I don't think the sloping tube is a big deal either way. If you have a short leg to body ratio, a sloping tube and lower real stand over is better for you. If you want to fit a suspension seat post you need quite a bit of seat post extension room. We are used to seeing sloping tubes on MTBS where the idea was less pain if you fall and more seat adjustement for extreme downhill, which isn't an issue with most touring bikes, unless they are also MTBs. I find the height of goods on my rear rack affects getting onto the bike more that the frame config. Structurally it is sounder to have less extension if all else is equal. These days we certainly have the posts to take anything we dish out, if that is where we want to go with it.