The complete Outbound resource guide
Outbound drops you into a peaceful open world where gathering the right materials is the difference between a van that barely moves and one that's kitted out with solar panels, a full kitchen, and repaired bridges. The resource list is longer than it looks at first glance, and some materials only appear in specific biomes or require upgraded tools to collect. This guide covers every major resource across all four maps, the full energy system, and the crafted materials you'll need to unlock mid and late game upgrades.
What resources do you need first in Outbound?
The game starts you off in Biome 1 (Forest and Farms) with a handful of items you can grab bare-handed: Everwood logs on the ground, Scrap Metal near Signal Towers, and Litter scattered around campsites. These three get you through the first few upgrades and let you build your first crafting stations.
Here's what each starter resource does:
- Litter collected around the map gets recycled into Download Coupons using a Recycler, which are then spent at Signal Tower Terminals to unlock blueprints.
- Everwood goes into bridge repairs, van upgrades, and Sawmill production. Everwood trees have brown trunks and green leaves, and you can also find loose logs near willow-style trees.
- Scrap Metal is the workhorse of early van upgrades and is found most reliably near Signal Tower Terminals in every biome.
- Fiber fuels your van's Power Unit in the early game and also goes into crafting the Wind Turbine. Small shrubs can be grabbed by hand; larger ones need a Sickle.
- Rocks can be picked up loose or broken from boulders with a Pickaxe, and are needed for the basic Power Unit recipe.
If you're just getting started and need direction on the first hour, the Outbound ultimate beginner's guide covers the core loop and Signal Tower priorities in detail.
Early resource inventory screen
All foraged and mined resources by biome
The table below covers every major raw material confirmed across the four biomes, sorted by where you find it.
How does the energy system work in Outbound?
Your van doesn't run on gasoline. You keep it charged through a combination of up to 7 different power sources, all unlocked via Signal Tower Terminals. The base Power Unit comes with the van and accepts Wood or Fiber as fuel. Everything else is weather-dependent.
Each energy unit charges independently, so stacking two Solar Panels charges the battery twice as fast as one. Building extras doesn't appear to affect van weight, so there's no penalty for loading up on chargers.
Energy build menu, all sources
All 7 power sources and what they cost
What's the best power setup for each map?
Weather patterns differ significantly between maps, so the right energy build changes as you progress. Here's what works best in each zone:
- Map 1 (Forest and Farms): Mix Solar and Wind as your primary sources. Keep the Power Unit stocked with Fiber or Wood as a rain backup.
- Map 2 (The Coast): Rain and wind are both frequent here. Prioritize Wind Turbines and Rainwater Turbines for the fastest charging.
- Map 3 (The Canyon): It never rains. Go all-in on Solar and Wind, and skip the Rainwater Turbine entirely.
- Map 4 (The Celebration): Weather conditions shift constantly, so a balanced spread of all energy types keeps you topped up.
All crafted materials and what you need to make them
Raw resources only get you so far. Most mid-game van upgrades and clothing recipes require processed materials that you produce at workstations installed in your van. Each workstation blueprint comes from a Signal Tower Terminal.
Sawmill plank crafting menu
Where to find food and ingredients
Hunger is a real mechanic in Outbound. Early on, Roadberries (+10 Nutrition) are the easiest food to find since they grow on dark green bushes near Everwood trees throughout Biome
- Amber Morels and Carrots also give +10 Nutrition each and are found around landmarks like the Fire Lookout and Sunbeam Acres Farm.
Once you reach Biome 2, the calorie density jumps: Bananas, Coconuts, Coastberries, and Honey all give +22 Nutrition, making them far more efficient than the Biome 1 forageables.
For cooked food, the Cooking Pot and Baking Oven unlock some serious nutrition payoffs:
Water is used in multiple recipes but isn't consumed directly. Collect Water Bottles from houses and campsites, or draw from wells scattered across Biome 1. When you pick up a bottle, your inventory automatically splits it into a Bottle Cap and Water.
How do broken bridges affect resource access?
Several resource-rich areas in Biome 1 are blocked until you repair the broken bridges. The Amber Morel field north of the Fire Lookout, for example, sits behind one of these crossings. Bridges require Everwood Planks crafted at a Sawmill. If you're hitting walls on exploration, the Outbound broken bridge repair guide covers all three crossings and the drawbridge.
For everything else in the game, the full Outbound guides collection has dedicated pages on fiber farming, van storage, and more.