offroute thanks for your reply. I decided to go rigid steel and bought a Surly ECR and am very happy with it. I'm 6'0 with a 33" inseam and the Large fits me well. There really wasn't an opportunity to try many other bikes. There is a huge demand right now in the Pacific Northwest for bikes due to COVID. I had the bike shop leave the steering tube at full length and set the stem nearly at full height. The 29x3.0 tires mitigate vibrations on gravel roads pretty well, which is what I'm mainly riding. Ordered a Brooks Flyer seat for some added cushion, we'll see how that works. My only complaint about comfort are the stock grips, which have minimal cushion. I've only had the bike for two weeks but have found a new obsession. I ordered a frame bag and top tube bag from Rogue Panda, a set of ortlieb gravel packs to put on the rear mount surly rack I have on it, a moloko bar bag, and a few cages to hold a water bottle, fuel for the wisperlite stove, and bear spray.

I have a lot of old injuries and am looking for a comfortable bikepacking bike; a bike with geometry that will put me in a more upright position. Being upright will reduce the strain on my shoulder and lower back. I want a bike with front suspension to reduce vibrations on the shoulder. The Salsa Timberjack and Surly Karate Monkey look like good options based on top tube effective length and reach. Any recommendations would be helpful.