Project Zomboid Must Have Items For Any Player! New Player Guide, Beginner Tips & Tricks!

[@MrAtomicDuck]

What items did I miss? Let me know in the comments!

[@machuurubedohill1447]

baseball bat + nails = nailbat. super good weapon and easy repair.

[@wag0NE]

Hammer, like the scythe of zomboid, the workers weapon.

[@machuurubedohill1447]

@@BLUESTONE1979 ooo thanks for the info, never noticed it breaks faster to be honest xD

[@stivenstanley8401]

cooking pot

[@sh7de553]

Pencil and eraser are must haves if you regularly plan using the map since you can erase pencil markings. Plenty around offices, desks etc. Also, walkie talkies and earphones so you can stay updated on the emergency broadcast while on the move.

[@Galipheo]

Canned tuna (and I think corned beef, not sure) does not require a can opener. Also, you can disinfect ripped sheets by boiling them in water, effectively healing as fast as normal bandages. Lastly, needles are incredibly rare. If you find one, grab it.

[@MrAtomicDuck]

Should have mentioned the boiling water thing!

[@reluctanthalo7154]

Nothing heals faster, it just lasts longer before getting dirty. Boiling them mainly helps prevent non-zombie based infections.

[@LordInter]

@@reluctanthalo7154 I can confirm this, it's how long the bandage last for and chance of infection ot speed 😊

[@BaseDeltaZero1972]

I carried one precious needle for months, never got a sniff of a sewing kit then found 4 at once in the same crate...gotta love this game!

[@BLaCkKsHeEp]

I heard (but never really tested) that if youre trying to level up your medic skill faster, just use regular ripped sheets. They get dirty faster so you have to keep replacing them which translates to more medic xp

[@ozgamergdu]

If you find crayons, they are listed as junk but they will give you all the pen colours in one item instead of having 4 different pens cluttering up your inventory. You can sometimes find them in any desks but more often than not you are bound to find them in schools.

[@screenname6829]

Perfect for my Marine playthrough

[@JWonn]

@@screenname6829 Yes, but you can't use them as a food item.

[@screenname6829]

@@JWonn 😭 then what's the point

[@jellybeanz8168]

Oh woah! That makes so much sense! I came across crayons recently…I’ll have to go pick it up

[@bobafute1621]

There's a mod named 4 Bic pen, or 4 Bic marker which does the same

[@knightshousegames]

Additional Must-Haves: Empty Cooking Pot - Lets you use fresh foods way more effectively, lets you disinfect large quantities of rainwater from your rain catchers once the water is off, and lets you sterilize your bandages and rags, making them more effective. Having a bunch of these at the base is massive. Books - Regular untitled books, not just the skill books. I feel like these are so slept on, they are basically medicine for the mind, they reduce boredom, stress, and unhappiness by a lot. Comic Books are also really good. Fanny Pack - Great for saving space in your main bag, I use mine for my meds, though these days I am using the leg pouch from the Law Enforcement Overhaul Mod for the same purpose. Scarf - Throat wounds are SO nasty, and there isn't much clothing that protects your neck, scarfs are one of the only vanilla defenses for the neck. Basic Tools: With a Hammer, Screwdriver, and Saw, you can basically dismantle anything made of wood in a house, and put those Woodcraft episodes to good use. I always have one of each in my bag, and a stockpile of backups in the toolbox at home. If you wanna work with metals as well, add a Propane Torch and a Welders Mask.

[@pawsteps6053]

If you use the satchel with backpacks mod it gives you a lot more storage aswell, and looks vanilla.

[@silverbane8065]

I recently found I can also use the saucepan (as well as the large cooking pot) to sterilise bandages. And I saw someone boil water in the buckets by putting them in a lit fireplace. (I expected the buckets to melt lol, they look like blue plastic kids sandcastle buckets after all) was pleasantly surprised the buckets did not melt and dump tainted water all over their fireplace. So now I always search for the pans, and clean/sterilise my bandages and ripped sheets as I go and leave the pot in the oven (but turn the oven off lol) I wonder if a bowl of hot water in the microwave can do the same? * note yo self, remember to check and test lol

[@knightshousegames]

@@silverbane8065 Yeah, Saucepans are also good, I grab them as well, but I usually prefer the cooking pot for it's higher capacity, and it is better for cooking, they are usable for many more recipes Interesting about the buckets though, I figured they would burn as well, I figured those were only for mixing concrete and plaster. Might have to experiment with those. I mostly just use the bowls for my morning cereal or oatmeal, or fruit salads. I don't just survive the apocalypse, I thrive.

[@silverbane8065]

@@knightshousegames I've got the Ramen mod, so I haul a microwave to wherever I'm baseing. Pop it on top of a kitchen cabinet and then fill the cabinet with the packs (and 'flats', which are packaged multi blocks) of the ramen and a few bowls. Slap a water dispenser next to it and I have unperishable food for emergencys. Can do the same in the temporary safehouses too as you can just keep a gas can and generator there, microwave, stash of ramen with water dispenser and one of those camping cots and your living the good life! Saves you from eating the dog food too lol.

[@this_is_patrick]

Saucepans are slightly better than cooking pots in all aspects. It carries the same amount of water (25), but weighs less when empty (0.7) and when full with water (2.0), meaning it takes up less space than cooking pots in you backpack or in your cupboards when you are stockpiling water. Saucepans can also be used as a backup weapon for when something happens to your real one. Because it is tagged as a weapon, when empty, it can also be worn on your back (or your backpack if you have a mod that enables that) to reduce it's weight.

[@baconlover7747]

A tent or military cot if you can grab one. the tent is self-explanatory. The cot is surprisingly lightweight, you don't need tools to disassemble it and it actually fits nicely in a decent bag Perfect for the nomad who's never sure where they'll be sleeping next

[@MrAtomicDuck]

I love nomad playthroughs, try using Filibuster Rhymes Used Cars and spawning yourself an RV for a playthrough! It's a lot of fun.

[@Fractal_blip]

@@MrAtomicDuck that sounds hot

[@vicki4849]

I always keep a bowl on the character, if you go to a house and they have fruits or veggies that is not fresh, making a salad perks up the ingredients to a fresher state so there is no mood decreasers.

[@OrangeJell-O]

a big one you missed to fight tiredness would be coffee and tea, all you need is some sort of cup like a mug with water to create a beverage that will reduce fatigue. or you could just eat the coffee raw. if you create a beverage with coffee you can also put tea in there and the effects stack.

[@jeremygonzal8603]

they don't stack. you'd be getting diminishing returns with fatigue loss if you do that. try comparing the numbers before and after.

[@BoredGames-d4h]

Average college student

[@brandbird]

Empty bowls. You can eat many kinds of food from them and usually get rid of any unhappiness penalty that comes from eating boring food. Also great for making salads, because they reduce unhappiness by a lot, while eating the ingridients separately does not. They can also be used for drinking water if you don't have a bottle, and even for collecting rain in a bad situation.

[@BaseDeltaZero1972]

Agreed. Super important item IMO. You can make 4 of them from a log with a saw and knife with minimal woodworking skills required. Very handy for making a few dozen frozen home made stews and soups with all the buffs they provide when re-heated.

[@BLaCkKsHeEp]

I keep an empty bowl somewhere close by. High forage + bowl = good weight loss (since i dont farm)

[@dntnawall]

bowls are op, any time i come across an unexplored fridge just right click that bitch and boom happy food

[@nahman3836]

Socrates challenge when?

[@nahman3836]

@Marouan Fares fuck I'm stupid lmao

[@patrykpatty5835]

Pro Tip: The bourbon bottle and beer bottle are both better than plastic bottles. They hold more water at a lower weight ratio. The bourbon bottle is better than the beer bottle

[@macelharen]

hot damn, never knew the weight ratio stuff

[@falconwind00]

That’s weird. Shouldn’t the plastic bottle weigh next to nothing?

[@tjson7917]

@@falconwind00 they probably did it that way for balance as the bourbon is the hardest of those options to find. And you know how the rarity thing works in games. Mo' rare = Mo' better

[@falconwind00]

@@tjson7917 let’s just pretend it’s cheap bourbon and the bottle is plastic.

[@canisjay]

sadly I've used all my bourbon bottles at setting zeds on fire

[@abrr2000]

It is my policy, that while the power is on, you should only be eating perishables. the can's can wait till the power is out and you're strugling to work out how to become self sustaining. Also, any food on the counter you come accross should be shoved in a fridge so it's around for later.

[@Elrond_Hubbard_1]

A poncho is a good item to grab if you see one, and rain boots too. You can run around outside in heavy rain without getting the 'wet' status. A scarf is another great one. I think it's still the only clothing item that gives you neck protection against bites and scratches, and it keeps you warm. Repair items, especially wood glue or duct tape, are great for getting more life out of melee weapons that aren't easy to come by. Axes are my favourite, and you can restore them from almost broken to nearly full condition with just one wood glue application. One more, and this one is maybe the best and most rarest item in the game so if you see it, get it. The antique stove. I found one in a crate in a warehouse, or you can find them placed as furniture somewhere, but they're a godsend. It's an oven that uses firewood instead of electricity. You can use it inside and you can leave it burning indefinitely (until the firewood runs out) and it will never catch fire and burn your house down. It also acts as a heater like a campfire does, so you can warm a room inside your house.

[@jaredenlow1974]

An honorable mention is that you can also disinfect rags and bandages with a filled cooking pot in a stove. Just turn the stove on and let the water heat up, and then you should have the option to disinfect.

[@MrAtomicDuck]

Yes! Should have mentioned this.

[@BLaCkKsHeEp]

At lvl 10 cooking, you can throw rotten food in it and make stews/soups. You can eat it after cooking without negative penalties

[@themonkeyhand]

@@BLaCkKsHeEp You can do that starting at level 7 but you get more nutrition at level 10 unless I missed something else.

[@BLaCkKsHeEp]

@@themonkeyhand oh really? i thought its only possible with lvl 10

[@DouglasHollingsworth1]

Love these style of Zomboid videos - this one and the last loot/guns one were great! Would love to see a "quick safehouse setup" guide (bare minimum to get a safehouse up and running in a new area, etc)

[@MrAtomicDuck]

Glad you find them helpful!

[@Veenaza]

Be sure to grab any trash bags that you find as well. Not useful straight off the bat, but once you start building your rain collectors for stockpiling water, it'll be a big help to have those at the ready. They weigh very little too.

[@calcutt4]

Yes, it's a pain to go around collecting them from each bin so I just grab them while looting

[@Water-rg7gp]

fun fact: you can build good looting habits in project zomboid i have a few towns memorized and a few rules to looting, one building at a time, kill all zombies, if you get overweighted drop items at the houses front door and mark that house on the map, fill all pots or whatever with water (especially before the water goes out), mark the types of resources left at the house (food, water, books) i clear my starting town (usually rosewood) of its loot in about the same amount of time it takes for both electricity and water to go out and i have a town almost entirely secured to myself (no zombie respawn) a few generators and a ton of loot stockpiled at my favorite permanent base location (the rosewood firehouse) sure these habits make looting take longer but it ends up rewarding you with a easy late game of picking up the supplies you left behind at doorsteps and transporting them back to your base.

[@sayrush3892]

that just makes the game incredibly easy. even more with zombie respawn off

[@deadinmiami2580]

My personal musts for long loot runs: 1 or 2 water bottles, sheet rope, nails, flashlight, dense food ie ice cream/beef jerky/cereal (eat any bulk fresh food first), 2 sterilized bandages, beta blockers (unless desensitized or brave) tweezers, splint, suture needle/needle, matches/lighter, ammo (of course), hammer, saw, screwdriver, 1 rifle or shotgun and 1 sidearm. (im not a fan of the double holsters, 1 handgun/revolver is enough. One item i keep on me which i started recently doing is Molotovs, just one or two, just in case you have that horde you cant deal with.

[@macelharen]

huh...molotovs. and here was me running around trying to lure zombies into my fire pit

[@happilyham6769]

Carrying a single pack a crayons is the same as carrying all the different colours of pens. Great for keeping your bag a bit less cluttered. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you need a Suture Needle Holder to use a Suture Needle. The holder just improves success rate. Oh, and Suture Needle Holders double as tweezers. I always carry a second backpack inside my back-equipped backpack. If I fill my main bag I can equip the second bag in the secondary slot and still have a hand free to fight. You could even have three large bags equipped if you're sure you're not going to have to fight.

[@dragonnasxavier3473]

My ten most wanted items in no particular order: Backpack (or any back slot bag, keep your hands free and carry more); Bourbon (treat depression/pain, disinfect wounds/bandages, drink in a pinch, when empty makes a superior water bottle); *Can opener*; Hammer (durable, quick, one-handed weapon) Saw (hammer/saw let you dismantle basically anything not metal based or electric, saw can also saw planks); Screwdriver (hot-wiring vehicles, dismantling electric items); *Bandages/ripped sheets*; Cooking pot (for cooking, boiling rain/river water, and sterilizing bandages); Crowbar (most durable weapon, uninstall intact windows and floors); *Digital watch * Marked Duck's suggestions from the video with asterisks. Additional personal favorites: Axe (great weapon, cut down trees for logs/branches, break down locked doors if there's no window), knife (filet fish, craft spears for battle/fishing), skill books, recipe magazines..

[@ForgetfulHatter]

tweezers and a needle are usually the two i have the most trouble finding. :D my character once got pretty badly burnt within an inch of her life, but i managed to scramble into a house and lock myself away. Sleep pills helped out as i made my character sleep off the bad wounds. booze also works as it makes your character get tired extremely fast.

[@darelh1348]

Farming seeds! They're easy for a beginner to overlook since you won't need them immediately, but they're essential to long-term survival, and depending on your spawn can be a nuisance to find.

[@EmiliFaust]

You mentioned using a sledgehammer to enter gun shops, you can sometimes disassemble the doors to those rooms. I always need one for storage facilities though.

[@cibrig8719]

There are some with gates that can't be disassembled, like the big one in westpoint. You have to get a sledgehammer, or burn part of the wall down

[@EmiliFaust]

@@cibrig8719 "You can SOMETIMES disassemble the doors to these rooms."

[@cibrig8719]

@@EmiliFaust wow, actually can't believe I missed that, damn

[@EthanDyTioco]

@@cibrig8719 youtube comments: the good ending

[@ROKASniper89]

Crowbar will take down must barriers. I think sledgehammers are needed for steel shutters. But a crowbar or axe will make its way thought storage unit doors

[@christieweyapuk3413]

You can cook bottles of water in ovens, campfires, and grills to purify tainted water. You can also disinfect bandages and rags with hot water so any container of water that is red in an oven, grill or campfire.

[@justinthomas7333]

thanks for sharing. Just picked this game up. My brother and his friend are veterans. I'm trying to learn a little more before playing with them so I don't get us all killed lol.

[@MrAtomicDuck]

Haha, you're a good friend! Good luck sir.

[@theisgood0]

For new players I highly recommend the status bar mods. It shows every single meter and allows you to understand the games mechanics better. Yes it’s a bit cheaty but it helps new players. Aka me.

[@gwg2813]

I just use it to see how much im dying without opening up the health meter

[@enderin7289]

Fun fact: If you have a sterilised bandages (boiled in a pot of hot water or combined with steriliser) it reduces the infection index to 0. So even if it gets dirty you can forget about your wound at all

[@asdawasda]

Just use ripped sheets

[@woodrowwilly]

DO NOT use bourbon as disinfectant... You can find disinfectant a dime a dozen. Bourbon is one of the hottest commodities in the game. Always make molotovs with it, trust me. On a loot run to a different town, sometimes scorched earth becomes the only way.

[@MrAtomicDuck]

I mean, you can just make a campfire in those cases too :) Plenty of ways to skin the cat. I've gone without making a Molotov in my entire Zomboid playtime.

[@woodrowwilly]

@@MrAtomicDuck For sure for sure. I always get closer to getting skinned myself when attempting a campfire in strange lands. We've all got our metas.

[@Drie_Kleuren]

I also feel scarfs are very overlooked and underrated. They are pretty rare but they are also a must and you should grab EVERY single one you find. They protect your neck and you can even boost it more with tailoring. A scarf has saved me many times, be it bushes or zombies. A neck wound can be very deadly/fatal if you get it at a bad timing where you cant banadage it quickly. any other wound can wait like 1 minute but a neck wound cant...

[@Diamond_Hammer]

You can disinfect bandages and ripped cloth with hot water from a pot or saucepan, once i find a saucepan i usually keep one with water in the stove for just that, when its "hot" (highlighted in red) just right click it and sterilize bandage/ripped sheet will show up. Much cheaper than wasting the precious bourbon or disinfectant on making them.

[@matthewhinkel6079]

Even if you aren't a gun enthusiast, grab any magazines you find as they can be somewhat hard to stock up on. They're lightweight and invaluable as reloading magazines one bullet at a time while fighting for your life isn't ideal. Stay frosty survivors.

[@MrAtomicDuck]

Good tip!

[@chloewebb5526]

It shouldn't be so rare to have survival games make use manage our magazines. It adds a whole 'nother level of preparation, caution, and scarcity to weapons in a game. I was playing Stalker Anomaly with Magazines and Body Health System mods, and it made the game a thousand times better. Now all I play is this and Anomaly with the EFP 3.0 overhaul. They're the only single player experiences I've found like this

[@MildarValsik]

So far. I been play the game for 3 days now. As a survivalist of sorts my first favorite was the DUFFLE BAG. I knew what I was finding was handy. I couldn't help wanting to be a horder soon as I see that on a zombie's back I used my frying pan to kill 7 zombies to get it. Now that I figured out that a car seat can hold a full duffle bag I alway have a duffel bag for every seat and trunk to make loading and unloading a vehicle much easier. I think the military bag can even sit in a seat even though the seat holds 20 weight and the military bag holds 27. in time I will have it all figured out.

[@vaultdweller123]

wow this is a good tip 👍

[@MildarValsik]

@@vaultdweller123 thanks. Now 6 months later I learned a few more things. The biggest is this. With all my bags and the vehicles. I learned that taking speed demon is valuable. I normally have a 6 setter van and a pickup truck being towed with the van for vanilla gaming. I often carry one military bag with every car repair tool and what ever car parts needed for The van in the passenger seat. The next bags are windows and tires in 4 seats and a hood in the 5th.the van has nearly everything to keep it running. The truck being towed is for friends and storage. The gas tank of the truck is backup gas. As we are out and about two friends in the truck finds other cars to take back to base hook up and tows another. So we end up going out the three of us. Come back with 6 vehicle full of stuff. Some times we take a generator for when we get to a gas station so we can fill up the new cars. In one run it's a massive haul.

[@silentcricketgaming4116]

Nails are a must have item, when you have to build later on you'll regret it if you never picked any up.

[@JamieBainbridge]

Good video. This is the stuff which takes days or weeks of dying until you figure it out or randomly find it stashed away in some random guide (but not all of them).

[@MrAtomicDuck]

My pleasure :)

[@jensmarkgraf]

the sledge is the most important loot in PZ. No other way to really secure areas

[@Muhtrup]

Here is A Checklist to put it in a Notebook, in game. If I miss something, then write in these comment below. General [] Water bottle [] Pen [] Eraser [] Can opener [] Cigarettes [] Lighter [] Vehicle [] Bed sheet [] Empty Cooking Pot [] Backpack Medicine [] Sleeping pills [] Vitamin tablets [] Beta blockers [] Tweezers [] Antibiotics [] Sterilized bandage Equipment [] Gloves [] Digital watch [] Weapon Tool [] Sledgehammer [] Hammer [] Saw [] Nails [] Axe [] Blowtorch [] Welder mask [] Crowbar [] Screwdriver

[@greenbro6337]

I'd find it amusing finding a list like this with just the pen checked off.

[@quinnlee-miller9792]

For Vitamins, you can download a mod that lets you pour all them out for a handy -20 fatigue without needing to keep eating them.

[@MrAtomicDuck]

I've seen that! Looks like something that should be vanilla

[@lenar3457]

what's the mod called

[@quinnlee-miller9792]

@@lenar3457 vitiman holic

[@DaShoopdahoop]

@@quinnlee-miller9792with that mod I like to imagine my survivor chugging those pills like skittles with some getting stuck on his beard

[@jeremygonzal8603]

one thing I doubt a lot are using more heavily than I do are garbage bags. it heavily cuts down on time loading and unloading stuff from your body to a container or to a vehicle trunk. even more if you're using pause then queuing item transfers. think about it. let's say it takes 10 seconds to take a pile of stuff from a box onto your bag. then 10 seconds to load that to your vehicle. then when you get to base, 10 seconds again grabbing all that stuff back, and then another 10 seconds minimum distributing it to their appropriate storages at base. on the other hand, picking up and dropping garbage bags happens instantly (if you're not depressed or have hand wounds.) i have garbage bags labeled so i know where to put what. i just drop the appropriate bag, load the stuff in there, then pick it up again. when putting them back at base, the labels make it much easier to sort stuff out and saves even more time.

[@333Christofer]

Cooking pot, not only you can disinfect rags for sterile bandages but it can store water just like a bottle, and you can ,well , use it for cooking.

[@unexplained1481]

Among all of them, the Sheet rope was something I never considered as an E&E tool. Great idea.

[@Myrth1]

Backpack. I know it sounds obvious, but it's like the first thing you need to always pick in any game - ANY bag to carry your baggage and backpack is the best choice, even if a school bag.

[@CrazyKZ_productions]

having a fire source like matches , lighter , and such would be useful when you wanna use a bonfire and/or a molotov to burn a horde to ashes

[@SanderDoesThings]

I think painkillers are deserve a mention as well. Sometimes pain from either zombie scratches or just plain injuries can be quite troubling for starters. Always keep a pack or two of painkillers in your bag, so incase you are in a fight and suffer bad pains, you can still pop a few to keep you in the fight

[@MrMelon-]

I heard Jim drinks toilet water. Thanks for the guide, it's very easy to skip useful items in PZ and this definitely helps to know what is worth taking.

[@MrAtomicDuck]

Thanks Melon! I also hear he washes with it.

[@Eighthplanetglass]

Is it just me, or does water from the tank just hit different? 😂

[@newfolder999]

@@Eighthplanetglass Me too!😂

[@phillipjacques8825]

At the beginning if your in a house rob the neighbors of curtains and install over windows. Will give you visual privacy so less to worry about when walking around and sleeping.

[@angermacfadden2702]

In addition, Sneak around inside always to avoid zomboids!

[@101stEngie]

If I remember correctly, Canned Tuna and Canned Corned Beef also don't need a can opener to open

[@MrAtomicDuck]

Really! Can't say I've ever tried as by that point I've always had a can opener. Will need to test!

[@DetectiveWarden]

That’s some pretty cool attention to detail.

[@andreasrydstrom9112]

As a registered dietitian I have a hard time swallowing the vitamins (pun indented) reducing tiredness. Would love to see a swich to caffeine having the effect vitamin pills have now and vitamin pills instead giving a small bonus to wound healing, or maybe fitness & strength XP gain.

[@pawsteps6053]

Pop cans are fun. 3 popcans weigh about as much as a water bottle and have 80 more thirst reduction. Pretty good drinks to have with you.

[@MrAtomicDuck]

Good to know!

[@TheCerealkiller148]

it really is ironic considering that soda is really bad at hydrating you

[@rumbleroller2154]

I will say that there is nothing quite like finding a pair of leather gloves... sure, we have mittens and whatnot. But being able to protect your hands is THE BEST. Especially when you want to pick up glass shards from the floor.

[@zaraheart]

So glad I found this video! I’ve been hopping around with the videos you make, some are play throughs and some are guides. Just taking in all the information😅I haven’t been playing PZ long but after watching all these videos I feel like a veteran(though I am far from it) just because of all the information I know about the game, if that makes sense, lol So, thank you 🙏 Just know your videos from a year+ ago are still useful!

[@milotura6828]

I have like 3 months worth of canned food, meat, a generator, gas, a car and a busted truck(i am a terrible driver), a small garden and a terrible outpost at the end of town with one exit with no areas of interest near by. But i think i am ok, I just don’t have a lot of medical supplies.

[@MrAtomicDuck]

You got this man. Great stuff to build up that level of supply!

[@milotura6828]

@@MrAtomicDuck I just discovered the power of generators, food rationing, farming ,and of course the OP crowbars.

[@Taihouchan]

I only keep can openers in the storage with my cans since they are heavy and only needed when I need to cook. They spawn quite commonly with cans while travelling.

[@MrAtomicDuck]

Understandable!

[@guilhermekutz1265]

Wish i was you......i died from hunger a fair amount of times with planty of cans beside me but no opener....

[@christopherboyle2403]

@@guilhermekutz1265 Provided its not winter foraging can save you. Provided you are willing to eat bugs. If that doesn't sound appealing you can forage for berries and mushrooms, if you are not a botanist then you need to read a magazine to know which are poisonous or risk by eating just one. With just one you can survive the ill effects just don't go zombie slaying cause you are going to want to sit down and tough out the sickly feeling. You get a cooking pot and a heating source and you can make mushroom soup which nullifies the ill effects making it just pure nutrition. Master foraging and starvation is difficult to achieve. Except during winter of course, you can completely starve then.

[@guilhermekutz1265]

@@christopherboyle2403 bold of you to assume tht i survive long enough to get to the winter.....😂😂😂 But i really apreciate the tips and surely will keep them in mind....tnx,dude

[@Whitewolf1984p]

On the bandages. You dont need disinfectant, or alcaholic wipes to get rid of a normal infection. Just disinfect some rags/bandages with a cooking pot in a microwave/oven, this alone can get rid of an infection (Not the zombie one), And this works even with both the negative healing/prone to infection traits. Another item is boots. (millitery if possible) perticually in the early game when your weapons arn't that great and neither is your skill, A boot to the head is often quicker and safer to administer than a blow with your bat/pan. Hammer and screwdriver. These two will allow you to get into pretty much any locked door, perticually in police stations by dismantaling the door, or just beating on it (about 15 times) with the hammer. A place to call home. A bible a will, along with about 9 peices of pine (wood) and some nails.

[@chloewebb5526]

I love that this game respects the players intelligence and creativity, rather than keeping things locked away for the sake of pacing and balance. If you would think to do it in life, you can likely do it in-game, and I love it

[@wwabbd1987]

Learning this game....your channel is such a well of amazing knowledge. Side note I'm a combat veteran and this gravitate to that character build....but learning the game first is important 😅

[@MeltedButter77]

Really good video, will make sure to continue watching your videos!

[@MrAtomicDuck]

Thank you!

[@wyhiobcarlile4879]

a few details I'd like to add for people who already have their feet beneath themselves. 1a.While water bottles are good they're actually pretty average as far as water containers go! they carry 12.5 units of water per 1 kilogram of weight. (they hold 10 units of water and weigh .8kg) Beer bottles (the glass ones) are slightly better as you can carry 2 of them, they'd weight the same as a water bottle but hold 20% more water holds 6 units weighs .4kgs (x2)). whisky bottles are a fair bit rarer then either of those but carry almost 20% more water then a water bottle while weighing less on top of that (holds 12 units, weights .7kg)! 1b.Also it can be helpful to keep a 2nd water container favorited in your backpack, you automatically drink from the one in your inventory, so it could be empty if you forget to refill it regularly. By keeping a 2nd bottle spare in your bag you have a backup and a reminder to refill whenever your main bottle runs out. 2a.If you can't find vitamins you can carry energy drinks, coffee, or tea on your person to fill a similar roll, additionally alcohol can be used in place of sleeping pills if you are unable to find any. 3a. alcohol can reduce stress but causes you to generate less body heat, increases input delay for vehicles, and crucially increases fatigue generation so it's a mixed bag 5a. the suture needle and suture needle holder are generally the preferred method to do stitching, however you can also use a regular needle, found in sewing kits. The only difference I could find was that the suture needle will cause your character to be in less pain from the resulting stitches. Additionally remember to remove your stitches after your deep wound is done healing as otherwise it will remain open and prone to infection. 7a.All items you don't immediacy need access to should be kept in a bag not in your main inventory. My method of looting later into the game involves me with 2 fanny packs and some sort of backpack. most of your essentials can likely fit into the fanny packs to be carried with you continually bandages, various meds, needle and thread, etc. where heavier things can be either favorited to the inside of your favorite backpack hammer, saw, spare water bottle, etc

[@blarfnugle5653]

Bowls are incredibly powerful, capable of making any stale food into a fresh food that boosts mood

[@darkkira1332]

You forgot Cologne as another alternative for disinfectant.

[@ryanhampson673]

Building a first aid kit is essential too. I always keep on in the glove box on my car. Alcohol, cotton balls, bandages, tweezers and suture needle and if you have room a splint. Playing multiplayer we usually have one player equipped with a first aid kit. It takes up some inventory space but it’s saved our butts many times having everything on hand while out on raids. Putting it in the glove box works perfect because it’s out of the way but accessible. Also I carry tools for fixing the car in the truck as well in a labeled bag/small box. Again, having the tools to fix your car on site far away from the base has come in handy many times. Failure to plan is planning to fail.

[@MNewton]

I hesitate to ruin your immersion but as it stands the only thing you really need in terms of first aid is sterilized bandages and maybe a splint in case you drive too fast, fall off something that isn't quite high enough to kill you or vault fences by running at them. The only thing the first aid skill does is increase the duration of bandages before they get dirty and 90% of the time a sterilized bandage will will prevent an infection and infections only slow the rate of healing by a small amount. You can basically just slap a sterilized rag or bandage on a wound and forget about it. The difference in healing time is in game hours not days. Since the only way to get a deep wound is by getting shot by a player, in which case you're almost certainly dead anyway or by getting cut on broken glass, which is very preventable, you really don't need suture needles or needle and thread either. The best way to speed up healing from injuries is actually to keep well fed and not monkeying around with first aid at all. They will almost certainly change this in the future as the first skill currently worthless and at level ten first aid only increases bandage duration by 50%.

[@ryanhampson673]

@@MNewton true..I used to RP as the medic in my old group so old habits and all lol.

[@jlgalindol8645]

FYI, you can use something like a pot with water, place it on the oven, turn it on, and disinfect bandages there instead of wasting desinfectant.

[@hk-4714]

Commentary: In regards to medicine, there are a few things I tend to do. I like to travel pretty light so I don't carry much in the way of medical supplies on me. My standard loadout in the beginning is sterilized ripped sheets as soon as I find a cooking pot. These will help to prevent infection and are light compared to adhesive bandages (which are also sterile by default). It's not hard to find alcohol wipes, and those are what I use in the beginning. Later on, once I've scavenged up cotton balls and some bottles of disinfectant I use that to make doused cotton balls. These also disinfect the wound but cause less pain (and waste) than pouring a bottle of disinfectant or bourbon directly over the wound. You can also use bourbon to douse the cotton with. Pain levels affect you, as do levels of depression or tiredness. It's wise to avoid having too high a degree of ANY of these things. When I find them, I always carry a suture needle holder with me. It serves the same purposes as tweezers allowing you to remove the lodged glass or bullets but also allows you to suture the deep wounds if you have the suture needles (I usually carry 1, but maybe 2). When I find a fanny pack, that's typically where these things go: Pen/pencil/eraser, alcohol wipes or doused cotton balls, 3-4 sterilized ripped sheets (later sterilized bandages with higher first aid), painkiller, antidepressant, sleeping pills, suture needle holder and 1-2 suture needles, a flashlight w/ spare battery. I can't always fit it in the fanny pack depending but I also carry a radio at all times especially once I've found the emergency broadcast frequency. I typically carry at least 10 nails with me and one sheet rope, but that's not always in the fanny pack. Obviously it's better to not get injured but that simply isn't always possible. In addition to that, I strongly advise working on your tailoring as fast as possible. I've avoided dangerous wounds thanks to padding, which is another reason I'm able to get by with carrying less medical supplies.

[@acctsys]

You can go even lighter by replacing sleeping pills and painkillers with a beer can. To use, choose drink 1/4 then press escape to stop the animation early. You get the benefits with little downside.

[@abdullahtshabal9522]

Digital Watch is also great very early on so you can catch the shows on Life and Living on schedule

[@themonkeyhand]

Vitamins seems pointless with a -2 fatigue, I think carrying a single tea bag is a good way to go since it gives a decent amount of fatigue back for the weight. Didn't realize you could open sardines without the opener but makes sense as those have always been pull top. Were the game set today you wouldn't need a can opener for most cans (just veggies really).

[@ihateyankees3655]

You can keep taking vitamins and the effects will stack. IIRC if you take an entire bottle it should put you back a few stages of fatigue.

[@gamerwizard69]

oh the water bottle explaination really helped im a fool and stopped picking them up because there was no Drink option for me

[@kylemozisek4885]

You forgot to mention you can sterilize bandages and rags by putting a pot of water in a oven and heating it up. Hot water + bandage = sterile bandage. And the water doesn't go anywhere.

[@MrAtomicDuck]

Absolutely true!

[@Zown-ej3fl]

Sledge hammers also spawn in fire stations on occasion. I spawned in rosewood and found a sledge hammer on a shelf in the fire station

[@martinleland3969]

Also tells the weather so if its really hot dont go out in a firesuit use a leather jacket basically have 2 outfits for the warm weather and 1 when it gets cold if you ever make it that far

[@NickFallap]

Things I keep in my bag 24/7 1x Water bottle 1x Can opener 2x Beta blockers (unless desensitized) 2x Painkillers 2x Alcohol pads 4x bandages 1x Tweezers 1x Scissors (hit or miss, i keep it for leather) 1x Thread 1x Needle I usually always have a hammer, screwdriver, and saw as well. But I understand that with most play-styles its not necessary to keep on you.

[@GrandPoggers]

Ever since I discovered firearms and enough ammo for them, most tips that reflect survivability are out the window, cause I don't get tired or worn out when throwing birdshot downrange

[@BrettPexx]

Immediately make some ripped sheets with curtains or clothes you find and eat all the fresh food you can if you spawn in a house. Hang on to frozen veggies because they thaw out and give good hunger recovery. Look around for belt and back weapons. Dig in cars for alcohol wipes. Drink water as you go until you find a bottle for water. Then the search for a type of backpack begins. Sometimes houses will have duffel bags inside wardrobes and in storage areas. By the time you have all these things you're ready to seek out suitable shelter.

[@Serena-or7sl]

Even better, start with some more clothes with respect of what you plan on using and rip those up. Guaranteed ripped sheets ever playthrough!

[@Eighthplanetglass]

Great video! Hey Duck - I joined your patreon and I'm super excited to play on the server but I seem to have missed where the info is about that - is it on patreon?

[@MrAtomicDuck]

Hi Amy! No problem. It should be pinned on Patreon, but all you need to do is link Patreon with Discord (In your Patreon settings) and then join the Discord: discord.gg/9NC2GPufAd - And check the pinned posts in #youtube-patrons

[@Eighthplanetglass]

@@MrAtomicDuck awesome, thank you!

[@dichebach]

pot of water in a cooking station = disinfect rag/bandage produces "sterilized rag / bandage" which seems to be as good as using disinfectant.

[@gibboau85]

Bum bag/fanny pack. Use that to keep all you medical items, lighters, can openers in. Keeps them out of your main inventory in an easily accessible bag.

[@didactics]

I prefer a tea bag over vitamins. They Work faster. And any alcoholic drink over sleeping pills. Same reason. Also keep a knife for making a quick spear.

[@ojbbb]

Just a word of warning for digital watches. Always check if they have an alarm set when you put it on. Have had a sneaky situation turn really messy because of a sudden *beep**beep**beep*

[@danielhutchison7259]

Every car has a radio in it. With a screwdriver you can remove and disassemble it for a battery. (Every vehicle is guaranteed to have a flashlight battery) dont die in the dark 👍

[@ayadealjanabi1544]

Great advice, love the tips. Weight affects alot of things in game, don't carry things you don't need. Sleep schedule be damned!, it's post apocalism baby!!!

[@steezyjenkins963]

If you are going to live longer then look for a needle/scissors, I always have trouble finding one and they're essential for Tailoring and repairing any clothes

[@Paygelove]

COFFEE and low ball glasses to make coffee that’s ok cold and only needs water. You get a bit of food and help with tiredness.. it’s a fantastic way to keep yourself in a time routine no matter what your character actually wants to do! If you’ve been busy all day and are tired before normal drink as much as you need to keep you up. Better than vitamins if you have a choice as it gives you hunger and thirst points too

[@gros_lemming8439]

my longest living survivor died today and i'm kinda sad as i was proud of the improvment i made in game, but i still have trouble to figure out how to survive illness (i know the character is doomed if it was due to zombies injuries)

[@MrAtomicDuck]

Happens to the best of us man! Antibiotics, good hygiene, remaining well fed and plenty of rest.

[@gros_lemming8439]

@@MrAtomicDuck yeah i may try to cook for better food, MRE are not the healthyer food source and i rest very few

[@macelharen]

04:35 missed a bookmark for leather gloves (reads map icons still), 05:14 for tweezers, and 05:45 for digital watch.... then 07:24 for antibiotics (oh, note: you can boil water in a cooking pot and sterilize bandages that way...but since half the comments are about that. lol) suggestion: you should make a video about what to put in your fanny pack (an absolute must have) ...for me it's the pen/pencil/eraser/medical/smokes ensemble ... as for hammer/screwdriver/saw (former two on belt) are fairly ubiquitous so probably don't need a mention

[@screenname6829]

Playing a veteran I find keeping a decent supply of candy is good for keeping depression and hunger at bay. Also a spear is life. My personal favorites being the hunting knife and machete variants. A spears condition is equal to the item attached to the end so a good hunting knife/machete spear will last. You can fish with it and hit zombies through chain link fencing. Great for crowd control without having to pull the trigger and potentially waste bullets. Speaking of bullets the 38 is slept on. Get a dual holster with 2 38 pistols and stop wasteing precious space on empty magazines Not to mention a single fanny pack stuffed with 38 caliber bullets will keep you going for ages

[@asdawasda]

38 bullets are kinda rare

[@heinzie5]

I always pick up twine for a couple of easy traps, even in the earpy game before i start trapping. Guaranteed surplus later on.

[@wt5284]

For sterilizing bandages you can also use boiled water.

[@MrAtomicDuck]

Yup!

[@burnouttx2415]

roasting pans - using them to make roasts for meals help drastically increase your happiness and cooking skills.

[@silverbane8065]

Glasses. Any kind, be it safety reading or the much loved (by me at least) aviators. Along with the scarf and hats, these can save you from the face chewing! Glasses dropping off your face means you just rolled a 20 and saved against a crit head wound from the bitey bois. (From what I hear) I just love to grab those aviators tho..always keep those and a pack of smokes with a lighter in the bedside cabinet.

[@MrAtomicDuck]

I've never heard of head items actually protecting you in any way, I just thought they got knocked off during grapples that you're able to evade 🤔

[@silverbane8065]

@@MrAtomicDuck can't remember where I saw it, I will have to try and find the vid I saw it on.

[@rowanweaver3241]

@@silverbane8065 didn't that become obsolete recently?

[@silverbane8065]

@@rowanweaver3241 duno, lol. The guys making the game seem to do that to me on a regular basis tho, just as I get used to stuff (like the water dispensers now being 30 weight, just noticed that this week. Last time I moved one before that, I think they were only 5? Just my luck to break a bone moving one after they change it lmao)

[@KamiCruda]

Forgotten must have Glasshard to escape the horrible reality

[@MrAtomicDuck]

Revolver with 1 round.

[@Tuck213]

My backpack: lighter/matches, bandages, desinfectant, betablockers, painkillers, shotgun ammo, sawn-off shotgun, lemongrass, saw, screwdriver, hammer, nails, flashlight, can opener, pencil, cigarettes, and a bag of emergency chips. With this, I'm always able to survive traveling far. I don't bother with sleeping pills, tweezers, antibiotics or erasers, because these are non-essential.

[@ChromeSalt]

Important to note plastic bottles contain the same amount of water as glass but are a lot lighter so I would recommend not to use beer bottles for example.

[@SALLDAR]

I'm new to PZ. OMG what have I missed in the past years

[@MrAtomicDuck]

A whole lot! Welcome to PZ!

[@SALLDAR]

@MrAtomicDuck cheers mate :) from early nights, to late mornings🌄

[@jonatanschwindt8065]

Items to hold on to: EVERYTHING... I'm a terrible hoarder in this game

[@runescapevsmeful]

I just lost my 2 month old cop to a bite to the hand, through my perfect condition leather gloves, I’m making my new character and hearing that made my head look at my phone and go “oh yeah? You don’t say?”

[@MrAtomicDuck]

Hahaha, it sucks so hard when they get through your clothing. But we go again!

[@primoguerrero7928]

This is my ideal gear: Machete: one-handed-one-shot-kills baby! Hand Axe (1) Scissors (1) Sterilized Bandages (5) & Antibiotics (5): in case I can't go back to base Betta Blockers (3) Painkillers (2) Alcohol Wipes (3) Suture Needles (2) Suture Needle Holder (1) Tweezers (1) Duck Tape (3) & Coffee (2): in case I can't get back to base and rest Burbon Bottle (2): with water, best weight to capacity ratio of any container Screwdriver (1) Hammer (1) Saw (1) Blowtorch & Helmet (1) Lighter (2) & Cigarettes (20) Can Opener (1) Bowl (1)

[@martinleland3969]

The flat cans can be opened by a knife and the round ones need a can opener

[@Little-Buster]

Besides Painkillers, I don't use any other pills. There was just no need for it. Panic is no problem for me even with a cowardly trait, I still kill zombies with ease. Sleeping too, was never an issue for my char.

[@christianthomas1474]

you can also disinfect sheets in a pot with water inside a on oven

[@congaspy2058]

Crawls through house window, dead body on ground, three empty bleach boottles next to him. "Oh boy water bottles!"

[@Doki722]

always happy to see your videos, its helped my zomboid gameplay a lot.

[@MrAtomicDuck]

Glad I could help!

[@av076]

These are the tips I wanted when I started playing 3 weeks ago 😩😂

[@-LamiaSage-]

YOU DON'T HAVE TO DRINK MANUALLY WHEN YOU KEEP A WATERBOTTLE IN YOUR MAIN INVENTORY??? I feel betrayed. Thumbs up for giving me that information xD

[@badoof7803]

medical poultices trivialize the normal first aid if you bother to acquire them. park ranger is the real doctor character.

[@vaultboye]

The way you say vitamins, bro.

[@MrAtomicDuck]

That would be on account of me being British :)

[@vaultboye]

@@MrAtomicDuck BRI'ISH?