Scavenging¶
A shoreline loop can supply a kitchen, part of a workshop or the beginning of a question. I take a little free space in the pack and see what is worth trying.
Metal detecting¶
Use an ordinary metal detector to find and mark a signal, then dig the flag with a shovel. A completed ordinary dig supplies a practical stack and another selected find. Equipment, publications and unusual items vary with the country around you: a rail crossing, jungle riverbank, workshop or beach can reward a different search. Eligible material once dropped and lost by another traveller can be an additional recovery.
The ground around a dig changes its possible supplies. When several surroundings overlap, one matching supply family is selected; their rewards are not multiplied together.
A detector can also recover eligible items previously dropped and lost to despawning, or other deliberately buried finds. A find is recovered once; locations can have cooldowns and wipe-scoped depletion.
A normal completed dig provides practical supplies plus another selected reward. A missing detector signal is different from a completed dig; move and search the surroundings. Successful digs can also reveal a gemstone.
Remote, extreme terrain can yield a rare treasure chest. The finder and their current Rust teammates have 120 seconds of exclusive access before it becomes public; it expires after 20 minutes. Possible premium rewards include Bicycle Generator; Gold-pressed Latinum; Oil Tap; Personal Recycler.
| Search area | Possible supplies |
|---|---|
| Trail ends | Low Grade Fuel; Metal Fragments; Rope; Scrap; Tarp |
| City centers | Gears; Metal Fragments; Road Signs; Scrap; Sewing Kit; Tech Trash |
| Graveyards | Bone Fragments; Cloth; High Quality Metal; Human Skull; Low Grade Fuel |
| Surroundings | Practical supplies and equipment | Occasional special finds |
|---|---|---|
| Open ground | A traveller's hatchet; An old prospector's pick; Bandage; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Fragments; Rope; Scrap; Sewing Kit; Somebody's favourite hoodie | A carefully wrapped revolver; A missing expedition pack; A Pocket Argument with Waste; Dirty Secrets; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar; The Gentleman's Workshop |
| Desert | A courier's battered revolver; A desert rambler's shorts; A sun-bleached surveyor's hat; Can of Beans; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Fragments; Metal Pipe; Scrap; Tarp | A wrapped survey optic; Improvised Water Catcher; Material Handling for Beginners; Oil Tap; Rusty Crowbar; The Dry Man's Pump; The Small Honest Lamp; The surveyor's last argument |
| Temperate ground | A gardener's Sunday jacket; A smallholder's hatchet; A well-used camp knife; Cloth; Metal Blade; Metal Fragments; Rope; Scrap; Sewing Kit | A homesteader's missing chainsaw; A Second Career for Supper; A weekend expedition pack; Ethical Hunting Techniques; Improvised Hunting Knife; Remodeling Hammer; The Smallholder's Primer |
| Tundra | A long-distance walker's boots; A survey camp's spare pick; A trapper's patched coat; High Quality Metal; Large Medkit; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Fragments; Scrap; Sewing Kit | A lookout's cached rifle; A weatherproof survey lamp; Improvised Hunting Knife; Instructions for Negotiating with Bears; Snow Shoes; The Petition of the Frozen Foot; The Small Honest Lamp |
| Snow country | A glaciologist's ice pick; A polar traveller's boots; An expedition quartermaster's coat; High Quality Metal; Low Grade Fuel; Medical Syringe; Metal Fragments; Scrap; Sewing Kit | A polar lookout's rifle; An expedition guard's chest plate; Emergency Medicine Without a Hospital; Oil Tap; Rural Generation and Battery Storage; Snow Shoes; The Petition of the Frozen Foot; Zip Shot |
| Jungle | A botanist's field knife; A moss-stained expedition hat; A surveyor's forgotten pick; Medical Syringe; Metal Blade; Metal Fragments; Rope; Scrap; Sewing Kit | A canopy research pack; A river guide's pump shotgun; Dirty Magnet; Ethical Hunting Techniques; Improvised Hunting Knife; The Dolittle Effect; Toward Not Drowning |
| Beach | A beachcomber's holiday shorts; A faded fishing-club cap; A sailor's rigging knife; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Blade; Metal Fragments; Rope; Scrap; Sewing Kit | A Better Line; A holiday that never came home; A smuggler's wax-wrapped Python; Dirty Magnet; Diver's Flare; Improved Fishing Rod; Rusty Crowbar; Small Engines and Salvage at Sea; Toward Not Drowning |
| Ocean shore | A deckhand's salt-pitted knife; A harbour pilot's sun hat; A trawler crewman's shore jacket; Gears; High Quality Metal; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Pipe; Rope; Scrap | A Light Below; A sealed captain's sidearm; A shipwatcher's optic; Diver's Flare; Improved Fishing Rod; Practical Boatbuilding; Propane Lung; Small Engines and Salvage at Sea |
| Riverbank | A ferryman's working knife; A river guide's lucky hat; An angler's riverbank boots; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Fragments; Metal Pipe; Rope; Scrap; Sewing Kit | A Better Line; A ferryman's hidden revolver; A lost canoe expedition pack; Dirty Magnet; Improved Fishing Rod; Improvised Water Catcher; Irrigation and Water Management; Toward Not Drowning |
| Lakeside | A camper's lake-shore hatchet; A fisherman's warm hoodie; A lakeside holiday cap; Can of Tuna; Metal Fragments; Metal Pipe; Rope; Scrap; Tarp | A Better Line; A cabin owner's wrapped shotgun; A picnic with ambitious packing; Dirty Magnet; Improved Fishing Rod; The Smallholder's Primer; Toward Not Drowning |
| Caves | A mine inspector's old helmet; A miner's cached pickaxe; A survey team's spare pick; Gears; High Quality Metal; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Blade; Metal Fragments; Scrap | A cave surveyor's weapon lamp; A Light Below; A prospector's abandoned jackhammer; Listening for Fire Underground; Material Handling for Beginners; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar |
| Railway | A railway signalman's jacket; A section gang's hatchet; A trackworker's missing hammer; Gears; Metal Fragments; Metal Pipe; Metal Spring; Scrap; Sheet Metal | A padded freight-crate optic; A railway paymaster's sidearm; Combustion Sensor; High-Tolerance Engine Rebuilds; Industrial Logic and Automated Fabrication; Material Handling for Beginners; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar |
| Roadside | A courier's road-worn boots; A glovebox revolver; A motorist's breakdown jacket; Gears; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Fragments; Metal Pipe; Road Signs; Scrap | A hitchhiker's last good bag; A recovery driver's heavy sidearm; High-Tolerance Engine Rebuilds; Modular Vehicles for Bad Roads; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar; The Motorist's Field Manual |
| Trails | A camper's marked hatchet; A hiker's repaired hoodie; A trail warden's broken-in boots; Large Medkit; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Fragments; Rope; Scrap; Sewing Kit | A trail warden's sealed Python; An expedition leader's supply pack; Ethical Hunting Techniques; Improvised Hunting Knife; Instructions for Negotiating with Bears; Snow Shoes; The Small Honest Lamp |
| Forest | A hunter's camp knife; A mushroom hunter's patched hoodie; A woodsman's marked hatchet; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Blade; Metal Fragments; Rope; Scrap; Sewing Kit | A forester's canvas-wrapped chainsaw; A gamekeeper's winter rifle; Ethical Hunting Techniques; Improvised Hunting Knife; Instructions for Negotiating with Bears; Rusty Crowbar; The Smallholder's Primer |
| Swamps | A marsh surveyor's stubborn boots; A mosquito-bitten field hat; A reed cutter's field knife; Bandage; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Fragments; Metal Pipe; Scrap; Sewing Kit | A marsh keeper's pump shotgun; A mud-sealed heavy revolver; Dirty Magnet; Emergency Medicine Without a Hospital; Improvised Hunting Knife; Lemmon 714 Pills; The Dolittle Effect; Toward Not Drowning |
| Mountains | A climber's trusted ice pick; A mountaineer's repair-patched coat; A surveyor's high-country boots; Gears; High Quality Metal; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Fragments; Rope; Scrap | A high-country prospector's jackhammer; A ridge watchman's rifle; Snow Shoes; The Compass That Lies Sideways; The Petition of the Frozen Foot; The Small Honest Lamp |
| Industrial ground | A fitter's numbered hammer; A plant mechanic's work jacket; A shift foreman's tool; Gears; Metal Fragments; Metal Spring; Scrap; Sheet Metal; Tech Trash | A prototype shop's boxed optic; A Small Book of Applied Sparks; Combustion Sensor; I Smelt That; Industrial Logic and Automated Fabrication; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar; The workshop's missing jackhammer |
| Recently lost property | A traveller's hatchet; An old prospector's pick; Bandage; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Fragments; Rope; Scrap; Sewing Kit; Somebody's favourite hoodie | A carefully wrapped revolver; A missing expedition pack; A Pocket Argument with Waste; Dirty Secrets; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar; The Gentleman's Workshop |
| Military sites | 5.56 Rifle Ammo; A checkpoint officer's pistol; A perimeter guard's helmet; A sentry's repainted vest; High Quality Metal; Medical Syringe; Metal Spring; Scrap; Semi Automatic Body | A former sentry's chest plate; A guard's carefully wrapped face mask; An armourer's sealed MP5; Defensive Engineering for Temporary Settlements; Shotspotter; The Handloader's Primer; Zip Shot |
| Airfields | A ground crew chief's jacket; A pilot's survival pistol; An airfield marshal's helmet; Gears; High Quality Metal; Low Grade Fuel; Scrap; Sheet Metal; Tech Trash | A flight technician's boxed sight; An airfield security cache; Combustion Sensor; Emergency Medicine Without a Hospital; High-Tolerance Engine Rebuilds; Remodeling Hammer; RF for Isolated Settlements; Zip Shot |
| Harbors | A dock foreman's shore jacket; A shipwright's lost hammer; A stevedore's rigging knife; Gears; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Pipe; Rope; Scrap; Sheet Metal | A harbourmaster's locker sidearm; A ship spotter's cached optic; Diver's Flare; Material Handling for Beginners; Practical Boatbuilding; Propane Lung; Rusty Crowbar; Small Engines and Salvage at Sea |
| Fishing sites | A fisherman's going-ashore jacket; A net mender's knife; An old fishing captain's lucky hat; Can of Tuna; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Blade; Metal Fragments; Rope; Scrap | A Better Line; A boatman's wrapped double barrel; A tidewatcher's loaded kit bag; Dirty Magnet; Diver's Flare; Improved Fishing Rod; Practical Boatbuilding; Toward Not Drowning |
| Lighthouses | A lamp tender's working knife; A lighthouse keeper's shore coat; A relief keeper's cap; Gears; High Quality Metal; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Fragments; Scrap; Tech Trash | A Light Below; A supply boat captain's sidearm; Combustion Sensor; Diver's Flare; Propane Lung; RF for Isolated Settlements; The keeper's stormwatch optic; The Small Honest Lamp |
| Towns | A commuter's forgotten jacket; A delivery driver's club cap; A shopkeeper's best shirt; Gears; Large Medkit; Metal Fragments; Road Signs; Scrap; Sewing Kit | A Pocket Argument with Waste; A shopkeeper's under-counter revolver; A traveller's missing luggage; Dirty Secrets; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar; The Gentleman's Workshop |
| Quarries | A blast surveyor's rock pick; A quarry inspector's helmet; A quarryman's marked pick; Gears; High Quality Metal; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Fragments; Metal Pipe; Scrap | A pit foreman's emergency jackhammer; A quarry camp's spare chainsaw; I Smelt That; Listening for Fire Underground; Material Handling for Beginners; Oil Tap; Remodeling Hammer |
| Junkyards | A breaker's paint-marked hammer; A crusher operator's work jacket; A scrapyard owner's good hatchet; Gears; Metal Fragments; Metal Pipe; Metal Spring; Scrap; Semi Automatic Body | A Pocket Argument with Waste; A salvaged and serviced chainsaw; Dirty Magnet; High-Tolerance Engine Rebuilds; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar; The breaker's hidden Python; The Gearhead Bible |
| Power facilities | A lineworker's missing hammer; A station safety officer's helmet; A turbine technician's jacket; Anti-Radiation Pills; Gears; High Quality Metal; Metal Fragments; Scrap; Tech Trash | A Small Book of Applied Sparks; A station guard's chest plate; A test range's calibrated sight; Combustion Sensor; Remodeling Hammer; Rural Generation and Battery Storage; The Electrician's Primer; Zip Shot |
| Research facilities | A field researcher's off-duty coat; A laboratory guard's sidearm; A specimen collector's boots; Anti-Radiation Pills; CCTV Camera; High Quality Metal; Medical Syringe; Scrap; Tech Trash | A research security team's spare MP5; A wrapped prototype sight; Combustion Sensor; Remote Observation and Unattended Stations; The Compass That Lies Sideways; The Quantum Tinker; Zip Shot |
| Farms | A farmhand's Sunday hat; A milkman's good boots; A smallholder's fence-line hatchet; Gears; Metal Blade; Metal Fragments; Metal Pipe; Scrap; Sewing Kit | A farmer's wrapped chainsaw; A homestead's old double barrel; Improvised Water Catcher; Irrigation and Water Management; Remodeling Hammer; The Dry Man's Pump; The Smallholder's Primer |
| Ruins | A caretaker's forgotten revolver; A former tenant's Sunday coat; A restoration worker's hatchet; Gears; High Quality Metal; Metal Fragments; Road Signs; Scrap; Sewing Kit | A careful evacuation pack; A masked stranger's keepsake; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar; The Compass That Lies Sideways; The Gentleman's Workshop; The Tell-Tale Crust |
| Rail facilities | A railway signalman's jacket; A section gang's hatchet; A trackworker's missing hammer; Gears; Metal Fragments; Metal Pipe; Metal Spring; Scrap; Sheet Metal | A padded freight-crate optic; A railway paymaster's sidearm; Combustion Sensor; High-Tolerance Engine Rebuilds; Industrial Logic and Automated Fabrication; Material Handling for Beginners; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar |
| Launch Site | 5.56 Rifle Ammo; A checkpoint officer's pistol; A fitter's numbered hammer; A perimeter guard's helmet; A plant mechanic's work jacket; A sentry's repainted vest; A shift foreman's tool; Gears; High Quality Metal; Medical Syringe; Metal Fragments; Metal Spring; Scrap; Semi Automatic Body; Sheet Metal; Tech Trash | A former sentry's chest plate; A guard's carefully wrapped face mask; A prototype shop's boxed optic; A Small Book of Applied Sparks; An armourer's sealed MP5; Combustion Sensor; Defensive Engineering for Temporary Settlements; I Smelt That; Industrial Logic and Automated Fabrication; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar; Shotspotter; The Handloader's Primer; The workshop's missing jackhammer; Zip Shot |
| Water Treatment | A ferryman's working knife; A fitter's numbered hammer; A plant mechanic's work jacket; A river guide's lucky hat; A shift foreman's tool; An angler's riverbank boots; Gears; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Fragments; Metal Pipe; Metal Spring; Rope; Scrap; Sewing Kit; Sheet Metal; Tech Trash | A Better Line; A ferryman's hidden revolver; A lost canoe expedition pack; A prototype shop's boxed optic; A Small Book of Applied Sparks; Combustion Sensor; Dirty Magnet; I Smelt That; Improved Fishing Rod; Improvised Water Catcher; Industrial Logic and Automated Fabrication; Irrigation and Water Management; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar; The workshop's missing jackhammer; Toward Not Drowning |
| Train Yard | A railway signalman's jacket; A section gang's hatchet; A shift foreman's tool; A trackworker's missing hammer; Gears; Metal Fragments; Metal Pipe; Metal Spring; Scrap; Sheet Metal; Tech Trash | A padded freight-crate optic; A railway paymaster's sidearm; A Small Book of Applied Sparks; Combustion Sensor; High-Tolerance Engine Rebuilds; I Smelt That; Industrial Logic and Automated Fabrication; Material Handling for Beginners; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar; The workshop's missing jackhammer |
| Satellite Dish | A field researcher's off-duty coat; A laboratory guard's sidearm; A lineworker's missing hammer; A specimen collector's boots; A station safety officer's helmet; Anti-Radiation Pills; CCTV Camera; Gears; High Quality Metal; Medical Syringe; Metal Fragments; Scrap; Tech Trash | A research security team's spare MP5; A Small Book of Applied Sparks; A station guard's chest plate; A wrapped prototype sight; Combustion Sensor; Remodeling Hammer; Remote Observation and Unattended Stations; Rural Generation and Battery Storage; The Compass That Lies Sideways; The Electrician's Primer; The Quantum Tinker; Zip Shot |
| Arctic Research Base | A field researcher's off-duty coat; A glaciologist's ice pick; A laboratory guard's sidearm; A specimen collector's boots; An expedition quartermaster's coat; Anti-Radiation Pills; CCTV Camera; High Quality Metal; Low Grade Fuel; Medical Syringe; Metal Fragments; Scrap; Sewing Kit; Tech Trash | A polar lookout's rifle; A research security team's spare MP5; A wrapped prototype sight; An expedition guard's chest plate; Combustion Sensor; Emergency Medicine Without a Hospital; Oil Tap; Remote Observation and Unattended Stations; Rural Generation and Battery Storage; Snow Shoes; The Compass That Lies Sideways; The Petition of the Frozen Foot; The Quantum Tinker; Zip Shot |
| Military Tunnels | 5.56 Rifle Ammo; A checkpoint officer's pistol; A miner's cached pickaxe; A perimeter guard's helmet; A sentry's repainted vest; A survey team's spare pick; Gears; High Quality Metal; Low Grade Fuel; Medical Syringe; Metal Blade; Metal Fragments; Metal Spring; Scrap; Semi Automatic Body | A cave surveyor's weapon lamp; A former sentry's chest plate; A guard's carefully wrapped face mask; A Light Below; A prospector's abandoned jackhammer; An armourer's sealed MP5; Defensive Engineering for Temporary Settlements; Listening for Fire Underground; Material Handling for Beginners; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar; Shotspotter; The Handloader's Primer; Zip Shot |
| Cities | A commuter's forgotten jacket; A delivery driver's club cap; A shopkeeper's best shirt; Gears; Large Medkit; Metal Fragments; Road Signs; Scrap; Sewing Kit | A Pocket Argument with Waste; A shopkeeper's under-counter revolver; A traveller's missing luggage; Dirty Secrets; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar; The Gentleman's Workshop |
| Graveyards | A gravedigger's best coat; A groundskeeper's small hatchet; A mourner's good shirt; Cloth; Gears; High Quality Metal; Metal Fragments; Scrap; Sewing Kit | A tightly wrapped old revolver; A watchman's final keepsake; Lemmon 714 Pills; Rusty Crowbar; The Gentleman's Workshop; The Hand I Left in the Tube; The Tell-Tale Crust |
| Trail sites | A camper's marked hatchet; A hiker's repaired hoodie; A trail warden's broken-in boots; Large Medkit; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Fragments; Rope; Scrap; Sewing Kit | A trail warden's sealed Python; An expedition leader's supply pack; Ethical Hunting Techniques; Improvised Hunting Knife; Instructions for Negotiating with Bears; Snow Shoes; The Small Honest Lamp |
| Ruined sites | A caretaker's forgotten revolver; A former tenant's Sunday coat; A restoration worker's hatchet; Gears; High Quality Metal; Metal Fragments; Road Signs; Scrap; Sewing Kit | A careful evacuation pack; A masked stranger's keepsake; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar; The Compass That Lies Sideways; The Gentleman's Workshop; The Tell-Tale Crust |
| Industrial sites | A fitter's numbered hammer; A plant mechanic's work jacket; A shift foreman's tool; Gears; Metal Fragments; Metal Spring; Scrap; Sheet Metal; Tech Trash | A prototype shop's boxed optic; A Small Book of Applied Sparks; Combustion Sensor; I Smelt That; Industrial Logic and Automated Fabrication; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar; The workshop's missing jackhammer |
| Harbor sites | A dock foreman's shore jacket; A shipwright's lost hammer; A stevedore's rigging knife; Gears; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Pipe; Rope; Scrap; Sheet Metal | A harbourmaster's locker sidearm; A ship spotter's cached optic; Diver's Flare; Material Handling for Beginners; Practical Boatbuilding; Propane Lung; Rusty Crowbar; Small Engines and Salvage at Sea |
| Cave sites | A mine inspector's old helmet; A miner's cached pickaxe; A survey team's spare pick; Gears; High Quality Metal; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Blade; Metal Fragments; Scrap | A cave surveyor's weapon lamp; A Light Below; A prospector's abandoned jackhammer; Listening for Fire Underground; Material Handling for Beginners; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar |
| Settlements | A commuter's forgotten jacket; A delivery driver's club cap; A shopkeeper's best shirt; Gears; Large Medkit; Metal Fragments; Road Signs; Scrap; Sewing Kit | A Pocket Argument with Waste; A shopkeeper's under-counter revolver; A traveller's missing luggage; Dirty Secrets; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar; The Gentleman's Workshop |
| Camps | A camper's marked hatchet; A hiker's repaired hoodie; A trail warden's broken-in boots; Large Medkit; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Fragments; Rope; Scrap; Sewing Kit | A trail warden's sealed Python; An expedition leader's supply pack; Ethical Hunting Techniques; Improvised Hunting Knife; Instructions for Negotiating with Bears; Snow Shoes; The Small Honest Lamp |
| Rail sites | A railway signalman's jacket; A section gang's hatchet; A trackworker's missing hammer; Gears; Metal Fragments; Metal Pipe; Metal Spring; Scrap; Sheet Metal | A padded freight-crate optic; A railway paymaster's sidearm; Combustion Sensor; High-Tolerance Engine Rebuilds; Industrial Logic and Automated Fabrication; Material Handling for Beginners; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar |
| Railway by a river | A ferryman's working knife; A railway signalman's jacket; A river guide's lucky hat; A section gang's hatchet; A trackworker's missing hammer; An angler's riverbank boots; Gears; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Fragments; Metal Pipe; Metal Spring; Rope; Scrap; Sewing Kit; Sheet Metal | A Better Line; A ferryman's hidden revolver; A lost canoe expedition pack; A padded freight-crate optic; A railway paymaster's sidearm; Combustion Sensor; Dirty Magnet; High-Tolerance Engine Rebuilds; Improved Fishing Rod; Improvised Water Catcher; Industrial Logic and Automated Fabrication; Irrigation and Water Management; Material Handling for Beginners; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar; Toward Not Drowning |
| Desert roads | A courier's battered revolver; A courier's road-worn boots; A desert rambler's shorts; A motorist's breakdown jacket; A sun-bleached surveyor's hat; Can of Beans; Gears; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Fragments; Metal Pipe; Road Signs; Scrap; Tarp | A hitchhiker's last good bag; A wrapped survey optic; High-Tolerance Engine Rebuilds; Improvised Water Catcher; Material Handling for Beginners; Modular Vehicles for Bad Roads; Oil Tap; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar; The Dry Man's Pump; The Motorist's Field Manual; The Small Honest Lamp; The surveyor's last argument |
| Arctic coast | A deckhand's salt-pitted knife; A glaciologist's ice pick; A harbour pilot's sun hat; A polar traveller's boots; A trawler crewman's shore jacket; An expedition quartermaster's coat; Gears; High Quality Metal; Low Grade Fuel; Medical Syringe; Metal Fragments; Metal Pipe; Rope; Scrap; Sewing Kit | A Light Below; A polar lookout's rifle; A sealed captain's sidearm; A shipwatcher's optic; An expedition guard's chest plate; Diver's Flare; Emergency Medicine Without a Hospital; Improved Fishing Rod; Oil Tap; Practical Boatbuilding; Propane Lung; Rural Generation and Battery Storage; Small Engines and Salvage at Sea; Snow Shoes; The Petition of the Frozen Foot; Zip Shot |
| Mountain caves | A mine inspector's old helmet; A miner's cached pickaxe; A mountaineer's repair-patched coat; A survey team's spare pick; A surveyor's high-country boots; Gears; High Quality Metal; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Blade; Metal Fragments; Rope; Scrap | A cave surveyor's weapon lamp; A Light Below; A prospector's abandoned jackhammer; A ridge watchman's rifle; Listening for Fire Underground; Material Handling for Beginners; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar; Snow Shoes; The Compass That Lies Sideways; The Petition of the Frozen Foot; The Small Honest Lamp |
| Military coast | 5.56 Rifle Ammo; A beachcomber's holiday shorts; A checkpoint officer's pistol; A faded fishing-club cap; A perimeter guard's helmet; A sailor's rigging knife; A sentry's repainted vest; High Quality Metal; Low Grade Fuel; Medical Syringe; Metal Blade; Metal Fragments; Metal Spring; Rope; Scrap; Semi Automatic Body; Sewing Kit | A Better Line; A former sentry's chest plate; A guard's carefully wrapped face mask; A holiday that never came home; A smuggler's wax-wrapped Python; An armourer's sealed MP5; Defensive Engineering for Temporary Settlements; Dirty Magnet; Diver's Flare; Improved Fishing Rod; Rusty Crowbar; Shotspotter; Small Engines and Salvage at Sea; The Handloader's Primer; Toward Not Drowning; Zip Shot |
| City railway | A commuter's forgotten jacket; A delivery driver's club cap; A section gang's hatchet; A shopkeeper's best shirt; A trackworker's missing hammer; Gears; Large Medkit; Metal Fragments; Metal Pipe; Metal Spring; Road Signs; Scrap; Sewing Kit; Sheet Metal | A padded freight-crate optic; A Pocket Argument with Waste; A railway paymaster's sidearm; A shopkeeper's under-counter revolver; A traveller's missing luggage; Combustion Sensor; Dirty Secrets; High-Tolerance Engine Rebuilds; Industrial Logic and Automated Fabrication; Material Handling for Beginners; Remodeling Hammer; Rusty Crowbar; The Gentleman's Workshop |
| Jungle riverbank | A botanist's field knife; A moss-stained expedition hat; A surveyor's forgotten pick; An angler's riverbank boots; Low Grade Fuel; Medical Syringe; Metal Blade; Metal Fragments; Metal Pipe; Rope; Scrap; Sewing Kit | A Better Line; A canopy research pack; A ferryman's hidden revolver; A river guide's pump shotgun; Dirty Magnet; Ethical Hunting Techniques; Improved Fishing Rod; Improvised Hunting Knife; Improvised Water Catcher; Irrigation and Water Management; The Dolittle Effect; Toward Not Drowning |
Move between promising places. A patch may be exhausted or waiting to become useful again. A Rusty Crowbar can turn up among beach finds and is useful for the timed salvage work below. Some digs also offer a Gemstone.
Remote, difficult country can conceal a rare treasure box. Look beyond settlements and familiar roads, in isolated cold, high or coastal terrain. Its first two minutes are reserved for the finder and their current Rust team; the box lasts twenty minutes. Leave carrying room for a valuable haul rather than assuming it will wait until the next outing.
Salvage nets¶
Build wall-frame netting with part of its catching surface genuinely submerged. Placement makes the salvage net; there is no separate bait chest to fill.
Collect physical drops around and beneath the net. Nearby splashes can help you notice them. River, swamp, ocean and other inland water supply different catches, and deeper ocean installations reach additional possibilities. Swamp nets lean toward worn tools, fishing supplies and other useful odds and ends.
Pools describe possibilities, not a guaranteed bundle. Deeper ocean tiers add to the ocean pool. Equipment condition and available items can vary.
Catch activity ebbs and rises over island time. Nearby splashes can draw attention to physical drops around a submerged net. Active river salmon runs can bring additional fish.
Eligible cargo catches can also bring a technical publication, and a completed catch can offer an occasional gemstone opportunity.
Swamp water has its own catch pool and an additional 5 percentage points of catch chance. River salmon-run rewards do not apply there.
| Water | Ordinary catch pool | Rare bonus pool |
|---|---|---|
| River | 5.56 Rifle Ammo; Blueprint Fragment; Boots; Bucket Helmet; Can of Beans; Can of Tuna; Catfish; Fishing Tackle; Gears; Hatchet; High Quality Horse Shoes; High Quality Metal; Longsword; Metal Blade; Metal Fragments; Metal Spring; Note; Pan Flute; Pickaxe; Pistol Bullet; Road Signs; Rope; Salmon; Salvaged Sword; Scrap; Sewing Kit; Small Trout; Tarp; Tin Can Alarm; Water Jug; Yellow Perch | CCTV Camera; Chainsaw; Jackhammer; Revolver; Roadsign Horse Armor; Salvaged Axe; Salvaged Icepick; Semi-Automatic Pistol; Semi-Automatic Rifle; Supply Signal; Targeting Computer; Tech Trash |
| Ocean | Anchor; Anchovy; Beach Towel; Boogie Board; Can of Beans; Can of Tuna; Captain's Log; Cloth; Compass; Empty Propane Tank; Fishing Tackle; Handmade Fishing Rod; Hazmat Plushy; Herring; Human Skull; Leather; Metal Fragments; Metal Pipe; Paddle; Paper Map; Rope; Salmon; Sardine; Scrap; Sunken Combat Knife; Tarp; Vodka Bottle; Water Jug | CCTV Camera; Diving Tank; Kayak; Large Solar Panel; Supply Signal; Targeting Computer; Tech Trash; Wind Turbine |
| Other water | Basic Horse Shoes; Cloth; Electric Fuse; Electrical Branch; Empty Propane Tank; Fishing Tackle; Fluid Combiner; Fluid Splitter; Fluid Switch & Pump; Gears; High Quality Metal Ore; Horse Saddle; Leather; Low Grade Fuel; Low Quality Carburetor; Low Quality Crankshaft; Low Quality Pistons; Low Quality Spark Plugs; Low Quality Valves; Medium Quality Carburetor; Medium Quality Crankshaft; Medium Quality Pistons; Medium Quality Spark Plugs; Medium Quality Valves; Memory Cell; Metal Fragments; Metal Ore; Metal Pipe; Metal Spring; Root Combiner; Saddle bag; Scrap; Sewing Kit; Sheet Metal; Splitter; Sprinkler; Stones; Sulfur Ore; Switch; Timer; Water Pump; Wood; Wooden Horse Armor | High Quality Carburetor; High Quality Crankshaft; High Quality Horse Shoes; High Quality Pistons; High Quality Spark Plugs; High Quality Valves; Large Rechargeable Battery; Large Solar Panel; Medium Rechargeable Battery; Modular Car Lift; Powered Water Purifier; Roadsign Horse Armor; Supply Signal; Tech Trash; Wind Turbine |
| Swamp water | 12 Gauge Buckshot; 12 Gauge Incendiary Shell; 12 Gauge Slug; Binoculars; Boonie Hat; Boots; Cassette Recorder; Cloth; Fishing Tackle; Gears; Handmade Shell; Improved Fishing Rod; Lantern; Low Quality Carburetor; Low Quality Crankshaft; Low Quality Pistons; Low Quality Spark Plugs; Low Quality Valves; Metal Fragments; Plumber's Trumpet; Rope; Sheet Metal; Wolf Skull; Wooden Armor Insert | Dirty Magnet; Instant Camera; Old Revolver; Supply Signal |
| Ocean: below the shallows | Diving Fins; Diving Mask; Diving Tank; Electric Fuse; Gears; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Spring; Sewing Kit; Sheet Metal; Speargun; Wetsuit | No additional tier pool |
| Ocean: deeper water | 5.56 Rifle Ammo; High Quality Metal; High Velocity Rocket; Orange Roughy; Pistol Bullet; Rifle Body; Semi Automatic Body; Small Shark; SMG Body; Torpedo | Double Barrel Shotgun; Eoka Pistol; Pump Shotgun; Revolver; Semi-Automatic Pistol; Semi-Automatic Rifle; Thompson; Waterpipe Shotgun |
Catch activity rises and falls over island time. Check a correctly placed net over several visits. River salmon runs can provide a burst of fish; a deeper installation can make collection a reason to dive. I prefer a modest net I can service to an ambitious one I only admire from shore.
Washed-up cargo¶
Inspect shorelines and recognizable underwater destinations for boxes, freight and unusual crates. Their contents can suggest household goods, a workshop shipment or more serious equipment. Condition varies; repair can be part of making a find useful.
These labels describe relative cargo-family availability. A particular item inside a common family can still be rare, and no crate contains its entire pool.
Cargo can appear along suitable shores, offshore and around authored artificial reefs. Island refreshes move the opportunities; nearby players can protect an existing site from replacement.
Rain can wash cargo into swamps. Unattended swamp cargo is temporary; nearby players or active looting can delay cleanup.
A cargo container can also carry an occasional gemstone opportunity beyond its themed ordinary contents.
| Cargo | Relative frequency | Possible contents |
|---|---|---|
| Military cache | Very rare | 12 Gauge Slug; 5.56 Rifle Ammo; 8x Zoom Scope; CCTV Camera; High Quality Metal; Holosight; LR-300 Assault Rifle; Medical Syringe; MP5A4; Pistol Bullet; Python Revolver; Rifle Body; Scrap; SMG Body; Supply Signal; Targeting Computer; Tech Trash |
| Medical cache | Uncommon | Advanced Anti-Rad Tea; Advanced Healing Tea; Advanced Max Health Tea; Advanced Rad. Removal Tea; Anti-Radiation Pills; Bandage; Cloth; Large Medkit; Medical Syringe |
| Components | Uncommon | Gears; Glue; Metal Pipe; Metal Spring; Rifle Body; Road Signs; Scrap; Semi Automatic Body; Sheet Metal; SMG Body; Tech Trash |
| Food crate | Common | Can of Beans; Can of Tuna; Cooked Deer Meat; Corn Seed; Granola Bar; Jar of Honey; Pumpkin Seed; Salmon; Small Water Bottle; Water Jug |
| Ammunition | Common | 12 Gauge Buckshot; 5.56 Rifle Ammo; Double Barrel Shotgun; Gun Powder; Nailgun Nails; Pistol Bullet; Revolver |
| Basic supplies | Common | Glue; Hatchet; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Blade; Metal Fragments; Pickaxe; Rope; Scrap; Sewing Kit; Tarp |
| Small curiosities | Common | Chair; Corn Seed; Diving Fins; Diving Mask; Diving Tank; Pickles; Pookie Bear; Pure Scrap Tea; Salvaged Icepick; Sleeping Bag; Small Planter Box; Snap Trap; Snow Jacket; Table; Vodka Bottle |
| Mail-order cargo | Common | Barbeque; Composter; Fridge; Furnace; Glue; Handmade Fishing Rod; Lantern; Repair Bench; Rug; Survival Fish Trap; Water Barrel |
| Electronics | Common | Electrical Branch; Large Rechargeable Battery; Large Solar Panel; Medium Rechargeable Battery; Root Combiner; Seismic Sensor; Small Generator; Switch; Targeting Computer; Tech Trash; Timer; Wire Tool |
| Tools | Common | Chainsaw; Glue; Hatchet; Jackhammer; Low Grade Fuel; Metal Detector; Metal Fragments; Pickaxe; Rope; Salvaged Axe; Salvaged Icepick |
| Food and agriculture | Common | Can of Beans; Can of Tuna; Corn; Corn Seed; Fishing Tackle; Grub; Jar of Honey; Potato; Pumpkin; Pumpkin Seed; Water Jug |
| Medical and recovery supplies | Common | Anti-Radiation Pills; Bandage; Cloth; Large Medkit; Medical Syringe; Pure Anti-Rad Tea; Pure Healing Tea; Pure Max Health Tea; Pure Rad. Removal Tea |
| Tourist and civilian cargo | Common | Acoustic Guitar; Bandana Mask; Baseball Cap; Beach Chair; Beach Table; Beach Towel; Beenie Hat; Boogie Board; Boonie Hat; Boots; Burlap Headwrap; Burlap Shirt; Burlap Shoes; Burlap Trousers; Can of Beans; Can of Tuna; Chair; Diving Fins; Diving Mask; Diving Tank; Frontier Mirror Medium; Frontier Mirror Small; Glue; Gold Mirror Small; Granola Bar; Hoodie; Inner Tube; Jacket; Landscape Picture Frame; Large Backpack; Leather Gloves; Longsleeve T-Shirt; Pants; Portrait Picture Frame; Rug; Shirt; Shorts; Sleeping Bag; Small Water Bottle; Snow Jacket; T-Shirt; Table; Tank Top; Wetsuit; Wood Mirror Small; XXL Picture Frame |
Cargo refreshes with the island, but remaining close can keep an existing cluster from being replaced. Empty boxes are a reason to continue the circuit rather than settle beside them.
Check swamp banks after sustained rain too. A shower can leave a new cargo box without guaranteeing one at every swamp. Unclaimed boxes become eligible for cleanup after three game-days; once someone takes goods, an empty box or the following game-day can make it eligible sooner. Nearby players or active looting can delay removal. Pack what you intend to keep while you are there.
Artificial reefs¶
A reef combines wreckage, structures, freight and growth into a larger search. Vehicles, appliances, bundled line and containers can offer different salvage. Watch for an action prompt and let the timed search finish.
Reopening a completed search’s inventory does not reroll rare or special finds.
Depth can improve ordinary material quantities; it does not multiply every device, book, fish or special reward.
Occasionally a first genuine take from a qualifying deep underwater search can provide extra air. Reopening, splitting or returning its items does not create repeated chances.
| Find type | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Ordinary salvage | Materials, food, seeds, components, fishing supplies and other objects appropriate to the searched wreckage. |
| Rare finds | Tools, diving equipment, electrical or industrial parts, weapon parts and occasional equipment. |
| Special discoveries | Publications, unusual preparations and custom devices can appear among the salvage. |
| Living catch | Authored lobster traps can hold Live Lobster; coral, growth and creature patches can have their own interactions. |
Scavenger's Stew has a rare-find benefit in recognized artificial reef areas, along with its own wildlife consequences. Arbitrary submerged scenery does not acquire the benefit. A carried Rusty Crowbar halves eligible search times, with a one-second minimum. Toolboxes, workshop freight and underwater machinery are worth checking for one. Depth improves some ordinary resource yields; rare discoveries keep their own rules.
Dive sites¶
Birds, light, growth and visible structure can point to a dive. Establish depth and a return to the boat. Bring air, suitable clothing, treatment and space for salvage. A backpack can share a compatible outfit with a tank, and a Diver's Flare burns underwater.
Finish the interaction, then collect the result. Reopening the same inventory does not roll it again. An occasional deep-search discovery can help with breath, but pack a real air reserve.
Some traps contain Live Lobster. Carry duct tape or rope in the containers that can secure its claws; see handling lobsters. Nearby living crabs can pinch and cause bleeding, especially in deeper water. Move clear of the animals before stopping to treat or sort supplies.