bokes

I'm planning on riding the Great Divide Offroad trail and i'm seesawing between bringing a hardtail (with suspended seatpost) or dual suspension.
According to the book written about the trail, dual suspension is the unofficial favorite rig of the route due to endless miles of washboard. But i've always favored strength and robustness for touring to avoid breakdowns.
If the linkage would break on a dual suspended mtb, ya ain't going anywhere. But if the softride seatpost beam breaks, we'll at least you can still ride standing up to the next town. So it seems like this type of bike might be a good compromise. I've had minor back surgery so a plush ride is definitely a priority.
I would probably use a bob trailer due to the smaller rear triangle, and have one built in steel instead of alu. Anyone have any opinions on this? Thanks in advance.