Death Stranding Delivery Guide: All about cargo and items

In our delivery guide to Death Stranding, you will learn:

  • How to properly equip Sam to survive
  • What keeps Sam's blood level and stamina stable on the road
  • What you need chiral crystals and resins for

In the post-apocalyptic action adventure Death Stranding (!), you become a top courier to help rebuild the USA. But every rebuild requires resources, and without the right equipment, even the most skilled messenger won't get there. In our guide to Mules and GDs in Death Stranding, we already told you how to get past your enemies. Now you'll get all the important info on cargo, materials and equipment to deliver properly in Death Stranding.

Death Stranding: Tips for the cargo menu

Cargo, materials and equipment you attach to Sam's back and suit (hips and shoulders). Sam also has a tool holder, a boot clip and a supply bag by default.

If you put the cases directly in Sam's hands, they won' t be damaged in case of falls. However, you'll affect his balance, and he'll naturally have no hand free to pull weapons or set up ladders, for example.

Use the tool holder for items you want to get to quickly. Press left on the directional pad of your DualShock 4 controller (!) on the way and you'll have the item in your hands immediately. If you later select another tool via the menu, Sam will hang it on the tool holder after use. It doesn't matter which one you manually placed there before.

Press the square button to select multiple items in the cargo menu. Hold down the X key to quickly apply all your changes. You can recognize the size of the cargo item in the menu by S, M, L or XL.

In Death Stranding, you transport cargo on foot that others would load into containers.

To the right of the size you'll find three bars that show you the fill status of the item, and the number next to it is the weight in kilograms. To save time, press the triangle button for automatic arrangement after selecting all the cargo items you need.

If you wear one of the exoskeletons later in the game, they will usually occupy both places on Sam's hips. In return, you increase the maximum load and attach more cargo to other places.

The fewer cargo containers you carry, the less energy Sam uses and the safer you move him through the world. Therefore, use the private locker to store cargo, materials, and equipment at a terminal or mailbox that you don't need immediately.

Masterless Suitcases: Lost Freights in Death Stranding

Whether in a fight with the Mules, an unwanted dip in the black mass of GDs, or a little carelessness - a cargo case is quickly lost in Death Stranding.

Use the tool holder in Death Stranding to keep space free for cargo found on the way.

If you lose a case, don't move more than about half a kilometer away from it. Otherwise, the item will disappear from your world and appear as lost cargo in the worlds of other online players.

If you deliver lost cargo to the recipient, you will increase your personal connection, receive many likes and perhaps a small gift. If, on the other hand, you deliver it to another messenger via a mailbox or freight terminal, you'll only get a few likes.

To find lost cargo, equipment, and other materials, scan the area with your Odradek by pressing the R1 button (PS4). With the help of TCKs, you can set up watchtowers to scan an area even further (read more about TCKs in the last part of the guide). If you still can't find the right item, simply infiltrate a Mule Camp and steal something from their inventory.

Equipment in Death Stranding: How to get Sam to his destination

The ladder is good for climbing smaller mountains and rocky outcrops, or for crossing canyons and rivers up to ten meters wide. Once you have equipped Sam with it, press L2 (PS4) to activate it and R2 to place it at the desired location.

At cargo terminals you can use chiral printers to produce equipment.

Use the climbing anchor to lower yourself from steep walls that can be up to thirty meters high. Activate the equipped climbing tool with L2 and place it with R2. After that, press Square to grab the rope and lower yourself using the analog stick.

Time rains, falls and attacks will damage your cargo containers. However, you can still keep them in good shape with the repair spray. It also makes the goods in the container a bit sturdier.

Aim at your container with the left analog stick and spray with R2 (PS4). You can change your target with square. If you use the spray while standing in the time rain, it loses some of its effectiveness.

Sam needs sturdy boots to move forward unharmed in Death Stranding.

Your boots eat up kilometer after kilometer in Death Stranding. It's only logical that they will wear out sooner or later. Always take a spare pair of boots with you, because if your boots are worn out, no amount of repair spray will help.

Besides, it costs you strength, agility, balance and leads to blood loss as soon as Sam's feet are sore. You can easily hang a second pair of boots on the boot clip without really taking up any space.

If you don't have any boots left, search the area for "sandal weed". Wrap the leaves around your feet in case of emergency, so that even without boots you won't get hurt right away.

Death Stranding Director's Cut: Cargo Catapult and New Active Skeleton

In Death Stranding Director's Cut, you get two new features that make delivering heavy cargo a bit easier. The cargo catapult is a new construct in the game. To get the corresponding blueprint, you'll need to complete Episode 5: "Mama".

The cargo catapult can be used in Death Stranding Director's Cut to hurl heavy cargo across deep rivers, for example.

To build the cargo catapult within the chiral network, you'll need a level 2 TCK, which allows you to hurl heavy cargo into remote areas. The material is shot through the air in a container that lets the goods glide to the ground undamaged with a parachute. You have to release the parachute yourself and control it during the descent.

If you complete job number 77 in the distribution center west of Capital Knot City, Deadman will reward you with a "support skeleton". The active skeleton makes it easier to transport cargo, improves Sam's agility and strength, and uses less battery than other active skeletons. Incidentally, the mission takes you to one of the new areas in the Death Stranding Director's Cut (Guide) and opens up a new series of missions.

Blood and stamina: How to keep Sam stable on the road

In our weapon guide for Death Stranding, we explain how Sam's body fluids are used as ammunition. If you use weapons that are "powered" by blood, or if Sam takes damage while on the move, his blood level will drop.

Always be careful not to drain Sam too much. Otherwise you run the risk of causing anemia. This has a very bad effect on your delivery man's stamina and overall health.

Equip the blood bags to restore Sam's blood volume through an automatic transfusion using his handcuffs. Press left on the D-pad, select the blood bag and confirm via the X button. When a blood bag is empty, it is automatically removed and replaced with the next one. The weapons first charge up with the blood from the pouches before tapping Sam directly.

You'll also find help in the wild to stimulate Sam's blood production. Already in the game's intro, you'll meet Fragile, who chews on small caterpillars with relish. The cryptobiotes can be found in various places, from where you can pick them up with the square button and eat them.

If you don't have any tools at hand, take a short nap to restore the blood reserves and Sam's stamina. You can either do this in a protected place in the wild or use your private rooms in the cargo terminals. You can find out how to increase your stamina value by up to 25 percent there in our Death Stranding tips guide. A sip from the water bottle, which you can select via Control Pad Left, also restores Sam's stamina value.

Materials in Death Stranding: Chiral Crystals and Co

Always pack a TCK, because the "portable chiral constructor" is the basic building block for all your constructions. In an area that is connected to the chiral network, you can use it to build various helpful constructions, such as watchtowers and mailboxes. You can find out how to rebuild the world together in our multiplayer guide to Death Stranding.

In Death Stranding, you use materials like metals to create buildings

However, each construction also devours resources. The following materials are available to you: Metals, ceramics, chiral crystals and special alloys. You can use them to build bridges, roads, or even objects, and find them scattered around the open world.

Chiral crystals have a kind of special status. Pretty early in the game you get a device with which you can farm them. After that, there is no limit and you are allowed to charge as many chiral crystals as you want. They often grow in areas where Time Rain falls or are left behind by completed GDs.

As the game progresses, you'll be allowed to craft your weapons and items from certain preppers. The special materials you need for this are called resins and chemicals. You can also find them on the way, at Mules or in the common compartments of mailboxes and terminals. So always keep your eyes open on the way.

More guides to Death Stranding on GameZ:

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