Most items will gradually decay over time in The Long Dark. Tools degrade only when used, while Food And Drink, Clothing, and some Materials decay over time.
All materials, tools, clothing, and food items have a condition amount ranging from *100-0%.
- A white number signifies item decay ranging from *100-25.01%
- yellow for *25-10.01%
- red for *10-0%
Items with *0% decay will feature a red RUINED message in the inventory menu and cannot be repaired. Ruined items can only broken down for materials or disposed of (although food items can still be eaten at the risk of Food Poisoning).
Items that are Ruined while in the player's inventory and are then placed inside containers WILL DISAPPEAR from the game world forever, unless they can be harvested. This can be useful to remove Ruined repair items (Sewing Kits, Whetstones, Fishing Tackles) or other commonly found tools (Flare, Canister, ect.)
How fast items decay over time depends on the item, outdoors or indoors, whether a clothing item is worn or not, and the selected difficulty. Typically, food stored outdoors will decay slowest, whereas the opposite (indoors) will decay the fastest. Notable exceptions are canned food and soda.
Using Stalker difficulty as a base, items decay at 80% on Voyageur and 25% as fast on Pilgrim. Interloper items decay at 200%. The corpses of animals killed by the player will decay in three days, no matter the difficulty level.
The decay values in the tables below are based on Stalker difficulty and are extracted from the game files.
Food and Drink
Food decays at different rates, depending on whether it is stored outside or inside. Currently, the game also considers sheltered locations without a loading screen, such as the Mountaineer's Hut, the Forestry Lookout or caves, to be outside.
Food items feature a unique status title next to the item names that is determined by the following decay ranges:
Canned
- Brand New - *100-70%
- Dusty - *69-40%
- Banged Up - *39-20%
- Rusty - 19-5%
- Ruined - *4-0%
Raw/Cooked Meat
- Fresh - *100-90%
- Gamey - *89-70%
- Mouldy - *69-40%
- Rancid - *39-5%
- Ruined - *4-0%
Recipes
- Gourmet - *100-70%
- Elegant - *69-40%
- Acceptable - *39-20%
- Crude - *19-5%
- Ruined - *4-0%
Eating food with yellow or red decay ranges can inflict Food Poisoning upon the player.
| Name | Decay inside (%/day) | Decay outside (%/day) | Best stored |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acorns (Cooked) | 0.000 | 0.000 | Any |
| Acorns (Cooked - Large Portion) | 0.000 | 0.000 | Any |
| Airline Food - Chicken | 0.000 | 0.028 | Outside |
| Airline Food - Vegetarian | 0.056 | 0.028 | Outside |
| Beef Jerky | 0.100 | 0.010 | Outside |
| Birch Bark Tea | 0.000 | 0.000 | Any |
| Burdock Tea | 0.000 | 0.000 | Any |
| Burbot (Cooked) | 33.333 | 3.333 | Outside |
| Burbot (Raw) | 33.333 | 3.333 | Outside |
| Bear Meat (Raw) | 25.000 | 2.500 | Outside |
| Bear Meat (Cooked) | 8.333 | 0.833 | Outside |
| Chocolate Bar | 0.250 | 0.025 | Outside |
| Cat Tail Stalk | 0.000 | 0.000 | Any |
| Canned Corn | 0.167 | 0.833 | Inside |
| Canned Ham | 0.133 | 0.667 | Inside |
| Coho Salmon (Cooked) | 12.500 | 1.250 | Outside |
| Coho Salmon (Raw) | 33.333 | 3.333 | Outside |
| Cooked Potato | 4.000 | 1.000 | Outside |
| Condensed Milk | 1.000 | 0.250 | Outside |
| Cup of Acorn Coffee | 0.000 | 0.000 | Any |
| Cup of Coffee | 0.000 | 0.000 | Any |
| Cup of Herbal Tea | 0.000 | 0.000 | Any |
| Dog Food | 0.667 | 0.167 | Outside |
| Energy Bar | 0.833 | 0.417 | Outside |
| Go! Energy Drink | 0.167 | 0.833 | Inside |
| Granola Bar | 0.333 | 0.033 | Outside |
| Goldeye (Cooked) | 33.333 | 3.333 | Outside |
| Goldeye (Raw) | 33.333 | 3.333 | Outside |
| Ketchup Chips | 0.250 | 0.025 | Outside |
| Lake Whitefish (Cooked) | 12.500 | 1.250 | Outside |
| Lake Whitefish (Raw) | 33.333 | 3.333 | Outside |
| Maple Syrup | 1.000 | 0.500 | Outside |
| Military-Grade MRE | 0.056 | 0.028 | Outside |
| Moose Meat (Cooked) | 8.333 | 0.833 | Outside |
| Moose Meat (Raw) | 20.000 | 2.000 | Outside |
| Orange Soda | 0.167 | 0.833 | Inside |
| Peanut Butter | 1.000 | 0.500 | Outside |
| Pinnacle Peaches | 0.333 | 1.667 | Inside |
| Pork and Beans | 0.133 | 0.667 | Inside |
| Prepared Burdock | 0.067 | 0.006 | Outside |
| Ptarmigan (Cooked) | 12.500 | 1.250 | Outside |
| Ptarmigan (Raw) | 33.333 | 3.333 | Outside |
| Rabbit (Cooked) | 12.500 | 1.250 | Outside |
| Rabbit (Raw) | 33.333 | 3.333 | Outside |
| Rainbow Trout (Cooked) | 12.500 | 1.250 | Outside |
| Rainbow Trout (Raw) | 33.333 | 3.333 | Outside |
| Red Irish Lord (Cooked) | 33.333 | 3.333 | Outside |
| Red Irish Lord (Raw) | 33.333 | 3.333 | Outside |
| Reishi Tea | 0.000 | 0.000 | Any |
| Rockfish (Cooked) | 33.333 | 3.333 | Outside |
| Rockfish (Raw) | 33.333 | 3.333 | Outside |
| Rose Hip Tea | 0.000 | 0.000 | Any |
| Salty Crackers | 0.000 | 0.000 | Any |
| Smallmouth Bass (Cooked) | 12.500 | 1.250 | Outside |
| Smallmouth Bass (Raw) | 33.333 | 3.333 | Outside |
| Stacy's Grape Soda | 0.167 | 0.833 | Inside |
| Summit Soda | 0.167 | 0.833 | Inside |
| Tin of Sardines | 0.067 | 0.333 | Inside |
| Tomato Soup | 0.200 | 0.050 | Outside |
| Venison (Cooked) | 10.000 | 1.000 | Outside |
| Venison (Raw) | 20.000 | 2.000 | Outside |
| Wolf Meat (Cooked) | 10.000 | 1.000 | Outside |
| Wolf Meat (Raw) | 33.333 | 3.333 | Outside |
| Water (Unsafe) | 0.000 | 0.000 | Any |
| Water (Potable) | 0.000 | 0.000 | Any |
Brewable Materials
| Name | Decay inside (%/day) | Decay outside (%/day) | Best stored |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herbal Tea | 0.067 | 0.067 | Any |
| Tin of Coffee | 0.100 | 0.100 | Any |
Recipes
| Name | Decay inside (%/day) | Decay outside (%/day) | Best stored |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acorn Bannock | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
| Acorn Pancakes | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
| Bannock | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
| Breyerhouse Pie | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
| Broth | 0.667 | 0.167 | Outside |
| Camber Flight Porridge | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
| Coastal Fishcakes | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
| Dockworker's Pie | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
| Lily's Pancakes | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
| Pancakes | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
| Peach Pie | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
| Porridge | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
| Ptarmigan Pie | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
| Ptarmigan Stew | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
| Prepper's Pie | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
| Rabbit Pie | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
| Rabbit Stew | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
| Ranger Stew | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
| Rose Hip Pie | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
| Stalker's Pie | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
| Thomson Family Stew | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
| Trout Stew | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
| Venison Pie | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
| Venison Stew | 20.000 | 5.000 | Outside |
Ingredients
| Name | Decay inside (%/day) | Decay outside (%/day) | Best stored |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burdock Root | 0.100 | 0.100 | Any |
| Carrot | 0.000 | 0.000 | Any |
| Cooking Oil | 0.000 | 0.000 | Any |
| Old Mill Flour | 0.250 | 0.250 | Any |
| Running River Oats | 0.200 | 0.200 | Any |
| Salt | 0.000 | 0.000 | Any |
| Potato | 0.500 | 0.500 | Any |
Quartering
| Name | Decay inside (%/day) | Decay outside (%/day) | Best stored |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Quarter | 10.000 | 10.000 | Any |
| Deer Quarter | 10.000 | 10.000 | Any |
| Moose Quarter | 10.000 | 10.000 | Any |
| Ptarmigan Carcass | 10.000 | 10.000 | Any |
| Rabbit Carcass | 10.000 | 10.000 | Any |
| Wolf Quarter | 10.000 | 10.000 | Any |
Clothing
Clothing items have three different decay speeds: when stored (in- or outside), when worn inside and when worn outside. Clothes gradually offer less protection from the cold the more they decay, making it important to keep one's clothes in good condition.
The overall item condition will affect the status next to the clothing name, which will be:
- New - *100-90%
- Decent - *89-80%
- Worn - *79-40%
- Torn - *39-30%
- Ragged - *29-10%
- Ruined - *9-0%
Clothes can also rapidly decay from blizzards, wolf attacks, and falling.
Wintermute Clothing
| Name | Decay when stored (%/day) | Worn inside (%/day) | Worn outside (%/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astrid's Boots | |||
| Astrid's Gloves | |||
| Astrid's Jacket | |||
| Astrid's Jeans | |||
| Astrid's Sweater | |||
| Astrid's Toque | |||
| Mountaineering Boots | 0.040 | 0.100 | 0.400 |
| Mackenzie's Boots | 0.067 | 0.067 | 0.333 |
| Mackenzie's Parka | 0.040 | 0.100 | 0.200 |
| Mackenzie's Toque | 0.000 | 0.250 | 0.500 |
| Mackenzie's Pants | 0.100 | 0.250 | 0.500 |
| Mackenzie's Shirt | 0.250 | 0.250 | 0.500 |
| Mackenzie's Sweater | 0.250 | 0.250 | 0.500 |
Hats and Scarves
| Name | Decay when stored (%/day) | Worn inside (%/day) | Worn outside (%/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aviator Cap | 0.025 | 0.063 | 0.250 |
| Balaclava | 0.100 | 0.250 | 1.000 |
| Baseball Cap | 0.333 | 0.833 | 3.333 |
| Cotton Scarf | 0.133 | 0.333 | 1.333 |
| Cotton Toque | 0.500 | 1.000 | 2.000 |
| Fleece Cowl | 0.125 | 0.313 | 1.250 |
| Hardhat | 0.029 | 0.071 | 0.286 |
| Improvised Head Wrap | 1.000 | 2.000 | 4.000 |
| Long Wool Scarf | 0.067 | 0.167 | 0.667 |
| Rabbitskin Hat | 0.067 | 0.167 | 0.667 |
| Technical Balaclava | 0.050 | 0.125 | 0.500 |
| Wool Scarf | 0.100 | 0.250 | 1.000 |
| Wool Toque | 0.133 | 0.333 | 1.333 |
Gloves
| Name | Decay when stored (%/day) | Worn inside (%/day) | Worn outside (%/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driving Gloves | 0.500 | 1.000 | 2.000 |
| Fleece Mittens | 0.333 | 1.000 | 1.333 |
| Gauntlets | 0.125 | 0.375 | 0.500 |
| Improvised Hand Wraps | 0.500 | 1.000 | 2.000 |
| Rabbitskin Mitts | 0.050 | 0.125 | 0.500 |
| Ski Gloves | 0.167 | 0.333 | 0.667 |
| Wool Mittens | 0.250 | 0.750 | 1.000 |
| Work Gloves | 0.167 | 0.333 | 0.667 |
Shirts and Sweaters
| Name | Decay when stored (%/day) | Worn inside (%/day) | Worn outside (%/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cowichan Sweater | 0.033 | 0.083 | 0.333 |
| Dress Shirt | 0.333 | 1.000 | 1.333 |
| Fisherman's Sweater | 0.040 | 0.100 | 0.400 |
| Hockey Jersey | 0.033 | 0.083 | 0.333 |
| Hoodie | 0.100 | 0.250 | 1.000 |
| Plaid Shirt | 0.250 | 0.750 | 1.000 |
| Sweatshirt | 0.250 | 0.750 | 1.000 |
| Thick Wool Sweater | 0.050 | 0.125 | 0.500 |
| Thin Wool Sweater | 0.067 | 0.167 | 0.667 |
| T-Shirt | 0.500 | 1.500 | 2.000 |
| Wool Shirt | 0.167 | 0.500 | 0.667 |
Coats, Vests, and Jackets
| Name | Decay when stored (%/day) | Worn inside (%/day) | Worn outside (%/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bearskin Coat | 0.133 | 0.033 | 0.133 |
| Down Vest | 0.250 | 0.750 | 1.000 |
| Expedition Parka | 0.063 | 0.188 | 0.250 |
| Flight Jacket | 0.025 | 0.063 | 0.250 |
| Light Shell | 0.167 | 0.333 | 0.667 |
| Mackinaw Jacket | 0.083 | 0.250 | 0.333 |
| Mariner's Pea Coat | 0.071 | 0.071 | 0.286 |
| Military Coat | 0.071 | 0.214 | 0.286 |
| Miner's Jacket | 0.029 | 0.071 | 0.286 |
| Moose-Hide Cloak | 0.033 | 0.027 | 0.133 |
| Old Fashioned Parka | 0.083 | 0.250 | 0.333 |
| Simple Parka | 0.100 | 0.300 | 0.400 |
| Ski Jacket | 0.067 | 0.167 | 0.667 |
| Sport Vest | 0.333 | 0.667 | 1.333 |
| Urban Parka | 0.200 | 0.600 | 0.800 |
| Windbreaker | 0.333 | 1.000 | 1.333 |
| Wolfskin Coat | 0.020 | 0.050 | 0.200 |
Underwear
| Name | Decay when stored (%/day) | Worn inside (%/day) | Worn outside (%/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal Underwear | 0.200 | 0.500 | 2.000 |
| Wool Longjohns | 0.100 | 0.250 | 1.000 |
Pants
| Name | Decay when stored (%/day) | Worn inside (%/day) | Worn outside (%/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cargo Pants | 0.067 | 0.167 | 0.667 |
| Combat Pants | 0.067 | 0.167 | 0.667 |
| Deerskin Pants | 0.029 | 0.071 | 0.286 |
| Jeans | 0.100 | 0.500 | 1.000 |
| Miner's Pants | 0.050 | 0.125 | 0.500 |
| Snow Pants | 0.080 | 0.200 | 0.800 |
| Work Pants | 0.050 | 0.250 | 0.500 |
Socks
| Name | Decay when stored (%/day) | Worn inside (%/day) | Worn outside (%/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Climbing Socks | 0.100 | 0.250 | 1.000 |
| Sports Socks | 0.625 | 1.875 | 2.500 |
| Wool Socks | 0.133 | 0.333 | 1.333 |
Shoes and boots
| Name | Decay when stored (%/day) | Worn inside (%/day) | Worn outside (%/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical Boots | 0.067 | 0.083 | 0.333 |
| Combat Boots | 0.067 | 0.067 | 0.667 |
| Deerskin Boots | 0.033 | 0.033 | 0.333 |
| Insulated Boots | 0.125 | 0.250 | 0.500 |
| Leather Shoes | 0.167 | 0.167 | 0.667 |
| Mukluks | 0.040 | 0.100 | 0.400 |
| Running Shoes | 0.250 | 0.250 | 1.000 |
| Ski Boots | 0.050 | 0.100 | 0.200 |
| Trail Boots | 0.067 | 0.067 | 0.667 |
| Work Boots | 0.050 | 0.125 | 0.500 |
Accessories
| Name | Decay when stored (%/day) | Worn inside (%/day) | Worn outside (%/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballistic Vest | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.120 |
| Crampons | 0.010 | 0.020 | 0.010 |
| Foreman's Tool Belt | 0.017 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Improvised Crampons | 0.020 | 0.020 | 0.010 |
| Improvised Insulation | 0.100 | 0.000 | 0.050 |
| Moose-Hide Satchel | 0.010 | 0.000 | 0.030 |
| Security Chief's Rifle Holster | 0.010 | 0.010 | 0.000 |
| Wool Ear Wrap | 0.133 | 0.333 | 1.333 |
Medical supplies
Only painkillers, antibiotics and water purification tablets decay over time. Fortunately, there are craftable alternatives (Reishi Tea, Rose Hip Tea) that do not decay. Antiseptic only decays when used, similar to tools.
Storing these supplies inside does not alter the rate of decay.
| Name | Decay over time (%/day) |
|---|---|
| Antibiotics | 0.100 |
| Painkillers | 0.100 |
| Prepared Burdock | |
| Water Purification Tablets | 0.200 |
Tools
Most tools degrade only when they're used. Once their condition goes below a lower threshold, they have a chance to break when they're used.
Note that these decay values are not affected by the difficulty multiplier.
| Name | Decay per action (%) | Breaking threshold (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Barb's Rifle | ||
| Can Opener | 2.000 | 20 |
| Curator's Rifle | ||
| Distress Pistol | 4.000 | 10 |
| Firestriker | 2.000 | 10 |
| Fishing Tackle | 10.000 | 20 |
| Forester's Revolver | ||
| Hacksaw | 5.000 | 25 |
| Hatchet | 2.000 | 15 |
| Heavy Hammer | 0.667 | 10 |
| Hunter's Revolver | ||
| Hunting Knife | 2.000 | 15 |
| Hunting Rifle | 1.333 | 10 |
| Improvised Hatchet | 3.000 | 30 |
| Improvised Knife | 3.000 | 30 |
| Prybar | 1.600 | 20 |
| Quality Tools | 2.000 | 10 |
| Revolver | 1.000 | 10 |
| Firearm Cleaning Kit | 5.000 | 20 |
| Scrap Metal Shard | ||
| Sewing Kit | 5.000 | 20 |
| Simple Tools | 3.333 | 20 |
| Sport Bow | ||
| Survival Bow | 2.000 | 15 |
| Torch | ||
| Vaughn's Rifle | ||
| Warden's Revolver | ||
| Whetstone | 5.000 | 20 |
| Woodwright's Bow |
Tool Decay from Crafting
| Name | Crafting (%/hour) | Harvesting animals (%/hour) | Clearing ice fishing hole (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fishing Tackle | 10.000 | ||
| Hacksaw | 1.000 | ||
| Hatchet | 1.000 | 1.000 | 5.000 |
| Heavy Hammer | 0.667 | 1.333 | |
| Hunting Knife | 1.000 | 1.000 | 5.000 |
| Improvised Hatchet | 1.500 | 1.500 | 10.000 |
| Improvised Knife | 1.500 | 1.500 | 8.000 |
| Quality Tools | 1.000 | ||
| Scrap Metal Shard | |||
| Sewing Kit | 5.000 | ||
| Simple Tools | 1.667 |
Arrows
Both Simple Arrows and Fire Hardened Arrows degrade, but only when they're used. The amount of decay depends on the angle with which the arrow impacts and the hardness of the object it hits.
Arrows can break on impact when their condition sinks below 20%. If an animal is hit and the arrow breaks, it will not be embedded in the animal and instead just drop to the floor.
Bedrolls
Bedrolls both decay over time and when used.
| Name | Decay per day (unused) | Decay per day (used) |
|---|---|---|
| Bedroll | 0.200% | 1.644% |
| Bear Skin Bedroll | 0.274% | 2.400% |
| Improvised Down Bedroll | 0.300% | 2.600% |
Tales from the Far Territory
Tales from the Far Territory tools.
| Name | Decay when stored (%/day) |
|---|---|
| Travois | 0.125 |
| Insulated Flask | 0.010 |
| Respirator | 0.000 |
Materials
Fresh Hides, Pelts, and Guts stop decaying once they've cured completely. All other materials not mentioned here don't decay.
| Name | Decay over time (%/day) |
|---|---|
| Flare Shell | 0.067 |
| Fresh Black Bear Hide | 3.333 |
| Fresh Deer Hide | 3.333 |
| Fresh Gut | 5.000 |
| Fresh Moose Hide | 2.857 |
| Fresh Rabbit Pelt | 6.667 |
| Fresh Wolf Pelt | 5.000 |
| Gameplay |
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