Rough Stuffing is one of those resources that sneaks up on you in Outbound. You won't need it on day one, but once you start pushing into clothing upgrades at the Sewing Table, you'll suddenly want a lot of it. The good news: it's not hard to find once you know where to look. The bad news: most players walk right past the reeds that produce it without realizing what they are.
Where do you find Rough Stuffing in Outbound?
Rough Stuffing comes from harvesting reeds, which grow near bodies of water like ponds and lakes. The reeds have a long stem and a distinctive red-colored tip at the top, making them stand out from the surrounding vegetation once you know what you're scanning for.
One thing that separates reeds from most other resources in the game: there are no "large reed" variants. Every single reed you harvest gives you exactly one Rough Stuffing. No bonus yield, no size scaling. This means volume matters more than efficiency here.
Reeds grow near ponds and lakes
The spawn pattern is consistent enough that once you identify a reliable lake, you can return to it whenever your Rough Stuffing supply runs low.
What is Rough Stuffing used for in Outbound?
Rough Stuffing feeds directly into the Sewing Table, which handles clothing upgrades for on-foot exploration. The first recipe you'll encounter is Clothing Upgrade 1, which requires 4 Rough Stuffing and 4 Thread to craft.
As you progress and activate Signal Towers and Landmark computers across the map, additional Sewing Table recipes unlock. These recipes continue to use Rough Stuffing, so demand scales with how far into the game you push.
Rough Stuffing cannot be used as fuel for your camper van's battery. Unlike wood types and Fiber, it has no energy value, so don't hold onto it hoping for a secondary use there.
Sewing Table clothing upgrade recipes
For players who've been checking our guide on how to get Fiber, the comparison is worth noting: Fiber shows up in early decorative crafting recipes for van charms and flowers, while Rough Stuffing is more firmly tied to practical clothing upgrades. Both materials serve different crafting branches.
How does Rough Stuffing compare to other early materials?
Here's a quick breakdown of how Rough Stuffing stacks up against other early-game resources you'll be gathering:
The single-unit yield per reed means Rough Stuffing requires more active gathering trips than wood or Fiber, but the resource nodes are predictable and respawn reliably around the same water sources.
Should you prioritize Rough Stuffing early?
Rough Stuffing is most valuable during the early-to-mid game when clothing upgrades directly affect how long you can explore on foot. The Sewing Table recipes unlocked through Signal Towers build on each other, so falling behind on Rough Stuffing supply can slow your progression through the upgrade chain.
Don't burn Rough Stuffing on decorative van items if any show up requiring it later in the game. Practical upgrades and tools should take priority over cosmetics, especially before you've established a reliable farming loop.
If you're still getting oriented with the broader systems, the Outbound ultimate beginner's guide covers Signal Towers, the core resource loop, and how to build out your mobile base efficiently in the first hour.
For the full collection of tips covering every resource and system in the game, the Outbound guides hub has everything organized in one place.