Building — Crates

Overview

Wooden Crates are the premier solution for long-term storage and hidden gear stashes in DayZ. Unlike tents or barrels, they are easily concealable, have a 50-slot capacity, and do not require base building to function.

How It Works

A Wooden Crate is a crafted storage container made from wooden planks and nails. Once assembled, it occupies 10 slots in your inventory and can be placed on the ground, buried in dirt, or hidden inside structures. They do not persist indefinitely unless interacted with; a crate will despawn if not accessed or moved within 45 days.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Find a hatchet or woodaxe and a saw (hacksaw or handsaw).
2. Chop down a tree to obtain wooden logs.
3. Use your saw on the wooden logs to craft wooden planks.
4. Locate a box of nails or loose nails in industrial areas.
5. Combine your nails with the wooden planks in your inventory crafting menu.
6. Select the "Wooden Crate" recipe and wait for the crafting animation to complete.
7. Drag the crate into your hands to place it in your desired storage location.

Tips

• Always bury your crates in soft soil using a shovel, pickaxe, or hoe to make them nearly invisible to passing players.
• Place crates inside thick bushes or underneath floorboards in ruined houses to minimize their silhouette.
• Use a flag pole nearby if building a stash, though remember the crate itself does not technically require a flag to prevent despawning.
• Avoid placing crates on stairs or uneven terrain, as they may clip through the map geometry and disappear.
• Memorize your stash location using map coordinates or distinct landmarks, as there are no in-game GPS markers for hidden loot.

Common Mistakes

• Leaving crates in the open: They are highly visible; always conceal them in foliage or underground.
• Forgetting to interact: Crates despawn after 45 days if left untouched; return to them periodically to reset the timer.
• Overloading: While crates hold 50 slots, burying too many in one spot creates a massive "lure" for hackers or lucky looters who find one.
• Using crates as building material: Never mistake a crate for a construction component; they are purely for storage and cannot be used to craft base walls or fences.

Related Items

• Nail
• Nail Box
• Flag CHEL
• Flag Bear
• Flag BrainZ

Related Guides

• Base Building
• Hunting and Foraging
• Looting Industrial Zones