Scavenging guide: search for the run you actually have

Build a real shopping list

Scavenging starts at the ignition, not at the first front door. Reveal every mandatory van fault and note the complete dependency chains. “Need tire” is an incomplete brief; “need tire, scissor jack and toolbox” produces useful route decisions. Mark the tools already stored in the van and keep optional objectives in a separate category.

In a crew, give each player or pair ownership of a chain or sector. Eight independent searchers can cover enormous ground, but only if they are not all checking garages for the same toolbox. Calls should include item, location and status: “mandatory battery, east garage, returning” is actionable; “good loot over here” is not.

Choose the first locations by density and return path

The American Suburbs biome varies its points of interest and item spawns, so think in location types rather than a memorized fixed map.

| Location | Why search it | Main routing caution | | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Garage | Strong repair-supply candidate; often a first priority | Check nearby structures rather than overcommitting to one empty garage | | Gas station | Logical fuel and mixed-supply stop | Exposed travel can make the return costly | | Junkyard / vehicle area | Useful for mechanical parts and vehicle-related loot | Bulky finds may force an immediate return | | House | Mixed loot plus enclosed shelter | Boarded entrances require a crowbar | | Park | Visible objectives and open sight lines | Fewer shelters and escape routes; poor blind first choice |

Plan a loop that bends back toward the van. A straight sprint to the map edge creates a long, predictable return at the exact time movement penalties begin stacking. Houses make useful intermediate shelters, but buildings and routes can be damaged; always keep a second way back in mind.

Use radar information instead of searching blind

A pocket radar shows nearby pickups, with mission-critical parts differentiated from ordinary items. It is most valuable when it changes a decision: clear a dense building, ignore a low-value detour or direct the correct carrier to a heavy part.

The van radar serves a different purpose. It gives the crew a command point for weather and teammate state. In parties of four or more, keeping one person near the van can pay for itself: that player receives parts, performs repairs, reads escalation and redirects sectors when a dependency is completed elsewhere.

Radar does not remove observation. Listen for sirens, watch wind movement and note destroyed paths. A promising marker is not permission to run through fallen power lines or severe acid rain.

Protect carry capacity

Small inventory is part of the pressure. Keep what advances the diagnosed run. Use portable food or energy when it creates immediate value and frees a slot; deposit documents in van storage rather than carrying them through the whole match.

Classify finds quickly:

• Return now: mandatory parts and the tools completing an open repair chain.
• Carry conditionally: umbrella, conductor, defibrillator or crowbar when the route and forecast justify them.
• Use or store: consumables and depositable objectives.
• Leave first: low-priority collectibles once capacity or weather becomes tight.

A tire may occupy the full carry capacity and slows its carrier. That is not a reason to ignore it; it is a reason to stop looting, choose the shortest safe route and arrange an escort.

Stage and hand off loot at the van

The van is the safest common cache because a successful run must return there. Bring critical parts home as they are found. Drop or stage them close to their correct repair area, then state what is present and what remains missing.

Use handoffs to preserve mobility. A carrier delivers the tire; a repairer with the toolbox installs it; the scout goes back out. In larger groups, this relay prevents expensive items from wandering with one player and makes the current run state visible to everyone.

Dropped items are generally recoverable during the run unless environmental destruction removes them. That permits tactical drops when a carrier needs to shelter or regain movement, but it does not make distant caches safe forever.

Know when to retreat

Set the recall threshold before leaving. Sirens, stronger wind, the character being pulled and stacked precipitation are not background drama; they are information that your return time has changed. Drenched, injured or heavily loaded players need more margin than healthy scouts.

When the mandatory set is complete, scavenging is over. Do not turn a solved run into a loss for one more collectible. If a final required part remains, consolidate the search around likely high-density locations and keep a safe route open rather than scattering farther.