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it's 22 gear inches, which obviously is spinney so considering going back to single chainring (40t).
Not worth it.
I have a low gear of 24.4 gear inches, and that was just about the bare min on a bikepacking rig.
22GI sound perfect especially with a heavier load, bear in mind that this gear inches actually on pair with the majority of modern touring bike out there (such as the Ridgeback with a low 26t chainring and a 34t cassette).
edscoble-
This! What Ed says. Loaded, you'll really want that extra spin! I'm using your exact proposed setup; 40t loaded up front and frame bag. Doesn't even have to be a 30% hill to use the lowest ratio.
I really wanted that extra boost on long, mildly slopey, but scree like terrain. Ultra low gearing gives extra control when you don't want to get off every 15 minutes to hike a bike.
Chak
New parts turned up
After a quick spin round the block shifting is good, and that's without any adjustment other than sliding that sucker onto the freehub. In the highest gear (42t x 34t) it's 22 gear inches, which obviously is spinney so considering going back to single chainring (40t).