Originally Posted by
halfspeed
It's not about the material. Cannondale touring bikes are built as touring bikes. They're made to handle the load, are geared appropriately, and have the proper mounts for racks and fenders. OP's KHS has none of those things. Neither relying on p-clamps to hold racks nor touring with a backpack are optimal solutions. It can certainly be done, but there are significant drawbacks.
Yes, the aluminum Cannondale wasn't a good example, because the Cannondale Touring bike is designed for touring and the OP's bike isn't. But it is entirely possible, and perhaps even likely, that the OP's bike will ride very well with the combined weight of the OP and his gear, and he may be very comfortable on it. In addition, the bike already has a triple and can accept a wide range of cassettes, including mtb cassettes. As far as attaching racks, there are lots of solutions nowdays, from P clamps to more elegant solutions available at places like The Touring Store. If he wants to carry weight up front, however, he might want to throw on a cheap, steel touring fork for the trip rather than use the KHS carbon fork.
While I am picky on my racing equipment, I still harken back to a generation that used to tour on practically anything and have a great time, and my bias is to encourage people to take what they have, set it up and go forth on a tour, barring the bike is not a modern, lightweight racing machine that would clearly be overmatched carrying a load. A test run before the actual tour is always advised. JMO.