Whoops, I guess it wasn't a centimeter difference but 1/10 cm So I was wrong but I was right.

LeeG, I don't mean to be busting on your statement but the dogma of a lower bottom bracket being an end-all in a touring bike's stability is, in my opinion, way over played here. A 1 mm difference or a 1 cm difference or even greater is not going to be nearly as noticeable as how high you place your load on the bike and several other far more important factors. With that being said, I think many cyclocross bikes would work quite well for the OP's adventure.