Surviving in DayZ: Essential Tips for Finding Food and Water

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For newcomers to the open-world zombie-survival game DayZ, the experience can be incredibly frustrating. The game’s harsh world is unforgiving, with quick starvation and dehydration, ravenous zombies, hostile players, and unique mechanics like passing out from pain.

DayZ is particularly challenging, particularly for players who have just spawned straight into a server. Starting out in areas at the beginning, it can be incredibly challenging to obtain food and water – both critical for survival in the game. Fortunately, experienced players have discovered several strategies to make collecting these essentials significantly easier.

Guide To Locating Food & Drink

10. Mushrooms

One helpful strategy is to search for mushrooms, which can be found in forests. However, it’s important to exercise caution when gathering and consuming them, as many types of mushrooms can be poisonous and potentially deadly.

9. Fishing

In addition to mushroom gathering, DayZ presents players with several other methods for feeding their characters. Fishing is one such option, offering a more relaxing way to acquire sustenance. To begin fishing, players must first locate a body of water that is deep enough for the activity, such as a pond, sea, or river. Once a suitable body of water has been found, players should equip a hook and earthworm, combining the two items to create bait.

Next, players should retrieve their fishing pole from their inventory and place the baited hook into the hook slot on the pole. After preparing the fishing rod, players should approach the edge of the water and click or press the action button to cast the line. They should continue holding the click or button until the progress bar is completely filled.

If the line is successful, players will feel a tug indicating that they’ve caught something. At this point, they should click or press the action button to reel in the fish or any other item that they’ve acquired. It’s important to note that every catch will require a new earthworm, so players should remove the hook and replace the bait before recasting the line.

8. Vending Stands

In DayZ, survivors can find a plethora of buildings, houses, and other structures throughout the cities. Among these structures, vending stands are a valuable resource that players should keep an eye out for. Although small in size compared to other buildings, vending stands often hold consumable items that can be critical for a survivor’s survival, such as food and drink. These stands are sometimes referred to as “food kiosks” and often feature food symbols all over their logos.

7. Fruit Trees

If you find yourself near a town or city, there are many opportunities to find food and water. One of the best ways for new players to obtain sustenance is to locate fruit trees, which can be found within the town limits. These trees typically have fruit that has already spawned beneath them, and even if the fruit is rotten, players should pick it up to make room for fresh fruit to appear. Searching a town and gathering fruit in this manner can yield a significant amount of food for the player.

6. Abandoned Or Stranded Vessels

Upon spawning in beginner locations along the beach in DayZ, survivors should immediately search for washed-up vessels. These small wooden vessels may not stand out in the game’s less cinematic visuals, but they often contain valuable items, including food and drink. This makes them a great resource for survivors looking to quickly gather supplies before venturing further into the perilous wilderness of apocalyptic Russia. Even experienced players should make a habit of checking these boats whenever they come across them, as they can be an important source of sustenance to meet a survivor’s needs.

5. Community Water Sources

Public water pumps can be found in most large cities or towns, providing an invaluable source of hydration for survivors in DayZ. These pumps offer an infinite supply of water that players can drink from or use to fill up their water containers. Drinking from these pumps carries a very low risk of getting sick, making them a reliable source of hydration. It is advisable to fill up as many containers as possible at a water pump to ensure that a survivor has access to water for an extended period of time.

4. Killing Zombies

Killing zombies and looting their bodies is one of the quickest ways to gather food and beverages in DayZ. However, this method can be dangerous, so it’s important for players to take necessary precautions. Utilising building windows to fight zombies is one way to minimise the risk of injury. By leading a group of zombies towards a window, players can easily farm food, drinks, and other items they might need.

3. Dwellings

Looting houses is a must for new survivors, and it’s also an obvious choice since houses are where supplies are usually found. However, looting every house can be very time-consuming. To save time, it’s best to quickly examine houses through windows and if any food or drinks are visible, it’s worth entering the house to loot. Otherwise, the player can quickly move along to other buildings to maximise their loot gathering.

2. Ponds/Lakes/Creeks

Survivors who find themselves in the northern wilderness of the map might have a hard time locating sources of drinkable water. However, there are still several ponds, lakes, and creeks in the wilderness that can be used as a water source. Players should keep in mind that this water is not safe to drink directly and needs to be boiled first. By filling up a container with this water and boiling it using a fire, the water can be made drinkable, making these a reliable source of hydration.

1. Gardening

Experienced DayZ players know that gardening is a valuable skill for long-term survival. Seeds and equipment can be easily found, making it a simple yet effective way to ensure a player has enough food to last. By grabbing a shovel and planting seeds, a survivor can cultivate their own source of sustenance that can last until the spot is depleted. Gardening can also be a great way for survivor groups to ensure a communal food supply.

That’s it for this guide but make sure to check out all of our tips on the survival horror as we update the page regularly. Leave a comment at the footer section of this page if you get stuck or need any help and the helpful community here will get back to you.