The Scent of Danger: A ‘Ghost’ Story on Mobile Drying

It is Always Good to be Where They Are Not…Thieves That is…

I’ve spent years moving harvests in everything from backpacks to 28-foot trailers. When you’re hauling or drying your crop, you have to realize that you are a walking, or rolling “scent bomb.” The sent of danger!

I actually get so use to the smell, I can hardly smell it at times.

I remember one time I had a 28 ft. trailer literally stuffed with drying buds. And, yes, I could smell them! I was parked along a reservoir, tucked away (or so I thought). I was looking out the blinds when I saw a truck approaching. He drove slowly past, but then he stopped—right downwind of me.

The “Sniff Test”: Why You Never Ignore the Wind…The Ghost

Through the slats of the blinds, I watched him get out of his truck. He didn’t look at the water; he turned his head, tilted his chin up, and sniffed the air.

I knew exactly what he was smelling. To a most anyone that scent is unmistakable. One of the dangers of mobile drying.

The Ghost’s Escape Protocol:

• The “No-Halt” Rule: As soon as he got back in his truck and cleared the bend, I didn’t finish my coffee. I didn’t “wait and see.” I broke camp in record time and headed for a more remote spot miles away.
• The Downwind Trap: Always be aware of where your scent is “pooling.” In a canyon or near a body of water, the air can get trapped. If you’re drying in a trailer or a camper, you need to be in a spot with high “dispersal”—where the wind can tear that scent apart before it hits a nose. Or for instance it is blowing past you and out over water.
• The Move is the Shield: Your biggest advantage with a mobile setup is the “Mobile” part. If a spot feels “hot” or someone gets a whiff, don’t defend the spot. Abandon it. The plants are valuable, but your freedom is worth more.

Being a good steward of your operation means knowing when the game is up. If they’re sniffing the air, it’s time for you to be gone like the wind.