The February update of Rust finally implements the long-requested Backpack, and players are excited to start hauling more loot around the island than ever before. Apart from introducing Backpacks, Facepunch Studios has also added the Metal Detector, allowing players to find hidden objects in the ground. To clear everything up, I’m here to give you a Metal Detector and Backpack guide for Rust.
Metal Detector & Backpack Guide
In a competitive shooter like Rust, having more items in your inventory can be what saves your life. With the addition of the Backpack to the game, you can rest assured knowing that your food and syringes are a few clicks away.
The Metal Detector is another straightforward addition. With this item, you have the potential to find more items across different areas on the map.
Brand New Backpacks
There are two types of backpacks in the game so far: Small and Large. Players can carry one backpack with items at a time.
The small backpack has 12 slots for items and can be crafted at a T1 Workbench. Don’t worry, the Small backpack blueprint is a default blueprint so there isn’t any work to do. To craft the small backpack you will need:
- 50 Cloth
- 5 Sewing Kits
On the other hand, the large backpack cannot be crafted and is only found in Military Loot (Green Loot Crates). It has a whopping 28 slots for items. Once you get your hands on this baby, make sure not to lose it!
To equip a backpack, drag the backpack of your choice into the “backpack” slot. This will be the same slot as where the Parachute goes. So far, there are no negative effects to using a backpack (that being, it won’t slow you down).
When you die, the backpack will fall off your character and can be looted by other players.
Metal Detector
The Metal Detector speaks for itself. It’s another default blueprint that’s cheap to craft. You will need the following to get this new item:
- 2 Rope
- 200 Wood
This item serves as a new minigame to get more loot. Much like real life, take this item outdoors and sweep the ground with it. The Metal Detector will indicate Metal Rich Zones where you can potentially find loot.
Treasure Hunting 101
To start, equip the Metal Detector into your taskbar. If anything is nearby upon equipping the item, the Metal Detector will make a sound and light up (this is unlikely, but you never know).
Walk, run, or ride around in hopes that you find a Metal Rich Zone. The machine will emit a single blip and the lights will flash red to indicate that you are near a Metal Rich Zone. Use the blips and lights to pinpoint where your treasure might be.
SIDE NOTE: We have a guide which covers all Diesel Barrel spawn locations in RUST. Make sure to check it out as well for more awesome info!
Metal Rich Zones & Dig Sites
Players can sweep Metal Rich Zones carefully to find Dig Sites. There are around 1-4 Dig Sites for every Metal Rich Zone.
Use the visual and auditory clues to find your loot. Green Lights will indicate that an object is within the general area. Sweep the area slowly and keep an eye on the lights. When the light bar on the handle end of the Metal Detector is fully green, focus on filling all the red lights on the other end of the machine.
If you’ve swept the area well, all lights should flash at the same time. A blue flag will appear and should shortly turn into a red flag. You found something, now dig it up quickly before someone else gets to it!
Dig Up Your Loot!
Now that you’ve found something, get it out of the ground! Use the Shovel and left-click 3 times to get the loot. Due to how new this update is, the shovel doesn’t dig out the item, more so you whack at it until you get it out.
If you don’t have the Shovel, you can craft it with the default blueprint. You’ll need the following to craft the Shovel:
- 50 Wood
- 75 Frags
What Can You Find?
After a few runs, players have reported the following loot items:
- Rifle Ammo
- Coffee Can Helmet
- High Quality Metal
- Metal Fragments
- Pistol Bullet
- Scrap
- Cans of Beans
- Cans of Tuna
- Water Jug
- Tools
- Armor
- Components
- Revolvers
It isn’t sure if these are all the possible items you can collect. It’s to note as well that you can’t find stashes with the Metal Detector.
It appears that the type of loot heavily depends on where you are on the map. The best places to treasure hunt are the Temperate and Desert zones. You won’t find any loot in the Arctic Zone as there aren’t any Metal Rich Zones that spawn there as of now. You also won’t be able to spawn in areas with radiation, which is probably for the best.
The Backpack and Metal Detector are about to change the item acquisition dynamics in Rust. Hopefully, this guide gives you a good headstart on how to take advantage of these new features.
Now that you know everything about the Backpack and Metal Detector, use all that loot to defend and build the ultimate base!
