Your call on brining...some do, I don't.
The longevity of coals are anyones guess. It depends a lot on the brand, the surrounding temperature and humidity, etc. I use natural lump charcoal personally, but I know Brent (one of the REAL bbq Guru atound here) uses brickets (Kingsford I think). Keep an eye on your temperature and add just a piece or two when the temperature starts to drop. Again, this takes a bit of practice. If you add too much or too soon, you can get into wild temperature swings. That's not the end of the world, but it make it a little rougher on yourself. Practice, practice practice, and when you think you have it down, practice some more
. One of the pest things about BBQ'n to me is getting to eat my mistakes!
BTW, Lump burns hotter (so you don't need as much) but probably costs more and may be harder to find. I can get it at the big box hardware stores and supermarkets around here. I use lump to start my tow-behind stick burner.