trailers vs panniers

[fastrog]

thanks to all.

[DaveT]

One additional consideration is getting a trailer to the start of your tour and/or home from the finish.

[dayjack119]

I've used both on long distance rides and I'm back to rack and panniers.  I do lots of mountain grades and with a trailer it feels like I threw out an anchor.  The other drawback is that I tend to look at an item and say, "heck, I've got room in the trailer for that".  Pretty soon I am really riding heavy.

[Goodaches]

I tour with my girlfriend who is a little over half my size. I carry nearly everything for both of us in order to keep our paces about the same. Therefore the trailer becomes the preferred solution.
With panniers this heavily loaded I wouldn't be able to hop curbs or fallen branches as nimbly as I do with the trailer. Key to making the trailer beneficial is single wheel with suspension. Single wheel keeps me narrow and all wheels tracking in the same rut. The suspension is not there to give a luxury ride to our stuff - the suspension provides vertical compliance that makes the trailer easier to pull along rough surfaces. Also, when hopping aforementioned curbs or branches the Ibex trailer just bounces over it.
I've been amazed at how my bike tires show very little wear but most pannier users I've met are just grinding through tires. The exceptions are the pannier users that truly understand minimalist and lightweight bikepacking - their tires go a long time too. Sometimes having the extra vehicle (trailer) is cumbersome. However, when encountering stairs or some steep embankment it has been relatively convenient to disconnect the trailer and make two easy trips. I've liked the trailer well enough that even if I were to travel alone with less weight I'd still use the trailer. However, if I did the Iditarod or some similar epic adventure I'd be very minimalist with frame bag, seat pack, and handlebar bag.

[pmac]

I've used a single wheel farfarer trailer for gravel road touring.  The farfarer breaks down so you can ship it inside the bikebox with the bike, which was something I needed.  Very slick design and very light at about 9 lbs, not much more than panniers.  But not as light as bikepacking bags. I just suspend a waterproof bag from the trailer frame which also saves a little weight.  But as noted in a prior comment, a trailer allows you to take more stuff than you really need.  I think everybody who has ever toured has shipped stuff home shortly after starting out.  The trailer v. pannier question essentially comes down to personal preference.  There really isn't a right or wrong answer, just the answer that will be best for you.