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Team Microbe

Active member
Veteran
We'll continue to fade in and out of various topics, but I think it's most beneficial if we talk about pre-season preps during pre-season, vegging while we're all vegging, and flowering/harvesting come late season (assuming your season is roughly from May-October). Sound good everyone? Well here goes the start of a season-long thread! We'll start it off right...






Pre-Season Prepping:
Including - "must have" purchases / site scouting / site preparation / soil & cutting transportation methods / ect
 

Team Microbe

Active member
Veteran
some "must haves"

some "must haves"

1. Don't tell anyone! Don't tell anyone! Don't tell anyone!

You don't want to pull off an A+ guerrilla performance only to let your ego get in the way of successfully pulling in your final crop. Save the bragging/sharing for AFTER you crop out. You'll not only sleep a LOT more sound during the season, but you'll be able to use the location over and over again if you're smart about it. I'm not talking about leaking your location only, but the fact that you're growing at all. If you told anyone yet, make up a story this week saying it was a bust and it just aint worth it anymore. Sell it. You'll thank me later, I promise.



2. Sharp tools

Sharpening (using a file) any blades or shovels that will be used to prep your site(s) will save you time and energy. Work smarter, not harder.



3. A tool kit

Shovels - A sharp point (9 inch blade) shovel will cut through roots/clay/sand easier than a flat shovel. Stash tools like this at or near the site in a tarp wrapped up to prevent rain from rotting out your tools that contain wood. US Army Folding shovels are great for taking with you when stealth is an issue, these fit easily in a backpack. http://www.amazon.com/829-Tri-fold-...092560&sr=8-4&keywords=us+army+folding+shovel


Root Jack - For removing any plants on-site OR off site that you wish to use to hide any foot paths or provide camo for your girls. I can't stress the use of this tool enough.


Gloves - Not only to save your ass, but your hands as well. 2 pairs, one thick and one thin for different times of the season. It sucks working in the summer heat with thick gloves, and vise versa in the early spring with light ones. Also, a face mask isn't a bad idea either. LEO's put camera's up to try and ID the grower sometimes, as well as bitter land-owners with spare time on their hands. Treat it as a crime scene, because well......


Footwear - Notice I didn't get specific here, because all terrain is different. Some mountain-side growers need hiking boots, while swamp growers need chest-high waders to get to their patches. Nonetheless, I recommend water-proof either way. Don't cheap out here, it's important to be comfortable and patient out there. Rocky bear claw boots are great for example. You don't wanna be in a hurry to get back because your feet are killing you and end up doing something you may regret because of it...


Headlamp - If you travel by night on foot, this is a must. Get the kinds that alternate through red, green, and white lighting. I set mine on the green so in emergencies I'll click quickly from bright white light to green if I hear anything unnatural. If you know your area well enough you can keep it on green the entire time, to maintain clandestine.


Camo Tarps - To be used for many things, from rain collection to your drop-site, to tool storage. These aren't fool-proof, but offer better coverage than other colors. Still camo these tarps with natural foliage if you can. If you can't find camo then go dark green, anything else will stick out from the air.



First Aid Kit - Ever thought about what you will do if shit hits the fan? If you break an ankle an hour or two out in the bush? Police, other growers, aggressive hikers, hunters, and injuries are serious threats. Putting together a first aid kit is wise, as well as some first aid skill to go along with it. Most of the time you will not have service where you'll be going (for good sites) so you will be your only medic.




4. Game camera(s)

These are good for bigger grows that have some money invested in them, as these cameras are a few hundred bucks a piece on average. They make a few different kinds, some contain SD cards that you need to retrieve yourself out in the field while the more pricey cameras offer a live-feed to your cell phone / email address. Do not position your live-fed cameras near or towards your site, because they can be traced back to you if LEO's find them (they have the rights to break password protections). Instead, place live-feed cameras at the entrance of the hidden path to your grow. If found you can claim it's being used to capture game in the area. On-site cameras should be the less-expensive kinds that require you to snag the memory card first. Check out all features and figure out what you're looking for exactly, they're all unique.

These are the best: :http://www.gamecamerasreviews.com/




5. Proper Clothing

This goes along with your outfit (which I'll touch on soon), but here I'm talking more about weather-related aspects of your clothing. Thermax tops and bottoms will regulate body temperature when out for an extended period of time (camping in the bush or overnight). Wool socks, hand warmers, neckies and insulated sleeping bags are your best friends here folks. For sites near water, mosquito masks can spare some sanity on the bad days. Camo rain poncho's are my favorite, as I grow in a populated area and like to visit when hikers aren't likely to be around. Just think, "is today a nice day to be outside?". If the answer is yes, don't visit your site unless necessary. And if you do then you best have an alibi...



6. Walkie-Talkies

If your area is semi-populated then having a trusted friend confirm your safety before entering sites is a MUST. I had a grow compromised because I left a drop-site in my car and a State Trooper saw me exit the woods. I went back that night to chop 10/12 plants just incase, and came back the next day to the last 2 I left chopped down. PHEW! Never again....
Your friend will appreciate some compensation come harvest time, so don't be rude if they offer to help you tend your crop this year. Share the wealth!



7. Your outfit-

When I say outfit, I mean whatever matches your alibi. If you're "bird watching" this would be a digital camera, a bird watching hat, field guide book for birds, and some camo clothing(not too much or you may be mistaken for poaching). If you're "fishing", bring a pole and tackle box. Never carry anything grow-related on your person during the day time. This is what your drop-site is for... anything that is better transported and dropped at night. I don't like hiking for too long out in the dark so I only go out at night to drop supplies and to harvest. Every other visit is during the day under my alibi. Do not grow outdoors without one.




I'll stop here so everyone can add their 2 cents, bombs away :joint:
 

J.V

Active member
ICMag Donor
A point that has been mentioned on this forum .....but not this thread.....Was in regard to scouting and travel to and from your plants....for the life of me I can't remember who stated this ......So I 'm sorry for not giving credit, where its due.

If travelling down country roads,....keep well in mind that the people that live along these roads, know the regular traffic that goes to and fro......I have lived in a few farm houses over the years....and was one of these people....mind you, I still keep an eye open.

If you are seen travelling down a particular country road twice a week, or maybe just once a week will be enough to create suspicion in the local residents minds......They will talk about that vehicle that comes cruising bye....wondering what your doing.....who you are.

When I travel to my growing locations...I am always aware of this fact....That's why I like to travel out at night,.....or in the early hours of the morning.....To avoid being seen ,by local people ....who like to play Sherlock Holmes.....

Another aspect is to have somewhere to park your vehicle......If its half a mile down the road.....that will do...closer is better....but that options not always available......
Look for somewhere to pull off the road.....it may be no good during daylight hours....but may be good at night...As Julian states in his thread...it does not have to be the best spot in the world....it only has to do for the length of the grow.....but it is good to find a location that can be used in seasons to come....
 

hamstring

Well-known member
Veteran
# 1 is the camo tarp for me. I have all the guerrilla goodies but a camo tarp is used all the time.

1. Digging your holes. You want to put all the earth on the tarp as you dig. It leaves a clean i.e. secure grow site.

2. You need to hide any amendments so wrapping them in a camo tarp when you leave them is great.

3. I always wrap my sprayer in a tarp so it doesn't stick out. It's too large to carry inside your pack. so you don't run into this, "Hey dude why do you carry a gallon sprayer when fishing". It also keeps the hose from getting all caught up in the brush as you bully your way through the bush.

4. After I harvest all my bud in garbage bags i then wrap the camo tarp around them and secure it to my pack.

hooray for camo tarps!!!
 

hamstring

Well-known member
Veteran
Cages ( hand made from your choice of wire fencing) and green bamboo stakes. Dude how many of these bamboo stakes do I go through each season.

Camo buckets with a rope ( 10 - 12 feet) with clip hook attached at one end.

If you water and have to trudge in and out of a swamp or creek or river. Thank of how big a trail it makes. Clip hook bucket to the rope throw the bucket into the creek, retrieve the bucket.

Seems simple but its so much better security.You can find a place semi-hidden to fetch the water if you don't have to wade into the water.

You hear tons of info on pumps but nothing on the simple methods.

Two buckets works best because you can only get a half full bucket with this method. Fill the second bucket to the brim. Get one last half full bucket and use the first full bucket to fill the other one. Buckets are easy to bury and stack together.
 

juuri

Member
Great thread !

I was thinking of buying a gsm trail camera with live-feed, and a burner phone for it. But the thing is, it saves images to SD-card.. And when the LEO gang finds it and cracks it there will be most likely images of you walking to or working at the site... And you can't remotely turn it off...
My safety is my main concern... So live-feed from my plot would let me sleep peacefully at night.. ;)

Stay safe,
Juuri.
 

Team Microbe

Active member
Veteran
Great thread !

I was thinking of buying a gsm trail camera with live-feed, and a burner phone for it. But the thing is, it saves images to SD-card.. And when the LEO gang finds it and cracks it there will be most likely images of you walking to or working at the site... And you can't remotely turn it off...
My safety is my main concern... So live-feed from my plot would let me sleep peacefully at night.. ;)

Stay safe,
Juuri.

I hear your concern, but that's nothing a face mask (camo) wouldn't easily prevent. I wear one every time I get near my patch, for the reason of preventing LEO's cameras from identifying me. Treat it the same for your own cams, I like the idea of a burner phone though! Good thinkin Juuri :tiphat:
 

Team Microbe

Active member
Veteran
4. After I harvest all my bud in garbage bags i then wrap the camo tarp around them and secure it to my pack.

hooray for camo tarps!!!

Very helpful post! Quick question... how many garbage cans do you wrap with tarp at one time? and does this prevent any odor from leaking out? This is my main battle during the whole season!
 

juuri

Member
Yeah, wondering in the woods with a ski mask in the middle of summer..:p Then whats your alibi..? :D
But a cap and a thin neck warmer( if that's what it's called) should do the thing...
Few days back i saw a video on how to camo your trail cam... Just glue some organic matter to it and you are good to go... Very stealthy. $200 for the cam isn't much for your good night sleep, but it's better to have your camera well hidden to avoid any ripper taking your girls and cam...
 

Team Microbe

Active member
Veteran
Yeah, wondering in the woods with a ski mask in the middle of summer..:p Then whats your alibi..? :D
But a cap and a thin neck warmer( if that's what it's called) should do the thing...
Few days back i saw a video on how to camo your trail cam... Just glue some organic matter to it and you are good to go... Very stealthy. $200 for the cam isn't much for your good night sleep, but it's better to have your camera well hidden to avoid any ripper taking your girls and cam...

I use a camo hunting face mask that's for camo and not warmth, bird watching requires camo so you can remain hidden without pissing off any territorial land owners that think youre poaching if in fact you ARE seen. A neckwarmer may look a little weird but tucked in that should do just fine! All depends on your alibi really...

http://www.amazon.com/Hunters-Speci...4166143&sr=8-11&keywords=camouflage+face+mask

^what you could use



Great idea about the natural camo glued to the camera too brother, I'm gonna do that this year. Fuck yeah.
 
B

beakermuppet

Great tips guys, really learning alot.

Was wondering, in the spirit of pre-season prep.......After you find a nice spot, dig your holes, and put up your chicken wire.........What kind of soil mix do you guys recommend? My area has a stupid amount of clay, I was thinking of just digging holes and filling them in with some kind of mix.

Anyone have any good, cheap, and easily obtainable recipes?

B
 

5th

Active member
Veteran
**I'll edit this with some pics of my kit in a month or so incase something doesn't make sense.**

But for the time being...your shovel. This is by far the most useful tool in your outdoor arsenal. And this is how I go about using mine...

1) Buy one. With a spade shaped end on it. And not some plastic piece of shit from Wally World either, spend the money on a real wood handle. I'm going to suggest a farm supply store. (reason to follow)

2) When you get it home, drill out the rivet that connects the spade head to the handle. Replace with a 7/32 nut and bolt and a few washers. (or whatever drill bits you have around that size)

3) Didn't pick up a few 7/32 nuts n' bolts earlier? Good. Head back to the farm supply store. You may (or maybe not) noticed in the same aisle you found the shovel in, that there are replacement ends. Grab a sod cutter end (shaped like a half moon n' sharp as fuck) and an end with tines on it. (pitch fork)

4) Grabbed a few extra nuts n' bolts right? Head back to the ranch. You'll now notice you can carry 3 tools easily in your kit (that you can leave out there)...and a BONUS...the handle makes a kick ass walking stick/staff.

Now this should cover most digging terrain....but where not done yet...

Smoke a fatty, get creative. For example I made a hand saw attachment that goes on the end of mine. I've never used it to delimb a tree...but I have it if I need it. (works fine without the shovel handle btw)
I'm pretty high right now actually...thinking about a scythe attachment to cut down tall grass n' shit...
 

juuri

Member
I use a camo hunting face mask that's for camo and not warmth, bird watching requires camo so you can remain hidden without pissing off any territorial land owners that think youre poaching if in fact you ARE seen. A neckwarmer may look a little weird but tucked in that should do just fine! All depends on your alibi really...

http://www.amazon.com/Hunters-Speci...4166143&sr=8-11&keywords=camouflage+face+mask

^what I use



Great idea about the natural camo glued to the camera too brother, I'm gonna do that this year. Fuck yeah.


By the neck warmer I did mean buff...
what's-a-buff.jpg


And link for the cam camo... http://www.simplytraditional.net/20...actics-trail-camera-camo-mod-by-dave-mullins/

juuri.
 

frankenstein2

Astronaut Status
Veteran
I wear camo everything when I go to my spot(s). I have the luxury of being able to change my clothes at the spot. I wear regular clothes there, then change into camo. Before I leave my house I also take my sim card out of my phone and shut my phone off. Then even if leo is watching my cell pings, they end before I even leave the house. I turn it back on when I'm just about home. Anything I'm leaving in the woods(water bucket, shovel, etc.) gets spray painted hunter green. I even spray paint 5 gal. pails I use for plants. I make sure not to get paint on the inside and drill my drainage holes after I paint them.(don't wanna poison the plants, lol). I use a compass and try to find a south facing spot as best I can. I also visit the spot(s) during different times of the day to see the path the sun follows.
I use a mix of happy frog and promix, sometimes straight happy frog. Jack's Classic 20-20-20 for veg, and jack's bloom booster 10-30-20 for bloom. I use both at 3/5 strength( 3 scoops for a 5 gal. pail. Bringing your own dirt is a must if you want real results. The bigger the hole/container, the better results you will get. I like using 7 gal. grow bags. I grow the plants in them until the roots hit the bottom. Then I cut the bottoms off and set it on top of a pre-dug hole with at minimum of 2 cu. ft. per hole. This way when I water I can pour directly into the grow bag, and the plant get's all of the food, and the brush around it doesn't.
If your lucky enough to find a swamp with a reasonable water level, here's another awesome trick. Where I grow if I dig down about the depth of a 5 gal. pail the bottom of the hole will fill in with water. I then set the plants I have in buckets down in the hole's. I take some sticks and put them about a half inch above the water before I set the plants in, and voila!!, instant auto water in case I can't make it to them for whatever reason. I already have 1 1/2"-2" holes in the bottoms of the buckets for drainage and these holes are plenty large to let some roots thru to get a drink if the dirt in the pail dries out. I actually had some plants that were velcro'd to the ground last year. It took all my might to rip the buckets off the ground, lol. Another benefit is that it hides the buckets from site, and the plants look like swamp bushes.
I have a lot more tips and tricks, just tired of typing and gotta get ready to go take care of my girls. I have a thread from last year "Guerilla in the swamp '13" , check it out. Any comments/questions/pm's are welcome. What I do works for me, and I love spreading knowledge/helping others to achieve their goals!!
 

hamstring

Well-known member
Veteran
Very helpful post! Quick question... how many garbage cans do you wrap with tarp at one time? and does this prevent any odor from leaking out? This is my main battle during the whole season!

Garbage bags not cans. It doesnt help with odor at all its just easier to tie to your pack. Other wise the bags would tear.

I believe Moondawg uses those very large coolers the huge ones. He keeps the cooler in his vehicle and uses them to transport. He says they help with odor control.

I should but dont I just focus on breathing in and out and drive to a secure spot to dry.:biggrin:
If your harvest is small up to 5lbs i think trimming out doors is a good second choice. Less weight to carry and easier to conceal.
 

hamstring

Well-known member
Veteran
I wear camo everything when I go to my spot(s). I have the luxury of being able to change my clothes at the spot. I wear regular clothes there, then change into camo.
Before I leave my house I also take my sim card out of my phone and shut my phone off. Then even if leo is watching my cell pings, they end before I even leave the house. I turn it back on when I'm just about home. Anything I'm leaving in the woods(water bucket, shovel, etc.) gets spray painted hunter green. I even spray paint 5 gal. pails I use for plants. I make sure not to get paint on the inside and drill my drainage holes after I paint them.(don't wanna poison the plants, lol). I use a compass and try to find a south facing spot as best I can. I also visit the spot(s) during different times of the day to see the path the sun follows.
I use a mix of happy frog and promix, sometimes straight happy frog. Jack's Classic 20-20-20 for veg, and jack's bloom booster 10-30-20 for bloom. I use both at 3/5 strength( 3 scoops for a 5 gal. pail. Bringing your own dirt is a must if you want real results. The bigger the hole/container, the better results you will get. I like using 7 gal. grow bags. I grow the plants in them until the roots hit the bottom. Then I cut the bottoms off and set it on top of a pre-dug hole with at minimum of 2 cu. ft. per hole. This way when I water I can pour directly into the grow bag, and the plant get's all of the food, and the brush around it doesn't.
If your lucky enough to find a swamp with a reasonable water level, here's another awesome trick. Where I grow if I dig down about the depth of a 5 gal. pail the bottom of the hole will fill in with water. I then set the plants I have in buckets down in the hole's. I take some sticks and put them about a half inch above the water before I set the plants in, and voila!!, instant auto water in case I can't make it to them for whatever reason. I already have 1 1/2"-2" holes in the bottoms of the buckets for drainage and these holes are plenty large to let some roots thru to get a drink if the dirt in the pail dries out. I actually had some plants that were velcro'd to the ground last year. It took all my might to rip the buckets off the ground, lol. Another benefit is that it hides the buckets from site, and the plants look like swamp bushes.
I have a lot more tips and tricks, just tired of typing and gotta get ready to go take care of my girls. I have a thread from last year "Guerilla in the swamp '13" , check it out. Any comments/questions/pm's are welcome. What I do works for me, and I love spreading knowledge/helping others to achieve their goals!!

yes^^^^ that. wear your civies then change into camo.
 

Buddah Watcha

Well-known member
Veteran
Garbage bags not cans. It doesnt help with odor at all its just easier to tie to your pack. Other wise the bags would tear.

I believe Moondawg uses those very large coolers the huge ones. He keeps the cooler in his vehicle and uses them to transport. He says they help with odor control.

I should but dont I just focus on breathing in and out and drive to a secure spot to dry.:biggrin:
If your harvest is small up to 5lbs i think trimming out doors is a good second choice. Less weight to carry and easier to conceal.


I can 2nd the big ass coolers. Last year we harvest around 5# and tripple bagged them, threw them in the cooler, got 2 bags of ice and put on top of the herbs, along with some waters and sodas, you couldn't tell there was anything on the bottom of the cooler or smell anything.

You can also use coolers to transport plants to the OD. Helps with the stink!
 

soil margin

Active member
Veteran
I wear camo everything when I go to my spot(s). I have the luxury of being able to change my clothes at the spot. I wear regular clothes there, then change into camo. Before I leave my house I also take my sim card out of my phone and shut my phone off. Then even if leo is watching my cell pings, they end before I even leave the house. I turn it back on when I'm just about home. Anything I'm leaving in the woods(water bucket, shovel, etc.) gets spray painted hunter green. I even spray paint 5 gal. pails I use for plants. I make sure not to get paint on the inside and drill my drainage holes after I paint them.(don't wanna poison the plants, lol).


Your level of paranoia is inspiring.
 

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