Originally Posted by
dwmckee
Mid-teens is so slow it is just about unridable.
Not it's not, at least not for the vast majority of people. You'd have to have a severe balance issue for 16-18 gear inches to directly pose an issue.
Maybe get into the low 20s now and resign yourself to walk some if the steepest sections, no shame in that. As you get better you walk less, weigh less and find 24 GI is just fine.
The OP said they're trying to ride a loaded bicycle through mountainous terrain where 20%+ gradients are "very common."
Unless that information is wrong in some way, or they're a very high-torque rider who self-selects an extremely low cadence, they will need to become
very strong to make 24 inches appropriate as a low-end gear. At least if we're talking about bikes with typical-sized wheels.