The Guerrilla Handbook - A future documentary in the making

[Team Microbe]

I've been growing for about 10 years now, and I've only seen a small handful of videos on guerrilla growing - Brown Dirt Warrior being the main person in mind. While giving my respect to BDW, I wanted to make a more detailed documentary on guerrilla growing. This will include a more behind-the-scenes look at the entire process from seedling to flower, everything in between and helpful hints I've learned over the years along the way. I'll be exposing myths, common mistakes, and hope to make this video as fail-proof as Murphy's Law allows for each guerrilla grower out there.... but I need some advice from other Outdoor growers on this one..

I'm going to make this for everyone, from simple things like Strain & Site Selection, to more advanced topics like how environment determines genetic expression. I'll be giving out my favorite soil mix, other soil mixes, IPM routines, compost tea recipes (I only use 2), and things of that nature. I'm no pro at this, but I think this type of video could be helpful to other people like me out there get to where they want to be in the Outdoor game...

The Guerrilla Handbook


Chapters

1. Pre-Season Preparation

2. Tools of the Trade

3. Site-Selection

4. Hiding in Plain Sight

5. Water Collection/Storage

6. Alibis & Unexpected Guests

7. The Dreaded Path

8. Payload Hauling and Vehicle Profiling

9. Drop-Sites

10. Germination, Cloning, and Transplanting

11. Soil vs. Synthetics

12. Soil Mixes

13. IPM Routines (Integrated Pest Management)

14. Compost Tea Brewing

15. Growing Your Own Nutrients

16. Hardening Clones Off

17. Transplanting: Timing & Techniques

18. Strain Selection, Latitude, and Finishing Times

19. Yields - The Hidden Truth

20. Important Points of Influence

21. How to Unlock Full Genetic Potential in Plants

22. How to Repel Deer and Other Animals

23. Training Techniques

24. Visiting Hours

25. Plant Diseases, Deficiencies, and Pests

26. Defeating Airborne Pathogens (Bud rot)

27. Security Devices (cameras, detectors)

28. Rippers, LEO, and Land Owners

29. Harvesting

31. Transporting Payloads

32. Drying

33. Traffic Stops & What Not To Do

34. The Perfect Cure

35. Common Mistakes



Am I missing anything ^ here?

 

[Team Microbe]

This will be a very detailed video, and I'm thinking of the best way of going about this. I don't want to just keep rambling on during the video, but I don't want it to be subtitles either so I might record over it with my voice as I'm watching it or something like that... what do you all think?

What would you like to see done in a video like this?

Am I missing anything here? I'm not sure how long I'll spend on each chapter, maybe between 30 seconds and a few minutes... depending on how important it is. For things like Shopping List and Recipes I'll simply be posting a screen shot for a few seconds so that should allow me to spend more time on things in the field where I'll be filming with the GoPro.

The only downfall about something like this is the risk of the SD card falling into the wrong hands pretty much. I'll be bringing 2 with me every time I film, and after filming for the documentary I'll switch it out with another one that has nature footage on it.

I want to go behind the scenes, under the radar, and into the life of a guerrilla all while sharing how I do things and what I've learned the hard way along the way. I want this to get the guerrilla blood pumping in every guerrilla that watches it over the winter, and motivates them to put in work that following spring...

 

[Team Microbe]

bump

 

[BigNoise]

This sounds awesome.

I would think a combination of talking on camera and narrating after would be best. The amount of in field audio should depend on how high quality your camera is.

 

[Team Microbe]

It'll be the new Go Pro, it has decent audio recording on it so it should be fine. I realize that the legalization wave is sweeping over the States right now but I know there are still a ton of guerrillas out there in the other states still doing their thing, you don't think it's not too late to make a video like this is it?

 

[ghostmade]

Yes sir awsome!such a brilliant idea! Seems like you got all the base's covered.im tagged along

 

[potty1]

Sounds good friend.
There were a couple of guys doing this in the uk (he posted as buddymate on here) But they have dropped of the face of the Internet.
Always enjoy watching how other people do things.
Go for it!

 

[DuskrayTroubador]

What is the volume of that gas container?

I've never thought of it, but that's a much better way to haul water than milk jugs. Milk jugs will collapse under weight of other jugs, leading to water leaks and, because of their shape, are harder to dip into shallow creeks.

And for what it's worth, though legalization may be sweeping across the states, the war is FAR from over. Many states have no-grow or shitty grow laws, the black market (often) has better quality and prices than the legal market (one of the things that really grinds my gears about legalization is all of the daddy's money pussies who never had the balls to grow before are all jumping on the train now, throwing their daddy's money into warehouses and dispensaries thinking they can produce top-shelf dank right off the bat by virtue of investing a ton of money), and of course the whole LEAR thing that went on this year in NorCal.

There will be guerrillas for some time to come.

And, for what it's worth, even after the war is over, it won't be over. Full legalization will just be (sadly, in the current society that we live in) an open invitation to all the robber barons of our time, high atop their capitalist towers to jump into the market and flood it with a bunch of fucking monsanto-esque ditchweed. Personally, I'd rather take the risks and grow my own than surrender myself to padding their pockets by paying inflated prices for their fucking shit. If you think you'll be getting plain, good ol' weed from corporations, you're naive. That ditchweed is gonna come with all sorts of fucking additives. I wouldn't be surprised if they somehow found out a way to put high fructose corn syrup in it.

I assume even with "legalization" grow laws (for the common folk) will always be shitty. There will always be guerrillas.

 

[Payaso]

Great idea for a video!

Having made a few myself, I have a couple of suggestions.

Before you start filming have an outline of what you want, the storyboard. Shows what goes where in what order...

Also you have too many chapters. Some of them are sub-headings of the others... go over it and simplify it.

Simple is best.

You are trying to teach something so eliminate any off topic stories, anecdotes, drama or otherwise distracting (and time-consuming) footage...

Edit it.

Voice overs are great, because it is hard to stay focused on a script while filming. Also, your voice into a microphone and edited over the footage later will sound better, and clearer. You can also go over it a few times until it is perfect before the final version.

BrownDirtWarrior would be happy to see you do this I am sure! I have that video...watched it several times. It was a big step up from "Guerrilla Growing" by Cervantes.

 

[vostok]

Chapter 42. Phones, Cameras and Technology....???

 

[Team Microbe]

Sounds good friend.
There were a couple of guys doing this in the uk (he posted as buddymate on here) But they have dropped of the face of the Internet.
Always enjoy watching how other people do things.
Go for it!

I don't be going anywhere near his volume of production, but Buddy has been a huge inspiration to me as well man. He's gotta think to himself "why am I risking my livelihood with these pictures?!" after he gets away with it all and crops out with 100's of pounds. I'd probably do the same thing

I want to make sure I do this correctly though, that includes covering any tracks left during the making of the video. My buddy is a computer geek and told me to upload the video to YouTube at the library, and don't put anything on my computer of my activities. It def raises the risk factors for my 2015 season, but the principal is worth the risk to me.

What is the volume of that gas container?

I've never thought of it, but that's a much better way to haul water than milk jugs. Milk jugs will collapse under weight of other jugs, leading to water leaks and, because of their shape, are harder to dip into shallow creeks.

And for what it's worth, though legalization may be sweeping across the states, the war is FAR from over. Many states have no-grow or shitty grow laws, the black market (often) has better quality and prices than the legal market (one of the things that really grinds my gears about legalization is all of the daddy's money pussies who never had the balls to grow before are all jumping on the train now, throwing their daddy's money into warehouses and dispensaries thinking they can produce top-shelf dank right off the bat by virtue of investing a ton of money), and of course the whole LEAR thing that went on this year in NorCal.

There will be guerrillas for some time to come.

And, for what it's worth, even after the war is over, it won't be over. Full legalization will just be (sadly, in the current society that we live in) an open invitation to all the robber barons of our time, high atop their capitalist towers to jump into the market and flood it with a bunch of fucking monsanto-esque ditchweed. Personally, I'd rather take the risks and grow my own than surrender myself to padding their pockets by paying inflated prices for their fucking shit. If you think you'll be getting plain, good ol' weed from corporations, you're naive. That ditchweed is gonna come with all sorts of fucking additives. I wouldn't be surprised if they somehow found out a way to put high fructose corn syrup in it.

I assume even with "legalization" grow laws (for the common folk) will always be shitty. There will always be guerrillas.

It's a 6 gallon water container I found in the camping isle at Wal-Mart, they're GREAT bro. I used to lug 5 gallon buckets a mile to my grow and now I can carry 2 of these with way less effort since they're not brushing up against my legs. Perfect ergonomics for the grower that needs to hike water.

Very valid points as well man, well said
I was surprised how pricey shit went for in CO last January... black market prices were cheaper! That's when I saw a future in this type of career. Well, at least a temporary future to get where I wanna be. The pride and self respect this brings a grower is unreal, I've never felt so good about what I do... I just wanna help others jump the hurdles every guerrilla has to jump a little bit easier, and I think exposing a lot of common mistakes and tips will accomplish that pretty well...

Great idea for a video!

Having made a few myself, I have a couple of suggestions.

Before you start filming have an outline of what you want, the storyboard. Shows what goes where in what order...

Also you have too many chapters. Some of them are sub-headings of the others... go over it and simplify it.

Simple is best.

You are trying to teach something so eliminate any off topic stories, anecdotes, drama or otherwise distracting (and time-consuming) footage...

Edit it.

Voice overs are great, because it is hard to stay focused on a script while filming. Also, your voice into a microphone and edited over the footage later will sound better, and clearer. You can also go over it a few times until it is perfect before the final version.

BrownDirtWarrior would be happy to see you do this I am sure! I have that video...watched it several times. It was a big step up from "Guerrilla Growing" by Cervantes.

You have?! Is there anywhere I can watch one or two of em?

Great insight, I'll make sure to layout everything I want to be done and said beforehand and I'll take your advice on recording clear voice overs. I can just picture myself going over and over in the field trying to explain something when I should be getting out there and stop dicking around. That's my main concern, that this will get in the way of the task at hand here but I think if I simply record stuff on the GoPro and go back to mess with it later I'll be able to get shit done like I need to.

I was thinking the same thing, too many chapters but like you said, there are a lot of chapters that can be mended into one here. I think I'll do that after I compile everything I want covered into a list, then go from there. While I have a profound respect for BDW, this won't be a film showing off my work out routine or one giving out anecdotes like his Advanced Nutrient claims... it'll be real life agriculture and real life scenarios for suburban guerrillas alike, and hopefully it can make them think of some things they wouldn't have thought of before, or prevent them from making mistakes I so casually made in my years starting out.

I've gotta figure out if YouTube is a safe platform to post this on as well, I can't have this coming back to haunt me...

 

[Team Microbe]

Chapter 42. Phones, Cameras and Technology....???

That's a good point to bring up, you mean like geo-tracking and exif data in photos?

I'll def make it apparent that removing cell phone batteries before entering the general grow site area is important, and to never take pictures from a camera phone. I might have a chapter all on technology that the grower should harness, as well as the stuff they should stay away from like phones.

Great advice Vostok

 

[DONAJTHEIII]

im totally pumped for this !


AJAE

 

[The Revolution]

This is a great idea. I thought about doing this in the past. Kinda like the mega thread by julian but less cryptic with more direct info on guerilla growing. Ive been using this outdoor method since I started growing 16 years ago. Im still learning with every season. Every crop brings new obstacles and lessons. Im capable, as im sure you too are, of conveying loads of valuable info N tips for the guerilla grower. If you need any help writing up certain topics or chapters I would love to assist you in this? Are u consideri g a video or thread or both? Id like to put together a huge book. Something like the guerilla growers bible a comprehensive and massive book cover all things related to outdoor guerilla growing.
I like your idea of a video. As you said, there's rly none out there besides bdw vids. Which are more dramatic and movie like than informative and educational. Keep us posted on your progression. If you didnt mention it I would also cover prevention of bugs, molds, and other pests. Diagnosis and treatment of plant diseases and nutrient issues. There's so much info to cover if you want a thorough guide. This could turn into a massive project. Props to you if you're planning to do this along side a substantial outdoor grow. Good luck brother and be safe out there.

 

[Team Microbe]

REvolution -

I was thinking this thread would be a great place to gather that type of input actually, but I was going to focus on making a video that I could just throw on YouTube or Vimeo for people to watch. It's going to be better than Brown Dirt's and it's going to be free because selling something like this would be selfish I think. I think I won't put a lot of effort into going out of my way in the field, but will put the real work into editing and doing voice overs to the footage. The only difference is I'll be strapping a camera to my chest before doing anything worth seeing. I will cover bacterial/fungal diseases and pests, this is going to be an organic guide for the most part I think. I'll be comparing conventional Ag and soil briefly but that's about it when it comes to synthetics. I'd like to make a thread with a link to the video in the first post eventually, and maybe some discussion/exposure will be seen from that. Idk where else I would get the link out to anyone... asides from maybe Grasscity but I don't post there often so this will be mainly for growers on the good ole' IC Mag. It might be a bust, or it might turn out great... I have high hopes for this project though. I know I have the time to carry it out... that's for sure lol

If you want to post it right here that would be great man. You have a lot of years on me, any tips or hints you may have would be of big value to me. I appreciate it!


That goes for anyone else as well, if you have any guerrilla tips/tricks of the trade to add to this movie - please don't hesitate to share them below

 

[BigNoise]

Free would be cool, but at least put it out in a way where people can donate/pay what they want. I guarantee people will throw a few bucks your way.

 

[iTarzan]

These are the water containers I used and mentioned in the other thread.

Coleman 5 Gallon Collapsible Water Jug

https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...Jw&ei=G4_eVOTLBdCUsQTa-4L4DA&ved=0CJMBEKYrMAM

You set it on the ground next to the plant and open the tap for however much you need. No lift and pouring.

 

[budman678]

This is a great idea. I for one have never attempted to grow outside. Mainly bc I don't know the best spot. Should I do it in a park, private land, my land etc etc.

If you set up a PO box or something I would send cash or MO

 

[tropicannayeah]

A video is a great idea as it seems that so much of new information nowadays comes from video not text....a video would reach a larger audience.

I've grown guerrilla every year for a few decades and I too learn something new every year.

Here's a couple of helpful hints that come to mind....

Trodden down paths that lead to your plots are something you really need to prevent. Grass and other vegetation quickly becomes dead when walked on just a few times.Try doing this as soon as the plot is selected for growing, not later. Place rocks, logs etc on your "path" or paths at step or jump intervals. This way there won't be a very visible track leading rippers, pilots, hunters, police, bush walkers, land owners and others directly to your grow.

Plot selection.....the very healthiest plants I grow are in plots where a huge fallen tree has or is rotting. Not only is the soil under and right beside the tree will be full of worms and rich in nutrients, when a huge tree falls, there's a bigger opening for the sun too.

Watering is always hard work in the dry hot months, but site selection comes in to play here too...the best plots are those close to swamps or beside creeks....Although I had an almost perfect year for weather in 2014, some plots in a forest still required watering several times per week during the hot months but the ones at the edge of a swamp were only watered when I was giving them fertilizer teas. The next best plots are at the bottom of hills, valleys or where ever water flows to. The next best potential plots are where native plants stayed greener, healthier and wilt free at the end of hot, dry months.

Happy Growing

 

[Team Microbe]

Free would be cool, but at least put it out in a way where people can donate/pay what they want. I guarantee people will throw a few bucks your way.

Eh, I'm not about the $$$ more so about the principal behind growing in the wild. I don't think I'd accept any money for the video... I'd enjoy making it and I love what I do for a living - it gets me by just fine, greed is for the working man IMO

These are the water containers I used and mentioned in the other thread.

Coleman 5 Gallon Collapsible Water Jug

https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...Jw&ei=G4_eVOTLBdCUsQTa-4L4DA&ved=0CJMBEKYrMAM

You set it on the ground next to the plant and open the tap for however much you need. No lift and pouring.

I like that! Never seen those things before...

This is a great idea. I for one have never attempted to grow outside. Mainly bc I don't know the best spot. Should I do it in a park, private land, my land etc etc.

If you set up a PO box or something I would send cash or MO

It all depends on the situation pretty much - you can grow in all of these places but I'd suggest not growing on your own land unless you have a large parcel and space plants out to the point of not having to worry about fly overs. State parks are good if you go to untraveled areas like swamps or bogs, private land is usually the best bet unless the land owner is a hunter. Usually people don't trespass when signs are posted, so you only have to worry about the land owner finding the patch(es). I do research at my local tax office before committing towards a big grow, they will tell you who owns the land and where the property boundaries are - people go into these tax offices every day to look at maps and it's completely legal, so if you act like you're a hunter respecting land boundaries they won't think twice when you ask about certain locations and who owns the property. You can do it, just cover your tracks and think like a cop or a person looking for plants. It's all about psychology...

A video is a great idea as it seems that so much of new information nowadays comes from video not text....a video would reach a larger audience.

I've grown guerrilla every year for a few decades and I too learn something new every year.

Here's a couple of helpful hints that come to mind....

Trodden down paths that lead to your plots are something you really need to prevent. Grass and other vegetation quickly becomes dead when walked on just a few times.Try doing this as soon as the plot is selected for growing, not later. Place rocks, logs etc on your "path" or paths at step or jump intervals. This way there won't be a very visible track leading rippers, pilots, hunters, police, bush walkers, land owners and others directly to your grow.

Plot selection.....the very healthiest plants I grow are in plots where a huge fallen tree has or is rotting. Not only is the soil under and right beside the tree will be full of worms and rich in nutrients, when a huge tree falls, there's a bigger opening for the sun too.

Watering is always hard work in the dry hot months, but site selection comes in to play here too...the best plots are those close to swamps or beside creeks....Although I had an almost perfect year for weather in 2014, some plots in a forest still required watering several times per week during the hot months but the ones at the edge of a swamp were only watered when I was giving them fertilizer teas. The next best plots are at the bottom of hills, valleys or where ever water flows to. The next best potential plots are where native plants stayed greener, healthier and wilt free at the end of hot, dry months.

Happy Growing

Thanks for stopping in Tropicannayeah, great tips as well!

My first grow had a path leading straight to it, and it got ripped at the end of the season bc of it. That was a hard lesson to learn, and a lot of flower to lose at the time. I have actually had the most success in these swamp locations bc of the water availability; I had 2 spots on each side of a train track this past year - one was upland in a lush overgrowth, while the other was in a bacterial dominant grassland/swamp that had ground water all year round. I was hauling water to the upland patch all summer while the swamp patch never needed a drop! I was in disbelief, and realized where the best spot to plant was come next year. That upland patch ended up being compromised due to a poacher (he stole my game camera) so that's out of the picture this year. I had most of the plants in the swamp on the south side of a tree line, and I plopped one single plant next to a downed tree, like you suggested above. The plant next to the tree yielded 3x as much as the other tree-line plants...


(what the tree-line location looked like)



(and what the fallen tree area looked like)

The plant next to the tree no only had added cover from the tree, but clearly more nutrients and carbon to eat from the soil... this swamp grow was planted way late (Aug 1st) and this plant still performed well - I got 7 ounces out of her still!




I think the full sun the downed tree provided really boosted yields for this plant. That, and the surrounding soil was rich and moist in the spring when I planted. I'll include this location and your tip in the video, it's too good not to IMO