what is the best bike built for mountain touring
 

I.m looking for a dependable mountain bike that i can put panniers on. Most bikes are not made to carry loads

Would you need a rigid fork, so you could use front panniers in addition to rear? Or would a suspension fork be acceptable?

I think i would need a hardtail in back and suspenion in front but i might need panniers in front also

Specialized rockhoppers and stumpjumbers are popular for rough trails. They seem to work well enough.

People like Bruce Gorden make 26" off-road touring bikes.

Front racks and a front suspension fork... that's going to be tricky.

If you could do without front shocks, a bike like my 1989 Schwinn Sierra Comp would be a good pick as far as frames go. Thick, bombproof 4130 chromoly steel, very long wheelbase, and it could take front and rear racks. If you consider a bike from that era, do make sure it has 135mm rear-axle spacing. Then you could have a decent set of wheels built for it (DeoreLX + RhynoLite + DT 14ga perhaps) and pick up whatever other parts are called for. Just an idea. :)

Another option is lose the panniers and get a single wheel trailer like the B.O.B.. The price is not too steep, I got mine new on Ebay for about $200, and you can use any bike you want, even a FS. And they tow pretty good.

There is a company that specializes in pannier racks for suspension bike. I can't remember the name, but they have an ad in the back of BIKE magazine. I'll look tonight unless someone else has an issue handy!

L8R

Load Llama racks work with suspension, but seem overly complex.
also Carradice took over the Limpet system which is suspension-compatable.