed build up because of the road surface or some other reason. Discs like to be pulsed, dump a heap of heat in quickly, then let it radiate/convect out quickly. Constant energy input will eventually see them fade if the hill is steep or long enough and you are heavily loaded. . Either brake type; use wind resistance to you advantage if you can, sit up before the corner and turn yourself into a parachute then do the braking you need to in a short burst, allowing time for the heat to dissipate before the next corner.
Unfortunately it may reach a stage where it's hard to spec a tourer with rim brakes, as good quality rims with brake tracks are becoming less common.

Originally Posted by DIY masochist

Totally agree. Disc brakes do have to be dialed in a lot more accurately than rim brakes, but once you understand how to properly center them and move the pads in, it's way less work. I have adjusted so many crappy rim brakes that are impossible to get centered and the pads never seem to spring back to a state where they're both the same distance from the rim. I have Avid BB7s as well, and they're a dream to adjust in comparison. I do have some squealing right now that I can't quite get rid of, but whatever. They perform way better than any rim brakes I have ever had, especially in the rain. The only way I'd go back is if I picked up a super light or vintage road bike.

That said, I have some disc brakes on my (2011?) Cannondale mountain bike that are a huge pain to adjust (Promax.) It depends what you get.