Of course, the question remains... how many touring cyclists actually end up with problems in their hubs, whether c&c or cartridge, compared with, say, rim and spoke problems? I would venture to say they are few and far between, and generally would have to do with inappropriate adjustment or human error on rebuilding or repacking, rather than durability problems in the hub design itself.

I suppose another factor is that you will be considering the types of environments you are likely to be riding in and take appropriate measures to impede the entry of water or sand... even to acquiring hubs with higher levels of seals.