No, no, no. 26" wheels are ideal for touring. I'm not saying 'stick with 26" wheels', because it's your preference. But don't listen to people who say that you shouldn't/can't use either size.

For racing, 700c is the clear choice. But for any other purpose where 10 seconds per mile doesn't matter, 26" wheels are fine. In fact, for rough duty, 26" is better than 'fine'. They're ideal.

-- Mark