I apologize if this has been asked before. Any information or a point to a
better place to ask would be greatly appreciated. I plan to start replacing
an old chain link fence with a wooden stockade this weekend. I have heard
that I am better not putting the posts in concrete footings but instead
making sure I just compact the soil tightly around the PT posts. I am told
this allows drianage and keeps the posts dryer in the long run. I like this
as it saves a ton of time and materials not having to deal with the
concrete. My question is do I need to put a base of sand or gravel in under
each footing or just make a bare dirt hole, insert post and backfill with
the dirt I took out?

Thanks for any help you can provide.