Functional bikes. Not Porn not Anti

I've got a Surly Karate Monkey that I want to do some touring on.
Do you guys think a front lowrider rack will work or will it mess up the handling?
I want to ride road and dirt track, nothing very technical off road on this trip.

No experience whatsoever, but I'm pretty sure I've read lots of accounts of off-road tourer recommending front lowriders over anything else for the increase weight and traction over the front wheel. But if you're not really going off-road and have room then bike packing maybe less hassle and cheaper.

Similar, Orge fork looks to be about £70-80, mudguard eyelets are £20 a pop at Oak and bottle bosses £30 (I assume for a pair).

Often they're quoted individually so it's worth checking. Maro Vaz is/was a lot cheaper and can do the respray.