Bigger picture?
I would come down on the side of upgrading the suspension.
The stock suspension is, well...not the best. Loaded, off-road, it's bad enough that I would lump a suspension upgrade in with modifications to improve safety.
It is certainly possible to do extended trips with the stock suspension; paring the gear down to the absolute minimum and riding with a "spare the horse" attitude will get you through. But I think the return on the investment in the upgrade, in terms of confidence in the bike, is well worth the money.
The Cogent upgrade is on my list.
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Mark
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