I'm planning my first thru-hike, going to tackle the Sheltowee Trace in August. It looks like I'll need to cache some water for about 150 miles or so (many of the water sources are unreliable year-round, and it will be August in Kentucky!). I've never planned a trip where I had go more than a day to find a water source, so I'm a little tentative about this and was hoping to get some experience and advice from you guys and gals...most importantly, if I drop a gallon of water in the woods, will it still be there when I need it, or do I need to recruit somebody to drop water at specific locations so it's not out there for more than a day or two? Also, much of the trail is on land managed by the Forest Service, do they frown upon leaving water caches (it IS plastic, after all), even if you pack it out with you as you go? If anybody has some experience or tips to offer, it would be much appreciated.