"Complete newbie here again...I want to buy a touring bike for FULLY loaded touring, but it would be a huge hassle to get to a bike shop to get "fitted" for a bike. Anyone have any suggestions? I found this bike fit calculators online. Are these calculators accurate (i.e. can I know what specs will work for me just by punching in my dimensions?)"

There are a few things you can do yourself to find a good fit for a touring bike. Number should be frame size. See what is comfortable to straddle and what is a comfortable position for your hands and arms (you don't want to be stretched out like a road bike). You should also put your heel on the pedal and straighten out your leg, and get a seat height. Ideally, your seat shouldn't be too much higher than the handlebars for a touring bike. Another thing that's important is chainstay length. I have big feet (size 13-14) and my trek 520 has chainstays long enough to avoid having my heel hit my panniers.

if you need some good information, http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm will be helpful too (some terms might be confusing but sheldonbrown.com glossary will be very helpful too!)