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Strategy for hauling Huge bales of moss/soil to grow spot?
- Thread starter NickMode
- Start date
One of these days I want to set up a frame pack with some strategically placed straps so i can haul one at a time in on my back.
I know what you mean wit those being a pain in the ass to get around.
Almost as bad is trying to quickly get them from your vehicle to the treeline if you have to enter in a visible area.
I hate dragging the bags/bales as they tend to rip on whatever is on the ground then leave a nice lil peat moss trail to your grow until the first decent rain.
I know what you mean wit those being a pain in the ass to get around.
Almost as bad is trying to quickly get them from your vehicle to the treeline if you have to enter in a visible area.
I hate dragging the bags/bales as they tend to rip on whatever is on the ground then leave a nice lil peat moss trail to your grow until the first decent rain.
Jochsmokes
Member
I drug abunch in on the snow with a plastic sled this year that was simple, but i think you could do the same on bare ground if there isn't a ton of stuff in the way.
On a metal pack frame works good and you can drive broom handles through and lug them wheel barrow style if you have a partner to help. (Not that i recomend that at all!!)
Metal frames the easiest after you get the pack on!! lol
Another idea is those fold up carts they have for retriving deer from the woods its like a skinny fold up tow behind wheel barrow.
hope this helps
JS
On a metal pack frame works good and you can drive broom handles through and lug them wheel barrow style if you have a partner to help. (Not that i recomend that at all!!)
Metal frames the easiest after you get the pack on!! lol
Another idea is those fold up carts they have for retriving deer from the woods its like a skinny fold up tow behind wheel barrow.
hope this helps
JS
D
DJ_highst_
Use bricks of coco that expand when put in water. Just a few of those bricks can expand to quite a lot of coco. Easier to carry and they work better than peat anyways. They are also much more ecologically friendly then using peat. Good luck. Peace_highst
Bob_J
Member
2 hockey sticks, heavy duty tarp between them, 1 guy on each end. like a stretcher. if you can get longer sticks, 2 bales can be hauled instead of 1 with the hockey sticks. also bring a roll of duct tape in case something rips or tears.
grab the end of the bale and haul it "on your back". by supporting it with your back and holding the folds with each hand (if that makes any sense) you can walk quite a ways with little strain.
grab the end of the bale and haul it "on your back". by supporting it with your back and holding the folds with each hand (if that makes any sense) you can walk quite a ways with little strain.
G
Guest
I live in horse country, saddle up if possible. Will anyone around rent you a pack animal?
NickMode
Member
Im actually trying to figure out how many peat moss bales i am going to have to haul to my spot. If i am using the recipe...
25% native soil
5 parts peat moss
3 parts perlite
2 parts worm castings...
How many bales of peat moss do i have to haul in to mix the recipe for 10 3'x3' holes.
I heard that peat moss expands when it is moist, is this true? Should i have to moist it, then mix?
Or since its so compact, it just breaks down nice and easy. I think someone said 1 bale can fill 10 sq ft. Any input on this?
25% native soil
5 parts peat moss
3 parts perlite
2 parts worm castings...
How many bales of peat moss do i have to haul in to mix the recipe for 10 3'x3' holes.
I heard that peat moss expands when it is moist, is this true? Should i have to moist it, then mix?
Or since its so compact, it just breaks down nice and easy. I think someone said 1 bale can fill 10 sq ft. Any input on this?
Trancerdancer
Member
Sounds like you may be hauling bigger items but...
A big backpacking backpack will fit a bag of Fox Farms pretty well. Haul em one at a time.
A big backpacking backpack will fit a bag of Fox Farms pretty well. Haul em one at a time.
Trancerdancer: unless im mistken, we're talking about bales. these are from 2.2cu ft to 3.5 cu ft. Mostly discussing the bigger 3.5 cu ft bales I think. They are much much more of a PITA to carry than a 40lb 1.5 cu foot bag of soil (just stick one over each arm and go). I think the 3.5 cu ft bags of peat moss come in around 80lbs. However, the bulk is as much or more of a problem than the weight for me. They're just awkward to carry.
Nickmode: Knowing that a large bale of peat moss is 3.5 cu ft and knowing the volume of soil you want to displace, we can pretty easily figure this out by doing some quick math.
ok so 100-25=75
5+3+2=10
75% / 10 =7.5% per part
5 parts peat moss x 7.5% per part=37.5% of displaced soil will be replaced with peat moss.
3'x3'x?how deep????? lets assume 2 ft deep, as beyond that you'll see decreasing returns on your work, though i see no problem going down to 3ft as i feel it conserves water better. so 3x3x2D holes. thats 18cu ft per hole
18 cu ft x 10 holes=180cu ft
180 cu ft x 37.5% peat moss
180 x .375 =67.50 cu ft
67.5 cu ft of peat moss
67.5 cu ft / 3.5 cu ft per bale
67.5/3.5=19.28 bales =~ 19 bales
it might cover 10 sq ft at 4 in deep....
that would be 10 sq feet x .33 ft =3.3 cu ft.
The top 6" will lose moisture fairly quickly without mulching, but below that should hold water alright if mixed correctly.
IMHO, it is bad practice to work with wet soil as it is clumpy and will mix heavy and not light, causing poor aeration throughout thegrow cycle.
As for carrying in (back on topic)
I've thorught about using wheelbarrows or carts, but both the terrain i have to get through and the fact that wheels (and dragging) create clear paths has discouraged me.
I really want to set up some massive zipline one night and just start sliding in bales down a high tensile wire strung between two trees. the bales could be in a chicken wire or heavy mesh net and could be attached to the wire with a pulley wheel. It would take a while to set up, but if you only have to get the bales a few hundred feet into the woods (and away from the road/parking area) quickly, this might be worth it. I always think that most of the danger getting supplies in is between the truck and the treeline, as i can move my stuff around in the dark woods once its inside the treeline.
Nickmode: Knowing that a large bale of peat moss is 3.5 cu ft and knowing the volume of soil you want to displace, we can pretty easily figure this out by doing some quick math.
ok so 100-25=75
5+3+2=10
75% / 10 =7.5% per part
5 parts peat moss x 7.5% per part=37.5% of displaced soil will be replaced with peat moss.
3'x3'x?how deep????? lets assume 2 ft deep, as beyond that you'll see decreasing returns on your work, though i see no problem going down to 3ft as i feel it conserves water better. so 3x3x2D holes. thats 18cu ft per hole
18 cu ft x 10 holes=180cu ft
180 cu ft x 37.5% peat moss
180 x .375 =67.50 cu ft
67.5 cu ft of peat moss
67.5 cu ft / 3.5 cu ft per bale
67.5/3.5=19.28 bales =~ 19 bales
it might cover 10 sq ft at 4 in deep....
that would be 10 sq feet x .33 ft =3.3 cu ft.
I like to mix mine in a day or two before some big rains and let the holes get nice and soaked before I put any plants in.
The top 6" will lose moisture fairly quickly without mulching, but below that should hold water alright if mixed correctly.
IMHO, it is bad practice to work with wet soil as it is clumpy and will mix heavy and not light, causing poor aeration throughout thegrow cycle.
As for carrying in (back on topic)
I've thorught about using wheelbarrows or carts, but both the terrain i have to get through and the fact that wheels (and dragging) create clear paths has discouraged me.
I really want to set up some massive zipline one night and just start sliding in bales down a high tensile wire strung between two trees. the bales could be in a chicken wire or heavy mesh net and could be attached to the wire with a pulley wheel. It would take a while to set up, but if you only have to get the bales a few hundred feet into the woods (and away from the road/parking area) quickly, this might be worth it. I always think that most of the danger getting supplies in is between the truck and the treeline, as i can move my stuff around in the dark woods once its inside the treeline.
NickMode
Member
First tracks. If you say that 1 bale of peat moss might cover 10sq ft., then shouldnt i divide 67.5 cubic feet by 10 cubic feet? 67.6 / 10 = 6.7 bales of peat moss.?
Or is what your saying is they expand under ground when they get wet.?
or... what?
and edit: 16 cu. ft. is crazy. I was thinking like 4 cu. ft per plant. like 1.6'x1.6'x1.6 ft = roughly 4 cu. ft.
Or is what your saying is they expand under ground when they get wet.?
or... what?
and edit: 16 cu. ft. is crazy. I was thinking like 4 cu. ft per plant. like 1.6'x1.6'x1.6 ft = roughly 4 cu. ft.
Last edited:
tokinjoe
Active member
Nick, how private is the area that you are growing in? If it's private land and you can drive in, you can, of course, drive as close to your spot as possible and carry them in whatever way is easiest. If you are like most and are growing on someone else's property, you can buy a backpackers type frame and fix the bales to them and carry them in. A good place to preview some of these pacs would be Cabela's. They cater to the hunter and have a lot of options for carrying tents, etc into the wilderness and out. You are going to have to spend some cash but this is something that you would be able to use for years to come. Good luck. 
Love the zipline idea. made several as a kid and quite easy to setup. holding only 40lbs instead of 150+ any rope will most likely do. attach end line down hill run up slide pulley on tie off and let the bales fly. a retrieve line on the pulley and a soft stop(exploding bags on tree)
Chitownstoner
Member
i feel ya, in a couple of weeks, i gotta bag up about 2000 pounds of compost/soil mixture.
I gotta do it the hard way. I gotta double garbage bag em up and hike a nice mile. I was thinking of putting all that in a garbage can and draging that bitchach
I gotta do it the hard way. I gotta double garbage bag em up and hike a nice mile. I was thinking of putting all that in a garbage can and draging that bitchach
Jochsmokes
Member
Zipline! Ha Ha!! that would be neat to see!
Even if it was set on flat ground you could push them along.
Now if i had a helicoptor!?!
Even if it was set on flat ground you could push them along.
Now if i had a helicoptor!?!
G
Guest
You want to look for a "freighter frame" if looking for a good frame for hauling stuff on your back. They are not too expensive. In the USA, check out CampMor.
I have a pack frame I can use. One thing to think about is what to put the mix in to carry it on the frame. Small peat bales can be easily tied to the frame if left in its orginal packing.
Even 5 mil garbage bags won't hold much weight in soil. They stretch too much. By cheap cloth sacks to put the plastic bags in. They won't stretch out of shape.
I have also thought about using a handtruck with one of those tall square trash cans(holds 2cubic feet) strapped to it. Some places I have in mind have gated roads I can walk part way in on. A hand truck would help till I have to actually hump my soil in the rest of the way on my backpack frame.
I keep a can of "Fix-a-Flat" for my hand truck. Air tires are a lot easier to pull/push on old gated gravel roads IMO.
A garden cart is another option, but I don't own one.
pedro
I have a pack frame I can use. One thing to think about is what to put the mix in to carry it on the frame. Small peat bales can be easily tied to the frame if left in its orginal packing.
Even 5 mil garbage bags won't hold much weight in soil. They stretch too much. By cheap cloth sacks to put the plastic bags in. They won't stretch out of shape.
I have also thought about using a handtruck with one of those tall square trash cans(holds 2cubic feet) strapped to it. Some places I have in mind have gated roads I can walk part way in on. A hand truck would help till I have to actually hump my soil in the rest of the way on my backpack frame.
I keep a can of "Fix-a-Flat" for my hand truck. Air tires are a lot easier to pull/push on old gated gravel roads IMO.
A garden cart is another option, but I don't own one.
pedro
tokinjoe
Active member
Chit, I just happened to think. I can't remember the company but they also make a wheeled "tote" for bringing big game animals out of the woods. It's plenty long enough for a deer or bigger animal and has big wheels/tires on it for dragging over stumps or logs. True it's a monetary investment but if memory serves it is made of aircraft aluminum and the tires can be replaced if need be. Beats the hell out of carrying on your back and you can carry a lot more. 250 plus pounds easily. Cabelas has them and also has an online catalog.
G
Guest
tokinjoe said:
Game haulers from Cabelos. I had one. They work OK in many places "off trail". Back east they work better than out here. It's way too knarley where I am now for a game hauler off trail. They are nice rigs though. Hauling capacity is 300lbs. or so. Cost was about $129.00 last I looked.
pedro
