Field manual · Start
Your first five minutes
Short answer
Stabilize your basic needs, obtain a cutting tool, learn where you are, and avoid spending your entire early game vacuuming up low-value loot.
Also: new spawn · fresh spawn · what do I do first
What to do
Check your immediate food, hydration, temperature and injury state. Search efficiently for food and a cutting tool rather than clearing every building. Use road signs, coast/terrain and landmarks to establish location. Get a reliable water plan before committing to a long inland run. Prioritize items that unlock other actions: cutting, fire, storage, medical treatment and eventually a weapon.
How it works
The exact priority changes with map, weather, server settings and what you find. The useful skill is not memorizing one rigid loot route; it is learning which missing capability is currently most dangerous.
Advanced
Later versions should branch this guide by map and spawn context.
Don't
Looting every structure without a goal. Carrying items with no near-term use. Running far inland without a water/food plan.
Evidence
Status: needs_verification. Baseline from 1.29. Unofficial field-manual pack (v24). Not Bohemia. Empty boxes stay empty.
Related
- What ammo and magazine does this weapon use?verified official
- First Hour Success Statecorroborated
- Loot progression without fake tierscorroborated or strategy
- Loot, first hourWeight is a choice
- Chernarus coastOne town well
- VillagesWells, sheds, and a quiet hour