[pct-l] Tent stakes, water sources, and sun gloves

[Jeff Whitmer]

I'm finishing up my gear shopping and I have a few random questions. I know
I know, last minute.

1. Is the ground hard or sandy in socal. It's between round stakes and
y-stakes.

2. I've read up on filters vs aquamira as far as effectiveness goes, but are
the sources in socal easier to get to with a filter (hard to reach puddles,
for example) or are they better suited to filling a water bag and then using
chemicals (water spickets and troughs)?

3. Is sunblock good enough to protect hands when using poles, or should I
fork out the $28 for sungloves?

Thanks for any input!