Introduction to Inventory Expansion
Inventory space is one of the most crucial progression systems in Enshrouded. Starting with limited carrying capacity, you’ll quickly find yourself needing more space for resources, weapons, and loot. This guide covers everything about expanding your backpack and managing inventory efficiently.
Why Inventory Expansion Matters
Early Game Problems
Limited Starting Capacity:
- Small initial backpack
- Fills up quickly while gathering
- Constant trips back to base
- Slows down exploration
- Limits loot collection
Common Frustrations:
- Can’t pick up valuable items
- Must drop resources to continue
- Inventory management becomes tedious
- Misses out on loot opportunities
Benefits of Expansion
Larger Inventory Allows:
- Longer exploration sessions
- More resource gathering
- Better loot collection
- Less time traveling
- More efficient farming
- Carry more equipment options
Understanding the Backpack System
Prerequisites: Hunter NPC Required!
IMPORTANT: You MUST rescue the Hunter first!
Before you can craft any backpack upgrade:
- Complete the Hunter’s Ancient Vault
- Fight a few enemies to rescue her
- Awaken her from sleep
- Summon her at your camp using Summoning Staff
- She unlocks backpack crafting recipes
Without the Hunter:
- No backpack expansions available
- Can’t craft Small Backpack
- Must rescue her first
Inventory Tiers
Backpack Progression:
Starting Backpack:
- Basic capacity
- No upgrades required
- Everyone starts here
- Very limited space
Small Backpack: ⭐ First Upgrade Available
- First expansion available
- Requires Hunter NPC
- Moderate improvement
- Critical early-game upgrade
Crafted at Hunter’s crafting menu:
- Not at regular Workbench
- Hunter’s specialized station
- Unlocked after rescuing her
Medium/Large Backpacks:
- Later tier upgrades
- Progressive improvements
- Each requires previous tier
- Increasing material costs
How Backpacks Work
Mechanics:
- Craft at Hunter’s crafting menu
- Requires specific materials
- Must equip in Backpack Extension slot
- Open Character menu to equip
- Permanent upgrades (don’t lose on death)
- Can replace with better tiers later
Essential Resource: Salt
Why Salt is Important
Salt is the KEY resource for backpack upgrades:
- Required for all backpack expansions
- Not found everywhere
- Must be mined specifically
- Limited locations
- Worth farming
Other Uses:
- Food preservation
- Advanced recipes
- Crafting materials
Salt Mine Locations
Two Salt Mines Available Early Game:
Mine 1: Northwest of Harvest Homestead (Recommended First)
How to Find:
- The Hunter will point it out when you talk to her
- Located North West of Harvest Homestead
- At the edge of the shroud - be careful!
Approach Strategy:
Option A: From the South (Safer)
- Cross Harvest Homestead
- Go around Woodgard
- Approach mine from safe side
- Avoid shroud and enemies
Option B: From Shroud Side
- Enemies are level 5+ in this area
- Only if you’re strong enough to fight
- Faster but dangerous
Where to Mine:
- Don’t go to bottom (immersed in shroud)
- Mine in small caves on uppermost level
- Right where the shroud ends
- Safe from shroud timer
- Use pickaxe
Pro Tip: Bring empty inventory - salt takes space. Mine large amounts at once!
Mine 2: Saline Quarry (Alternative)
Location:
- East from spawn location
- Where you first spawned in the world
- Check map
Challenge:
- Inside the shroud to mine
- More inconvenient
- Need shroud resistance
- Secondary option
When to Use:
- After upgrading shroud time
- If first mine depleted
- Alternative farming location
Mining Salt Efficiently
Best Practices:
-
Upgrade Your Pickaxe
- Better pickaxe = faster mining
- More yield per node
- Durability improvements
-
Bring Storage
- Empty inventory space
- Can be heavy
- Plan multiple trips
-
Mark Locations
- Place map markers
- Remember good spots
- Return for respawns
-
Farm in Batches
- Collect large amounts
- Stock up at base
- Don’t run out mid-craft
Crafting Backpack Upgrades
Hunter’s Crafting Station Required
Where to Craft:
- Hunter’s crafting menu at your base
- NOT at regular Workbench
- Hunter NPC must be rescued and summoned first
Prerequisites:
- Hunter rescued from Ancient Vault
- Hunter summoned at your camp
- Access to her crafting station
- Required materials gathered
Small Backpack Recipe (Exact Requirements)
Materials Needed:
- 3x Torn Cloth
- 5x String
- 4x Dried Fur ⭐ Key Material
How to Get Torn Cloth:
- Loot from chests
- Found in the world
- Enemy drops
- Exploration rewards
How to Get String:
- Craft from Plant Fiber (3:1 ratio)
- Plant Fiber everywhere
- Easy to gather
- Basic resource
How to Get Dried Fur: ⭐ Requires Salt!
Dried Fur Crafting:
- Build Drying Rack (at Hunter’s crafting menu)
- Combine Animal Fur + Salt
- Produces Dried Fur
- Need 4 for Small Backpack
Why Dried Fur Matters:
- Also needed for Scout armor
- Also needed for weapons
- Farm extra Animal Fur
- Stock up on Salt
Animal Fur Sources:
- Hunt animals
- Kill wolves, deer, boars
- Common enemy drops
- World exploration
Crafting Process
Step-by-Step:
- Rescue Hunter first
- Build Drying Rack at Hunter’s station
- Gather materials:
- Farm animals for Animal Fur
- Mine salt (see location guide above)
- Craft Dried Fur (Fur + Salt)
- Collect Torn Cloth (exploration)
- Craft String from Plant Fiber
- Go to Hunter’s crafting menu
- Craft Small Backpack
- Open Character menu
- Equip in Backpack Extension slot
IMPORTANT: You MUST equip it manually - it won’t auto-equip!
Larger Backpack Tiers
Medium and Large Backpacks:
- Available later in progression
- Similar crafting pattern
- More expensive materials
- Incremental upgrades
- Each replaces previous tier
Inventory Management Tips
Organizing Your Inventory
Best Practices:
-
Categorize Items
- Weapons in one area
- Resources together
- Consumables grouped
- Tools accessible
-
Prioritize Essentials
- Always carry healing
- Keep tools equipped
- Weapon ready
- Basic building materials
-
Drop Low-Value Items
- Common resources
- Excess materials
- Easily farmable items
- Low-tier equipment
What to Carry
Essential Loadout:
- Primary weapon
- Backup weapon
- Pickaxe and axe
- Healing potions (5-10)
- Bandages
- Food buffs
- Grappling hook
- Glider
Gathering Runs:
- Empty most inventory
- Bring only tools
- One weapon for safety
- Minimal consumables
- Maximum space for loot
Combat Loadout:
- Multiple weapons
- Armor sets
- Healing supplies
- Food buffs
- Ammunition (if ranged)
Base Storage Solutions
Chest Organization:
-
Resource Chests
- Separate by type
- Wood, stone, metal
- Clear labeling
- Easy access
-
Equipment Storage
- Weapons chest
- Armor chest
- Tools chest
- Organized system
-
Consumables Storage
- Food chest
- Potion chest
- Buff items
- Crafting materials
-
Rare Items Storage
- Legendary gear
- Rare resources
- Quest items
- Valuable loot
Progression Timeline
Early Game (0-10 hours)
Focus:
- Survive with starting backpack
- Learn inventory management
- Make frequent base trips
- Prioritize essential items
When to Upgrade:
- After establishing base
- When you have salt access
- Once workbench is built
- Before major exploration
Mid Game (10-40 hours)
Focus:
- Craft Small Backpack ASAP
- Farm salt for Medium Backpack
- Optimize inventory loadouts
- Better base storage
Upgrade Priority:
- Small Backpack (high priority)
- Medium Backpack (when materials available)
- Chest system at base
Late Game (40+ hours)
Focus:
- Large Backpack crafting
- Maximum carrying capacity
- Efficient farming runs
- End-game content
Optimization:
- Specialized loadouts
- Quick-swap systems
- Dedicated farming gear
- Storage optimization
Common Issues and Solutions
”I Can’t Find Salt”
Solutions:
- Look for Saline Quarry specifically
- Check underground areas
- Mining regions on map
- White/pink crystalline deposits
- Use pickaxe on salt nodes
”Backpack Recipe Not Showing”
Check:
- Do you have at least ONE of each material?
- Are you at correct Workbench?
- Is previous tier equipped?
- Check recipe unlock requirements
”I Run Out of Space Too Fast”
Solutions:
- Upgrade backpack sooner
- Better inventory organization
- More frequent base trips
- Build storage chests
- Prioritize valuable items
- Drop low-value resources
”Salt Nodes Depleted”
Solutions:
- Mark multiple salt locations
- Wait for respawns
- Check other quarries
- Farm in batches
- Stock up at base
Advanced Tips
Inventory Optimization
-
Stack Management
- Combine partial stacks
- Free up slots
- Maximize efficiency
- Organize regularly
-
Quick-Drop Tactics
- Drop building materials if needed
- Easy to refarm
- Pick up rare loot instead
- Can return later
-
Specialized Runs
- Dedicated farming runs
- Empty inventory first
- Bring only tools
- One resource type focus
Salt Farming Routes
Efficient Farming:
- Mark all salt mine locations
- Create farming circuit
- Empty inventory at base
- Visit all marked locations
- Return when full
- Repeat as needed
Time Optimization:
- Farm salt in batches (50-100+)
- Stock for multiple upgrades
- Don’t need to farm often
- Save time long-term
When to Upgrade
Upgrade Priority:
Immediate (Essential):
- Small Backpack - craft ASAP
- Increases quality of life dramatically
Soon (Important):
- Medium Backpack - mid-game goal
- Significant improvement
Eventually (Nice to Have):
- Large Backpack - end-game
- Maximum capacity
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I upgrade my backpack?
As soon as you can access salt and have the materials. The Small Backpack should be crafted early for immediate quality-of-life improvement.
Where do I find salt?
Salt is found in salt mines and quarries, particularly the Saline Quarry. Look for white/pink crystalline deposits that can be mined with a pickaxe.
Do I lose my backpack when I die?
No! Backpack upgrades are permanent. You only lose items in your inventory, not the backpack capacity itself.
How many backpack tiers are there?
There are typically 3-4 upgrade tiers: starting backpack, small, medium, and large (end-game).
Can I craft multiple backpacks?
No, you equip one backpack at a time. Each new tier replaces the previous one with increased capacity.
Is there a maximum inventory size?
Yes, the Large/End-game Backpack represents the maximum carrying capacity. No upgrades beyond that point.
Conclusion
Expanding your inventory is one of the most impactful upgrades in Enshrouded. By prioritizing backpack crafting, farming salt efficiently, and managing your inventory smartly, you’ll dramatically improve your gameplay experience.
Quick Recap:
- ✅ Craft Small Backpack early - huge quality-of-life improvement
- ✅ Farm salt at Saline Quarry - essential resource
- ✅ Upgrade at Workbench - standard crafting
- ✅ Organize inventory - maximize efficiency
- ✅ Use base storage - chest systems
- ✅ Progressive upgrades - each tier improves capacity
Don’t suffer with limited inventory space - upgrade your backpack and enjoy Enshrouded with proper carrying capacity!
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- Beginner’s Guide to Enshrouded
- Where to Find and Use Sparks
- Best Skills to Unlock First
- How to Repair and Upgrade Weapons
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