Step One: TAKE A QUICK INVENTORY

Look around the room and write down how much there is of each item, such as lights, fans, air conditioners, etc. Decide how many boxes you are going to need of each size. Make sure you also take note of how items are disassembled in order to reassemble them on the other end.

Step Two: SECURE YOUR PACKAGING

There are a lot of folks who sell boxes. However, my favorite is Home Depot. Not only do they have the cheapest boxes that I have found, they have small, medium, large, and extra-large boxes, including wardrobe boxes. They also have tape guns, bubble wrap, foam padding, plastic wrap, and several other helpful packaging solutions.

Step Three: BUBBLE WRAP IS YOUR BEST FRIEND

You can bubble-wrap many items in your grow room. This is the best approach for pH pens or meters, iceboxes, rope ratchets, pretty much anything small. Quickly wrap each item, hit it with a piece of tape, and into the box it goes. The bubble wrap will create a cushioned layer to protect these items as they all get stacked on top of each other in the box.

The main advantage here is speed because you can fill boxes and get stuff packed very quickly. I like the thicker bubble wrap because it provides more protection. A 4 foot wide roll costs about $80 at the UPS store. These big rolls go a long way, but one 12 light grow I know of required almost two rolls to get everything packed.

Step Four: PACKING YOUR LIGHTS

Reflectors can be too big for even the largest boxes. An Advanced Nutrients Uno Reflector is 39.5 inches long. However, you can still fit two in two boxes if you’re clever.

Place each reflector glass-to-glass with a piece of bubble wrap separating them. Wrap both reflectors at once with bubble wrap and slide them upright into your box. Then take a second box and slide it over the top like a beanie. Tape the two boxes together and voilá!

Step Five: PLUMBING, FRAMES, AND OTHER LONG ITEMS

Get yourself one of those giant 3 foot rolls of plastic wrap that movers use. It has an orange handle at each end for easy maneuvering and is very strong when wrapped tightly. Stand your long PVC pipes and other framing items together leaning against a wall and walk around them a few times with the plastic wrap. This turns them into a stable, easily lifted, easy-to-move item that can be loaded into a truck. A lot of these items don’t have a ton of weight to them; they are just long and awkward. Bunching them together is a great way to move quickly, turning dozens of trips into far fewer.

Step Six: PACKING YOUR NUTRIENTS AND LIQUIDS

Remember to use the small boxes for this, because liquids weigh a ton when packed together. In this case, a few extra trips to the van is better than having the box rip or your back break.

Step Seven: AIR CONDITIONERS AND OTHER BIG HARDWARE

We are all going to have an A/C or chiller, dehumidifiers, and other big electronics that are most likely going to need to be moved. For these, you need to go old-school and just cut boxes to fit. I would start with a couple of wraps of bubble wrap to insulate the device inside of the box. Then cut the box and wrap it around the item as best you can. Then cut another box and wrap around the other side, and just keep doing this until you are sure that the device is protected.

Step Eight: BREAKING DOWN TENTS

If you have tents, break them down and put all the poles in one pile, and the tent itself in another. You are going to either bubble-wrap or tape these poles together so that they are one piece. Then simply fold up the tent and put it into a box. Done.

Step Nine: PACKING UP RESERVOIRS

Reservoirs are a great place to pack other items since they are generally made of a strong plastic. Just take the time to dry your reservoir out entirely before boxing up other gear inside. You also might want to consider boxing up the reservoir if you like to keep your growing private.

Step Ten: PACKING PLANTS

Packaging plants is a special scenario, but sometimes needs to happen. For this, there is only one box that is going to stand up to the challenge: the wardrobe box. Wardrobe boxes come in a few different sizes, but the biggest one is about 4 feet tall and will hold up to four 5 gallon pots. This box is thick, strong, and kind of expensive, but your girls are worth it. You can even use the hanger bar at the top to tie the tops of your plants for added support on bumpy roads.

Step 11: RENT A TRUCK

It might be tempting to save a few bucks and make multiple trips in your personal vehicle. But even a nice-sized SUV is difficult to load and dangerous to drive when stacked completely full of grow gear. Which reminds us …

Step 12: DRIVE SAFELY

This goes without saying, but take extra care to follow all traffic rules when transporting all of this expensive equipment. If you get into an accident, your auto insurance might not cover items that are damaged.

Step 12: UNPACK

Hopefully, you have someplace prepared to take your grow op right away. But even if you can’t get back up and running immediately, be certain not to let your plants sit in dark boxes for more than 24 hours if you have any hope of saving that crop.

For more last minute moving tips, check out this article on how to bug out!

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