Where do you call home in the long dark?

[Hackfleisch]

I need to make a trip to the forge soon, what are the chances of me finding a heavy hammer over there? My 2 hatchets are almost dead, and the trip to the forge could really drain me of my last possibilities if I have to return empty-handed. Or is Desolation Point a pretty good map for scavenging outside of the forge as well?

[JAFO]

7 hours ago, The Wanderer said:

I tried the nomad thing for a bit. I found that being a nomad leads to never knowing where your stuff is at. Mostly when you need that certain thing right away.

The notes section that comes with the new journal might help with that problem..

7 hours ago, The Wanderer said:

I found home, and apparently I'm also a hobbit.

Congratulations, on both finding your true home and making me chuckle!

[Stormwolf1O1]

3 hours ago, Hackfleisch said:

I need to make a trip to the forge soon, what are the chances of me finding a heavy hammer over there? My 2 hatchets are almost dead, and the trip to the forge could really drain me of my last possibilities if I have to return empty-handed. Or is Desolation Point a pretty good map for scavenging outside of the forge as well?

I managed to find a heavy hammer on the workbench at Trapper's in ML. Surprised me, but was a very welcome surprise! In DP you may be able to find a heavy hammer in Hibernia, and possible in the Riken, not sure. Desolation Point lives up to its name, and is not one of the best places for scavenging. If you've got any sort of weapon, rifle or bow, however, you can hunt. If not, there's a few rabbits near the bear cave/waterfall area, and near the Stone Church. Hibernia typically has some processed food items scattered about, and there's a secret area on the lower floor that almost always has at least one or two cans of food. The two trailers on either side of the main building may have food as well. The lighthouse is a good place to check briefly also, but I would not make it your base in DP or anything as it's a bit of a walk from there to anyplace else in the region.

[Hackfleisch]

I made it there, currently I am using the lighthouse as my base even though it's indeed not ideal, but I found a fresh deer carcass and some salmon nearby, so I have a food supply for about a week lying around here now.  Just went around exploring a bit and found Hibernia, there was a heavy hammer near the workbench there, so score. Also found 2 whetstones so at least I can get my axe in good condition again, and as bonus an extra hunting knife and hacksaw. Then it was about time to head back since I was already overloaded and it looked like a blizzard was coming in. Next day that permits exploration I'll try to find the Riken.

[Stormwolf1O1]

38 minutes ago, Hackfleisch said:

I made it there, currently I am using the lighthouse as my base even though it's indeed not ideal, but I found a fresh deer carcass and some salmon nearby, so I have a food supply for about a week lying around here now.  Just went around exploring a bit and found Hibernia, there was a heavy hammer near the workbench there, so score. Also found 2 whetstones so at least I can get my axe in good condition again, and as bonus an extra hunting knife and hacksaw. Then it was about time to head back since I was already overloaded and it looked like a blizzard was coming in. Next day that permits exploration I'll try to find the Riken.

The Riken is the ship directly out front of Hibernia, not too far of a walk. Very hard to miss when the sky is clear.

Edit: I should also mention how to get inside. There is a hole in the left side hull of the ship. Click where it says "Enter" when you hover over the warped metal around the hole.

What's neat about the Riken is that there is a harpoon gun mounted on deck, hinting that it was one of possibly many ships in Hibernia's whale hunting fleet long ago.

[Hackfleisch]

Oh cool, I was just on my way to the boat when a strong wind started rising so I decided to leave it for another time. Guess it's time to start gathering coal and metal then. Once I got some arrowheads and backup tools, it's off to Pleasant Valley.

[Stormwolf1O1]

1 hour ago, Hackfleisch said:

Oh cool, I was just on my way to the boat when a strong wind started rising so I decided to leave it for another time. Guess it's time to start gathering coal and metal then. Once I got some arrowheads and backup tools, it's off to Pleasant Valley.

The mine that goes off the main road, not too far away from the DP entrance, is a popular place for getting coal. It respawns in there every once in awhile. As far as metal goes, try to find a hacksaw, as metal objects like 'metal lamps' and toasters can be broken down for scrap. Also, if you find an extra, lanterns and can openers can be harvested for scrap as well. Sometimes the hole entrance of the Riken will have a piece or two of scrap just lying on the ground outside in the snow, but not always.

[Thrasador]

1 hour ago, Stormwolf1O1 said:

The mine that goes off the main road, not too far away from the DP entrance, is a popular place for getting coal. It respawns in there every once in awhile. As far as metal goes, try to find a hacksaw, as metal objects like 'metal lamps' and toasters can be broken down for scrap. Also, if you find an extra, lanterns and can openers can be harvested for scrap as well. Sometimes the hole entrance of the Riken will have a piece or two of scrap just lying on the ground outside in the snow, but not always.

He/she said they located a Hacksaw....so score.

There are some metal shelves in the Riken and bed frames and broken lockers/locker doors (I think) that you can break down with the hacksaw into scrap metal.

There's usually a few pieces of coal around the forge, but you will need at least 8 or so to get the forge up to 150°C. Typically people loot all the coal in the mine that connects DP to the Broken Highway...and at least drop it all near the door if you can't carry it to a base. There is another mine in the zone like someone stated....One entrance is behind a metal fence off the main road before you get to the Church. The other entrance is across the street from Hibernia. It's actually a nice safe little connection across part of the map....

Once you get the forge up to 150 degrees with coal....you can keep it burning at that temperature with sticks or any other wood in 12 hour intervals max. If you don't finish forging before bed, try to keep the fire going at least with wood, so you won't have to find more coal to get it back up to temperature over again....

[JAFO]

1 hour ago, Thrasador said:

Once you get the forge up to 150 degrees with coal..

And keep up your water supply.. some claim the heat of the forge makes you thirstier.. I'm not convinced on that aspect yet, but the long forging sessions that are typical certainly mean it pays to keep an eye on it. Best idea is to use the time it takes to get the forge up to temp, to boil up some additional water.

[Thrasador]

22 minutes ago, JAFO said:

And keep up your water supply.. some claim the heat of the forge makes you thirstier.. I'm not convinced on that aspect yet, but the long forging sessions that are typical certainly mean it pays to keep an eye on it. Best idea is to use the time it takes to get the forge up to temp, to boil up some additional water.

I'm not positive that's true either....I think maybe people just lose track of time forging hatchets and knives in one go....as it takes several hours for each hatchet and knife, and you do it all at once....unlike crafting clothes and whatnot in .5 to 1 hour intervals.....you do a hatchet and a knife and like 5 or 6 hours go by in a few seconds and your thirst meter tanks like when you are sleeping....

But yeah, rehydrate after each major tool, like you are going to bed....and after every 4 or 5 arrowhead chunks....

If you managed to find a whetstone and you refurbished your hatchet and you said you found a knife....I would just focus on arrowheads. I'd forge at least 20....maybe even 30. You are supposed to not lose arrows....but sometimes they fall out of the animal while it's running around, and sometimes bears die completely on top of them, and you never get them back....so over time you "can" slowly lose arrowheads. The ones you don't lose can be harvested and used again to make new arrows, even if the arrow breaks.

The reason I say skip the improvised hatchet and knife is because they actually are inferior....they are heavier, they wear out upon use faster, and they do less damage in wolf struggles than the real deal. Improvised kinives are only marginally better than just punching a wolf....as far as raw damage. It will still bleed to death if you stab it, and won't if you punch it, but @Timber Wolfdid extensive testing with the tools in game and the improvised knife barely does any damage.....

[Hackfleisch]

That's all very good to know, I'll also lug at least 24 hours worth of firewood to the forge then, don't wanna be caught unprepared and unable to properly finish what I started. Probably I'll skip the improvised knife and hatchet, maybe I'll find more whetstones and if not I'll be sure to find some new tools in Mystery Lake or Pleasant Valley. Looks like I'm up for a few days of collecting coal and metal and I'll be good to go, thanks for the pointers!

[starfighter441]

On 25/05/2017 at 3:24 AM, piddy3825 said:

the dead guy... I use him for extra storage...

But strangely enough, i've come to the conclusion, that when the dead guy does not spawn at Camp Office, then the hunter's cache spawns right up there on the ridge on the other side of the tracks.  

I've noticed that myself. Not always but quite often.

[Fuarian]

On 5/11/2017 at 3:55 PM, Pillock said:

Is not that far away - less than 1 game-hour. And the morning walk does you good! 

Even if you're  cold when you arrive, you can warm up again by the hut's stove while you do a spot of fishing. The surrounding woods are full of rabbits and firewood, and you even get a deer showing up on the pond every few days. And there are never any wolves or bears, ever. 

In fact, once you have enough firewood stocked at the fishing hut, you can pretty much live in that, only returning to the radio hut when you need to make new hooks, line or clothing.

Or better than that:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

if the bunker spawns by the pond, you can sleep in there during adverse weather.

 

You only need to make occasional trips into the valley to collect cloth and scrap metal, so it can get fairly sedentary and repetitive, but it's very, very cushy.

But having said all that, I still feel most at home in the Camp Office. Probably always will.

There are wolves though, if you take the snow covered road and take a left to the pond that is. The wolves will be on the right of the road when you first leave Signal Hill.

[Stormwolf1O1]

1 hour ago, Fuarian said:

There are wolves though, if you take the snow covered road and take a left to the pond that is. The wolves will be on the right of the road when you first leave Signal Hill.

Yes, and I've also seen a bear roaming around there once as I tried to quietly collect cat tails.

[JAFO]

17 hours ago, Hackfleisch said:

I'll also lug at least 24 hours worth of firewood to the forge then, don't wanna be caught unprepared and unable to properly finish what I started.

It's not so much about firewood as about having sufficient coal. Firewood alone won't get the forge hot enough.

[Thrasador]

16 minutes ago, JAFO said:

It's not so much about firewood as about having sufficient coal. Firewood alone won't get the forge hot enough.

I was assuming he meant for keeping it lit for a period of time after getting it up to temperature....it's hard to get all the forging done in one day....Well depending on how many things you wanted to forge....

[Mike in GA]

@Hackfleisch  not sure if it's a  definite but at mystery lake in the fishing huts usually there's a hatchet in the one closest to the camp office under the stove.

Usually a knife or two in the Dam, and since Fluffy is no more, lots of good scrounging in there.

I'm really trying to make pleasant valley my new home away from home. But there is something about the feeling of seeing the Camp office when I'm exhausted and I have wolves chasing me.