hey altbike, I dont think anyone has asked you yet, but how many pounds of load do you realistically think you'll be carrying?
I ask because if you arent carrying that much, the one downside to a 44/32/22 is that you might find that you are shifting too often between the 32 and 44. My bike with this crankset is a 26in wheeled bike, so the gearing overall is lower (smaller wheel = lower gearing for the same teeth of chainrings and cassette, vs a larger wheel like your 700)
lightly loaded on flat terrain or even in hilly terrain, the other deore crankset of 48/36/26 is also a great option, and could be more enjoyable overall for riding when unloaded also. Its also fairly easy to change the 26 to smaller , like a 24, so it really comes down to how much weight you'll be carrying.
again though, as someone who has toured a lot with a 44/32/22 in mountainy terrain, it works great, but wanted to bring this up in case you say that you'll only be carrying 20lbs or something....and also plan to ride the bike unloaded most of the time (which frankly, as with all our bikes, is still the vast majority of the time)--because in my opinion, you'd be happier with the larger crankset
but maybe not, so chime in
I think I will be touring with a fairly heavy load. My guess is 30 - 40 pounds? I've never weighed my load in the past. I like to take camping gear with me.
Also, I could always get the different chain rings (48-36-26). This is a bit of an expensive proposition but perhaps in a year or so as the memory of this upcoming purchase fades it won't hurt so much to make this investment. I think having this option would be good for throwing on for daily use as well as for flatter tours and should make for a more versatile setup.