Maps and expeditions
Choose the Right Harvest Tool
Choosing between a pick and hatchet makes early gathering trips produce the materials you need.
WHERE & HOW TO FARM
Choose the Right Harvest Tool
Early Island beaches and forests, then the resource nodes you discover as your base develops.
Before you go
- A Stone Pick and Stone Hatchet, unlocked and crafted when available.
- Inventory space for the resource you plan to gather.
- A nearby safe place to store or use the materials.
Farming steps
- Choose a material needed for your next tool, structure, or crafting step.
- Use a pick on rocks when you want flint, and a hatchet when you want stone.
- Use a hatchet on trees for wood, or a pick when you want thatch.
- Check your inventory after a few harvest actions and compare the result with your goal.
- Switch tools if the gathered mix does not match what you need.
- Return to your storage or crafting area and use the gathered material.
- Upgrade tools or tame a specialized harvester when hand gathering no longer suits the quantity required.
- Carry both tools so one trip can adapt if your immediate crafting need changes.
- A tool choice changes the resource mix; more swings with the wrong tool can make the trip less useful.
Repeat, collect and use
Repeat the gather-and-check loop whenever you need early materials. Hand harvesting remains available, while upgrades and tames can take over bulk work later.
Common mistakes
- Using the same tool for every node: match pick or hatchet to the resource you need.
- Continuing after the inventory fills: unload before gathering more.
- Harvesting without a crafting goal: decide what you need and stop when you have enough for that task.
When to stop or switch
Stop when you have enough materials for the next craft or your inventory is full; switch tools or methods if the output is not useful.
Sources & fact checks
What you can get here
Open a guide to find other locations and see what the item is used for.