You can hike the Batona Trail in two days, but that's two back-to-back 26 mile days. That second 26 mile day is a killer. In my opinion, three days is much more manageable. It's easier on your body, you won't have to race against the clock and you'll still have some light left in the evening to eat your dinner and set up your tent before dark.
You will pass through Batsto, Pakim Pond and the Brendan Byrne State Park Visitors Center, all of which have bathrooms and running water. Batona Camp and Pakim Pond have wells. I'm guessing they would allow you to charge a cell phone in the visitor centers, but your cell phone battery should last three days. I take a spare cell phone battery with me if I'm hiking any location for more than three days and I don't leave my phone on 24/7.
You can camp at Buttonwood Camp, Lower Forge and Batona Camp. You're not supposed to stealth camp on the Batona Trail but if you want to break up your hike into three 17 mile days it's unavoidable. You can stay one night at Batona Camp and one night at Buttonwood Camp, it just means day two of your hike is going to be longer than day one and day three.
The last two weeks of March are a good time for a thru-hike. No chiggers, mosquitos or deer flies. The weather can be hit or miss. It could be in the 30's during the day or the 70's. Fifties and sixties during the day and thirties and forties during the night are typical. Ticks shouldn't be a big problem yet in March, but if it gets up to 60-65 degrees during the day, they'll start to become active and pose a threat. The best defense is to treat your clothes and footwear with permethrin
http://www.lifeandhome.com/spectrum-hg-94127-repel-permanone-mosquito-stop-6-oz.html?gclid=COeRh5mIirsCFSVgMgoddg4AEQ
There are a lot of fire lines that intersect the Batona Trail and it is very easy to walk off the trail, so maintain an awareness of the pink blazes. If you go more than 1/8 mile without seeing a pink blaze, you have probably walked off the trail. Back track if that happens. Trying a short cut through the woods to reacquire the trail usually results in you getting totally disoriented or even lost.
The Batona Trail intersects several roads, so you can cache bottles of water, canned goods and other supplies ahead of time so you don't have to carry as much weight.
You don't need anything on your feet heavier than a walking sneaker or trail running sneaker to hike the Batona Trail.
The Batona Trail is safe. I have thru-hiked it 93 times and have never encountered a problem with hunters, locals, hikers, bikers or animals. In fact, you probably won't see very many people. Don't be alarmed if you hear coyotes howling at night. They are scared to death of humans and pose zero threat to you.
Have fun. Let me know if you have any other questions.
