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The access thread.........

Never see people talk about this much, but it's one of, if not the most important factors for a successful guerrilla grow. Let's talk about different access methods, anything & everything related to getting to/fro your spots.

Some of my favorites:

Pitbikes, little kids dirtbikes, etc.

These are great for several reason, cheap is the first that comes to mind. For under $800 you should be able to get something to last you all summer every day of beating the crap out of it (Maintenance & upgrades not included in that figure) They also don't seem to piss off neighbors/land owners as much. You can load them onto a truck by yourself in seconds, throw them over a gate if you have to, etc. A 2-stroke 80 can be great if your good at working on them, fast & fun, but headlight options are limited. First choice though would be a klx/drz110. They are indestructible, highly reliable, and for $20 you can go to walmart & have a working headlight. You'll want to get some big boy bars, throw some heavier oil in the forks, and a manual clutch kit & anything except the stock tires is nice as well. This is what I used this past summer, I hauled 10/gallons at a time using 5- gallon buckets with lids on each handlebar- it's harder than it sounds though. 3.8 cu/ft bales of promix are easier to haul on them then you would think. I would drop bales near the road, ride back in a different way, and haul them 1/2 mile to the edge of the swamp- it's a little tricky but you'll get good at balancing the bale between your nutsack and on the bars, I actually enjoyed this part. Trust me, these things can get places my 6x6 amphibous machine couldn't, simply because you can carry the damn things if you have to! The klx/drz's are also SOOOOOOOOOOO QUIET!

ATV's:

Sport or 4x4, they all have their ups & downs. Buy a Japanese one if possible, you don't want your Polaris throwing a CV joint or frying it's computer while bringing in the harvest.

On/Off road enduro bikes:

These are great because you can drive them around legally to get to the good spots, then dip off to all sorts of garden locations. This is my plan for this summer, I expect to use spend about $3k-4K for a decent one including taxes/fees.

Car's:

Suck balls. At the least make sure you have a dog or fishing pole. I agree with Mr Jules here. trunks are nice. 4-door japenese sedans are pretty reliable BTW.

Pedal bikes:
like 12 speeds, mountain bikes, etc. I've got a sweet roadbike that I used here & there, this year I'll be peddling around the areas with cornfields at 4:00 am dressed in the typical cheesy biker outfits......... secretly OG'ing the place :)

Canoes/boats:
Not much to say on the subject, they work killer. Nice when it comes to bringing in supplies also since you can have it all loaded up & just drop off & be gone.

Gates:
These can be a problem, but also a blessing. Check the locks, a lot of times they aren't locked. Other times they will be locked with excavator keys. E-bay has master kits that will cover every type of heavy equipment, though it's usually a new style cat-key in these situations. The lock will say cat right on it obviously. Everyone should have a cat key anyways :) It's ballsy but in certain situations that you deem nobody will notice you can cut a link off the chain & put an additional lock on it, use this one with great caution though, like places that already have 2-3 different locks & you KNOW multiple large companies access the area.
 

geopolitical

Vladimir Demikhov Fanboy
Veteran
Can't beat a bicycle for quiet & ease of concealment. I can haul close to my own weight on the old schwinn over some pretty rough terrain.
 
Now I want to share a few more tips about the ORV's

Sun Tzu said something along the lines of "He who's swords are sharp, horses well fed, and chariots in perfect order shall win the war" Or something along those lines..........

Put a visi-fuel on your bike, you have no idea how nerve racking it is breaking down with 5 wet lb's on your back, and these things are a must on an ORV. Use only gas from a clean container, I'm so anal with the cans I use during ops it's crazy. Keep your chain well lubed & adjusted, NEVER worn out chains or sprockets. Heavy duty tubes & tires are a must. Always have at the least vise grips & gorilla tape. Fresh top end is a must if it's a 2-stroke, no more than 30 hr's on rings 60hr's on pistons, always have two fresh plugs just in case. Check your bolts & tires before EVERY ride.
 
W

wiseone

Can't beat a bicycle for quiet & ease of concealment. I can haul close to my own weight on the old schwinn over some pretty rough terrain.

That's a def. especially if it's an old beater. That way 'if' someone were to come upon it, they'll probably think it was ditched there.
 

Bud Sweat

Member
im thinking about getting a utility 4x4 to help haul some soil into the woods. bringing 2-3 yards of soil into the woods is not easily done by hand thats for sure. Lots of money though....might just rough it out and stick to my mtn bike hah.
 

hamstring

Well-known member
Veteran
leroy
Nice thread. Tools make the man I thought I heard you say and I agree. Although I wish I had a place where I could drive a 4 wheeler into. Man that would be unseen in my areas driving a 4 wheeler right on private property. I live in the Midwest and every farmer has a 4 wheeler and kids of all back grounds drive them. But I just cant imagine dropping a 4 wheeler off and speeding down some private property to harvest. WOW is all I have to say.

I like it way more low key but I am the old man shaking his fist as you scream by on one of those tiny crotch rockets.
 

D.S. Toker. MD

Active member
Veteran
Hey Leroy

ha! me too hamstring!

Stealth keeps me from riding anything. Im in and out before daylight. Half of the community would be up if they heard motorbikes or 4 wheelers touring the boonies at 4:00 am. I live in a litte town, it would be in the paper..."Mrs. Johnson reported hearing motorcyclist at 4:00 am down in the 6 creeks area..... the sherrif suspects poachers..."

I would find the game wardens chasing me around after only a few trips because by then someone would have heard me and assumed i was spotlighting,(poaching). Plus, it would leave a path a mile wide that any farmer would follow.

Buy you a good horse!!
 
haha, I've thought many times about how awesome it would be growing on horseback.

Different areas were in for sure, a lot of the actual riding around here is done on ROW's (HT lines, train tracks) They are like little superhighways in the woods. Getting to them sometimes isn't fun, but theres nothing like a high speed chase while you're on a bike your 10 times to big for. It's best left for later in the day still though, to early & it's suspect, to late & there is other riders, usually ride in at dusk & out at night, and try to be conscious of headlights- so sometimes park further away & walk, or ride without a headlight in a few wide open spots.
 

Claude Hopper

Old Skool Rulz
Veteran
Hey Leroy

ha! me too hamstring!

Stealth keeps me from riding anything. Im in and out before daylight. Half of the community would be up if they heard motorbikes or 4 wheelers touring the boonies at 4:00 am. I live in a litte town, it would be in the paper..."Mrs. Johnson reported hearing motorcyclist at 4:00 am down in the 6 creeks area..... the sherrif suspects poachers..."

I would find the game wardens chasing me around after only a few trips because by then someone would have heard me and assumed i was spotlighting,(poaching). Plus, it would leave a path a mile wide that any farmer would follow.

Buy you a good horse!!

Indeed. There is no doubt that someone would notice. I lived on a farm most of my life and I can vouch that I and my neighbors didn't miss much. We certainly would have noticed a noisy 4 wheeler.

A horse? You know they at least will tell you when someone is around. I know that's why I'd never go out without my dog keeping an eye out.

Anyway, I'm of the opinion that threads like this - that highlight stealth methods - are counter productive. It's like talking shipping practices. Bad karma.
 

hamstring

Well-known member
Veteran
I disagree its bad karma to discuss but my idea of stealth is leaving an area with a very small footprint. I don’t want anyone to know I have even been there period. Driving a 4 wheeler down into an area suitable for growing (as DS said) would leave a very noticeable path. I don’t want to burn any bridges and call attention to any activities. Most growers are on a geographical island. Meaning they typically grow in 10-35 mile radius of their home and calling attention to where you grew last season will make next season much harder even though its in a different location. It wont be long before people are on the look out for suspicious activity in that 10-35 mile radius. The old saying holds true, "Its a small world".
 

:-(

Member
I can access miles of wooded areas nearby with my ATV, can also haul supplies with it. Excellent for scouting, and running supplies early on. However, I wouldn't dare to make a bunch of noise riding into a guerilla plot with it tending the plants.
 

easy

Member
...Different areas were in for sure, a lot of the actual riding around here is done on ROW's (HT lines, train tracks) They are like little superhighways in the woods. Getting to them sometimes isn't fun, but theres nothing like a high speed chase while you're on a bike your 10 times to big for...

Good thread Leroy Brown. :yes:

You are right on the money with the statement above... different areas can handle many different approaches... but if in doubt it can often be best to handle things as hamstring, ds toker, claude hopper, and the other more cautious folks suggest. Your last sentence above probably said it best.

As one old timer once told me... "growing can often be like flying, you don't get too many second chances".
 

oldhaole

Well-known member
Veteran
Hey Leroy...great thread.

Hawaii cane field growing....this is what we use.

Bikes....since we are on a long gradual hill, you park one car on top , the other on the bottom, and head down the hill.
Advantages...Stealth, you put the patches in a line, it's easy and fun. You hear everything before they see you, and you stash in the cane.
Disadvantages Speed, tracks, and you can't haul any real weight. Get caught you spend a day in the cane, and lose your bike.

Motorcycles... A 650 Kawasaki road bike is what we use.
Advantages...Stash the starts early, ride to work. You can slip around gates, cover large areas, Since I work with a partner, one works, the other leaves trails, and watches the area.
Disadvantages...Can't work in mud, Limited escape...you just gotta run. Your deaf as a post. In a canefield...hearing is important since all you can see is the road ahead of you.
Can carry more...but it's iffy.

Or a 500 Suzuki 2WD racing quad.
Adavantages...Where do I start? It's got it all. Speed, carry two with ease, Loves the mud. Faster than anything chasing you. When we are on these, security just tries to block us in...they don't chase. Stash gas in the field, run forever...or til dark.
Disadavnatages...You make a scene, and you axcess points are more limited. On these you can play with security, and we do, which just adds to the risk factor.

Each has it's time and place.
 
B

BOSCO

Now I want to share a few more tips about the ORV's

Sun Tzu said something along the lines of "He who's swords are sharp, horses well fed, and chariots in perfect order shall win the war" Or something along those lines..........

Put a visi-fuel on your bike, you have no idea how nerve racking it is breaking down with 5 wet lb's on your back, and these things are a must on an ORV. Use only gas from a clean container, I'm so anal with the cans I use during ops it's crazy. Keep your chain well lubed & adjusted, NEVER worn out chains or sprockets. Heavy duty tubes & tires are a must. Always have at the least vise grips & gorilla tape. Fresh top end is a must if it's a 2-stroke, no more than 30 hr's on rings 60hr's on pistons, always have two fresh plugs just in case. Check your bolts & tires before EVERY ride.

Dont forget to include a few spare split links for the chain and a chain breaking tool.
 

Slangheat

Member
I've got a raptor 700 that I've always wanted to use for some deep ass guerilla growing.

Had ideas of painting it all flat black getting a camo net and exhaust silencer etc.

I'd probably end up riding all day though and forget to tend to the plants :)
 
49cc scooter are a good alternative

49cc scooter are a good alternative

I think its more logistics than access per say. Because vehicle choice depends on your objectives planting, watering, harvesting.. etc. Also it depends on your sites location and other factors such as houses near your site, how loud your vehicle is.

If you live out in the country maybe none of this applies to you, but I grow in the suburbs and this is what I need to consider. When digging holes and admending soil I have to use a car to carry all my supplies, just no way around it. When I deposit my gear I do it at night, soil admendments and shit go into black bags so when I toss em into the weeds or a ditch by the side of the road they dont stand out. Tools too big for bags get thrown as far from the road as possible.

When I get rid of my gear I do it on a sterch of road where I can see headlights coming from either direction. It gives me the heads up, and allows me to have my cover ready, a small 2 gal gas can with a little amount of gas in it. When everythings out I drive my car down to an area with a good shoulder pull off take my gas can and collect my gear.

Last year I bought a 49cc scooter and used that to make my rounds. Its light on gas and easy to drag into the brush. It worked like a charm, quiet and it can go around 40-45 mph and gets like 60 to 80 gpm.

At harvest, I used the scooter to go cut and dry the harvest, but when the time comes to transport it out, the car is the way to go because it can hold more. Planned right and you can limit the use of your car to only 2-3 times a season. It all just depends on how much you want to put out.
 
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