On a budget but want to start touring...
So I'm doing a couple of one-day cycling event rides this year with a friend of mine, but I want to start expanding my horizons into self-supported touring, starting with a couple of 2-4 day excursions. However, due to my current financial situation, I need to make-do with my older Specialized sport/racing bike, which I bought new back in the spring of 2008. I think it's what they call a compact frame bike, where the top tube is angled a bit, instead of straight like older road bikes used to be. It does have attachment points on the back where a rack can be mounted (but nothing on front). I have no clue what brands of racks/panniers would work for my situation. I understand that striking the rear panniers with one's heels can be an issue when mounting panniers on a road bike, and I would like to avoid that. I've also been thinking of a used B.O.B. trailer system. I've seen a few on Craigslist for around $200, but so far none are close to where I live. One other thing I'm giving consideration to is that my personal weight is around 210-212lbs currently, and I'm wondering how well my aluminum road racing bike would handle the weight of myself plus cargo. I've seen folks on the forums mention getting tires for one's bike that have more spokes. I'm not sure if that would work here or not, but it's certainly something I'm willing to look into.
What advice or suggestions do y'all have? What have I missed?
Thanks!