If you’ve spent more time dumping low-tier resources just to fit a rare ore or new weapon on your Enshrouded runs, you already know how painful limited inventory space can be. The first time I hit the weight cap 20 minutes into a run through the Shroud, I knew I needed to prioritize upgrading my storage immediately. Learning how to get backpack Enshrouded upgrades is one of the most impactful early-game steps you can take to cut down on tedious return trips to your base. These upgrades don’t just add a few extra slots, either—they let you carry enough materials to craft tools, build temporary shelters, and stock up on healing items without constantly checking your inventory meter.
How to Get Backpack Enshrouded: Early Game First Backpack Unlock
Your first backpack upgrade, the Small Backpack that adds 8 extra inventory slots, is available almost immediately after you build your first base and unlock the Craftsman NPC. You don’t need to fight any high-level enemies or venture deep into dangerous Shroud zones to get it, which is why it’s such a high priority for new players. To craft it, you’ll need three core materials: 5 pieces of processed leather, 10 woven fiber, and 2 copper rivets.
You can get processed leather by hunting boars or wolves in the starting meadow area, then refining the raw hides at a tanning station. Woven fiber is made from regular plant fiber you collect from bushes around your base, and copper rivets are smelted from copper ore you find in the low-level mines just north of the starting spawn. Once you have all materials, just interact with the Craftsman’s crafting menu, navigate to the utility tab, and you can build the backpack right away. It will automatically equip when you claim it, so you don’t have to mess around with your inventory to activate the extra slots.
Mid-Game Backpack Upgrades to Expand Your Storage Even More
Once you’ve got the small backpack and have started exploring higher-level zones, you’ll quickly find that even 8 extra slots aren’t enough to carry all the rare resources, armor pieces, and quest items you’ll pick up. The mid-game medium backpack adds another 12 slots, and it’s well worth grinding for as soon as you unlock the Hunter NPC. To get the medium backpack, you’ll need to complete the Hunter’s first three side quests, which involve hunting three specific types of wildlife across the Revelwood region.
The quests don’t require you to fight any boss enemies, but you will need to bring a good bow and some stealth potions to avoid alerting packs of raiders along the way. Once you turn in the final quest, the Hunter will give you the medium backpack blueprint, which you can craft with 10 processed leather, 15 linen cloth, 4 iron rivets, and 1 boar hide. The large backpack, which adds a full 16 extra slots on top of the medium one, unlocks after you reach the Pike area and unlock the Blacksmith NPC. You’ll need to clear a small Shroud dungeon to get the blueprint for this one, but the extra space is more than worth the effort if you like to spend hours exploring without returning to base. One thing to note here: backpack upgrades stack, so you don’t lose the extra slots from lower-tier backpacks when you craft a higher one. That means every upgrade you invest in is permanent for your playthrough.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Unlocking Backpack Upgrades
I’ve seen dozens of new players waste hours of game time trying to unlock backpack upgrades the hard way, so I’ve rounded up the most common mistakes to skip on your playthrough:
- Wasting leather on low-tier armor first: It’s tempting to craft the first leather armor set you unlock, but holding onto 5 pieces of processed leather for your first backpack will save you far more time in the long run.
- Venturing into high-level Shroud zones for materials: All materials for the small backpack are available in the starting area, so you don’t need to risk losing all your loot to Shroud corruption just to collect copper ore.
- Forgetting to check NPC quest rewards: Many players miss the medium backpack blueprint because they skip the Hunter’s side quests to focus on main story missions. Check every NPC’s quest list regularly for storage-related rewards.
Another mistake I made my first playthrough was selling extra woven fiber and leather to vendors early on. I ended up having to spend an extra two hours grinding materials just to craft my first backpack, which set back my base building progress by almost a full in-game day. If you’re not sure if you should keep a material, err on the side of storing it in your base chest instead of selling it—you’ll almost always need it for a later upgrade. You also don’t need to buy backpacks from wandering vendors, even if they offer them for cheap. All backpack blueprints are available for free via quests or crafting unlocks, so you can save your gold for better upgrades like weapon enchantments or building materials.
How to Maximize Your Backpack Space After Unlocking Upgrades
Even with all three backpack upgrades equipped, you’ll still hit the inventory cap occasionally if you don’t manage your space smartly. There are a few simple tricks I use to keep my inventory clear enough for new loot on every run. First, stack all consumable items whenever possible. Items like health potions, stamina potions, and building materials stack up to 99 per slot, so you don’t need to leave them spread out across multiple slots.
I also recommend keeping a small chest at every fast travel point you unlock. You can dump extra resources you don’t need for your current run in these chests, and pick them up later when you’re heading back to your main base. If you’re going on a long Shroud run, leave non-essential items like extra building materials or low-tier weapons at home. You only need a few healing items, your main weapon, a mining pick, and an axe for most exploration runs, so you don’t need to carry your entire crafting collection with you. One underrated trick is to use the quick discard feature for common resources you know you have hundreds of stored at base. If you pick up extra plant fiber or stone when your inventory is full, you can drop those immediately to make space for rarer items like ancient spells or legendary armor drops. You won’t regret ditching 10 stone to fit a rare weapon you’ve been grinding for.
At the end of the day, taking the time to unlock all backpack upgrades will make every part of your Enshrouded playthrough far more enjoyable. You’ll spend less time running back and forth to your base, and more time exploring the world, fighting bosses, and building the base of your dreams. If you’re just starting out, prioritizing the small backpack as soon as you unlock the Craftsman is the best first step you can take. Now that you know how to get backpack Enshrouded upgrades, you can head into your next run with a clear plan to expand your storage as early as possible. Don’t be afraid to adjust the order you unlock upgrades to fit your playstyle, either—if you spend most of your time building instead of exploring, you can even unlock storage chests first before upgrading your backpack, as long as you don’t mind shorter exploration runs.