[pct-l] Water, bear canisters, stoves/fuel

[Vimal Golding]

Hi everybody, I'm preparing for a thru-hike this coming season and I
had a few questions:

1. Water: it looks like there are a number of sections in southern CA
where you don't cross a water source for 20-35 miles. How much water
do I need to be able to carry in order to do this? Are there any
tricks that people use on these sections, like hiking at night?
Conservatively, I expect to be making 15 miles per day, though it
sounds like I'll probably start doing upwards of 20 once I get into
the swing of things.

2. Bear canisters: It sounds like people use these through the
Sierras, but not elsewhere. Additionally it sounded like some places
require using a bear canister but you could also use bear proof boxes
that are installed at campsites. In what sections do most people carry
bear canisters? There was a link on the PCTA website about where
canisters are required, but the linked page was under construction.
What do people do when they aren't carrying bear cans? What do people
do in southern CA? I'm used to hanging food in a stuff sack from a
tree, but there won't always be suitable trees on the PCT, and I hear
that Sierra bears are too smart for that.

3. Stoves/Fuel: planyourhike.com says that alcohol stoves are the most
common, with butane stoves (like Pocket Rocket) being the second most
common. I'm considering a DIY alcohol stove for weight and
availability of fuel, but I read online that even 70% rubbing alcohol
only works marginally. It seems like at many of the resupply points
(convenience stores and the like) I'd be lucky to find 50% rubbing
alcohol, let alone 90% or some specialized fuel like denatured
alcohol. Also, how do these handle altitude and cold weather? I
already own a whisperlite, which would probably run fine on regular
gasoline, but its really heavy and if something goes wrong I'm SOL,
not to mention its already a second hand beater.

Thanks in advance for the advice and I'm excited to see many of you
out on the trail in a few months!

Vimal