Touring Bikes

It's not that hard to find a good touring frame and work from there. And used MTB (go LX!) components make great touring stuff, and are not that costly.

That being said, I've heard nothing but love for the Long Haul Trucker, but depending on how tall you are, you may need to ride it with 26"s (if that's an issue - if I was touring with someone else, I'd prefer to have the same sized wheels as them).

MTB drivetrain stuff, is the same as touring stuff. Both long cage/wide rage gears. Probably best to stay away from compact drive chainsets though, bigger rings are more durable.