I've also used pretty much all varieties of shifters on my various bikes, except I've never had a grip shifter. I shift the same amount on all bikes. I shift depending on riding conditions and don't hesitate just because I have to move my hands.

I like bar-ends just fine and have them on my tourer. However, I put brifters on my "fast" bike, and I have to say I've grown to love them. If I were building a tourer today I think I'd lean towards brifters. I'd have to deal with clearance for my handlebar bag, but noodles seem to work fine. They say brifters aren't as sturdy and are useless if they malfunction. How likely are they to malfunction in the first place? If it's a miniscule chance, I'm willing to live with it. I don't carry a spare tire, because the chances of my pretty-new tires tearing are so low.

To sum up, all of the shifting configurations I've used have been fine and I'd be willing to head off on tour with any of them.