Permanent upgrades don't come around often in Mina the Hollower, so when they do, they're worth going out of your way for. The two cloaks in the game are automatically equipped the moment you pick them up, each one stacking a meaningful defensive bonus that carries through the entire run. They also count toward 100% completion, so you'll want both regardless. Here's exactly where to find them and what you unlock once you have the pair.
What do the cloaks do in Mina the Hollower?
Both cloaks are passive and permanent. There's no equipping or swapping involved; collecting them immediately applies their effects to Mina's stats for the rest of the game. The bonuses stack with each other, which makes grabbing both a genuine priority rather than a luxury.
After testing both cloaks together against late-game enemies, the combined reduction in effective damage taken is noticeable enough that survival windows open up significantly, especially on tougher encounters.
Vitality Vest at Knitts' shop
Where is the Vitality Vest?
The Vitality Vest is sold by Knitts the Atelier, whose shop sits in the eastern section of Ossex. The price is 3,000 Bones, which is a significant spend, but the permanent health increase makes it worth prioritizing over cosmetic purchases.
The catch is access. You need two Spark Containers on your person to get into the shop at all. Make sure you have both before heading to Ossex, or you'll find yourself staring at a locked door with nothing to show for the trip. If you're still tracking down Spark Containers, the Mina the Hollower beginner's guide covers the early progression steps that open up areas like this.
You must carry two Spark Containers to enter Knitts' shop. Leaving them in storage or spending them before visiting will block access entirely.
Where is the Safety Shroud?
The Safety Shroud is hidden but findable once you know what to look for. Knitts gives you a hint about it in the Atelier's shop, though it's easy to miss if you're skimming dialogue.
Here's the process step by step:
- Take a standard train ride. This is the normal ride, not the Coltrane Peak event version.
- From the carriage, dig through the closed door on the right side.
- Once inside the private chambers, dig underground heading west.
- Use two Kears to clear the locked gates blocking your path.
- Open the chest you find along the way for a Bonestone Shard.
- Collect the Safety Shroud at the back of the room.
The 25% damage reduction applies immediately on pickup and stacks directly with the Vitality Vest, so having both means you're both tankier and harder to kill outright.
Safety Shroud hidden underground
Don't confuse the standard train ride with the Coltrane Peak event train. The hidden room only appears on the regular route.
How do you unlock custom colors for Mina?
Once you have both cloaks, return to Knitts the Atelier in Ossex. With both in your possession, Knitts will offer palette color changes for 2,000 Bones. After paying once, all future color swaps are free.
The system goes well beyond simple presets. There are a large number of preset palettes to choose from, but you can also manually adjust one of three separate sprite layers to build something that's genuinely yours. This is purely cosmetic and offers no gameplay benefit, but if you're aiming for 100% completion, both cloaks are required anyway, so the color customization is a natural reward for doing the legwork.
Does cloak stacking actually matter?
Short answer: yes. The combined effect of +25% max health and -25% incoming damage means you're absorbing substantially more punishment than an unupgraded Mina. The health bonus scales with every rose you collect afterward, so the earlier you grab the Vitality Vest, the more value it generates across the whole game. The Safety Shroud's flat damage reduction is consistently useful regardless of when you find it.
For everything else the game has to offer, from mirror secrets to boss tactics, the full Mina the Hollower guide collection has you covered.