ARC Raiders Beginner Guide: Arc Raiders Where to Get Rusted Gear - Guide

Guide: arcraiders · Published July 20, 2026 · 2,083 words · 11 min read

by Arc Raiders Hub Editorial · Last updated July 20, 2026 · Reviewed by Arc Raiders Hub Editorial

💸Buy ARC Raiders at the lowest current price→

arcraiders in-game screenshot — In-game screenshot

Quick Answer: Rusted Gear comes from scavenging old industrial areas, storage containers, and wreck-heavy loot zones, then extracting successfully with it in your inventory; prioritize safe routes, fast loot loops, and extraction over long fights.

What Rusted Gear Is and Why Beginners Care

Rusted Gear is a low-to-mid value scavenging material you want early because it helps you fund progression, crafting, and vendor turnover without risking your best loot.

In ARC Raiders, your first hours are all about learning the extraction loop: loot, survive, extract, and keep what you found. The game is a multiplayer extraction adventure set on a lethal future Earth overrun by ARC machines, so every run is a balance of greed and survival Source.

If you are searching for Arc Raiders Where to Get Rusted Gear - Guide help, the short version is simple: go where old machinery, derelict structures, and abandoned industrial props cluster, then scoop up anything that looks like scrap, mechanical debris, or weathered equipment.

Best places to start looking

Industrial ruins and factory-style locations
Broken vehicles, storage rooms, and maintenance sheds
Loot containers near wreckage instead of open streets
Quiet side paths on the way to an extraction point
Areas you can enter and leave quickly if enemies show up

The key idea is not “farm one magic chest.” It is “build a safe loot circuit” that lets you check multiple likely spawn types in one run.

First-Hour Checklist

Your first hour should focus on learning one safe route, extracting once, and identifying what loot is worth keeping.

Do these actions in order

Complete the tutorial or opening onboarding prompts.
Pick one low-risk route and run it twice before changing anything.
Open every container you pass, even if you do not need the items yet.
Mark extraction points mentally before you start looting.
Prioritize Rusted Gear, crafting materials, ammo, and healing over junk you cannot use.
Leave fights you do not need. Surviving with average loot is better than dying with a perfect backpack.
Extract early on your first successful route rather than pushing deeper.
After extraction, sort your inventory and note which map objects actually paid off.

What to learn in hour one

Which containers spawn reliable scrap-like materials
Which areas are too hot for a solo beginner
How quickly you can disengage from ARC patrols
How much space you need to reserve for materials you want to keep
Which weapon or tool feels safest for your playstyle

A strong first hour is less about combat mastery and more about rhythm: loot, check danger, move, extract.

Where to Get Rusted Gear

You get Rusted Gear by looting old, worn, mechanically themed objects in industrial and ruined zones, especially anywhere the map looks stripped of modern value and heavy with salvage.

The name is your best clue. If it looks like old machine parts, broken infrastructure, or forgotten maintenance equipment, it is worth checking. That means you should focus on places with lots of small interactable objects rather than only on big landmark chests.

Most reliable search targets

Shelving units in maintenance rooms
Tool lockers and storage crates
Dead-end utility spaces
Warehouses and factory annexes
Scrap piles around crashed or abandoned machinery

Route-building tips

Use a short loop first, not a long map-wide path.
Sweep the edges of a high-value zone before entering the center.
Check interiors with multiple containers, then leave.
If the route gets contested, abandon it and try another quieter section.
Return to routes that gave you Rusted Gear once; in extraction games, consistency beats theory.

What Rusted Gear usually competes with in your pack

Item type	Keep early?	Why
Crafting materials	Yes	They compound value fast
Healing items	Yes	They prevent run loss
Ammo	Yes	You need enough to extract safely
Rusted Gear	Yes	Useful salvage and progression value
Low-value junk	Usually no	It blocks better loot space

If your inventory is full, throw out the least flexible item first. Beginners often overvalue random consumables and undervalue flexible materials.

Resource Priority Order

You should spend and hoard based on survival first, progression second, and experimentation last.

Hoard first

Healing items
Ammo for your main weapon
Rusted Gear and similar salvage materials
Upgrade or crafting components you know are broadly useful
Any quest or progression item you have not turned in yet

Spend first

Consumables that keep you alive on the current run
Basic ammo before entering a dangerous zone
Cheap loadout pieces you can replace easily
Small crafting costs that unlock survivability

Delay spending on

Fancy sidegrades you do not understand yet
Overcommitting to one niche weapon before you know the maps
Selling all salvage just to buy minor upgrades
Risky extractions for tiny loot gains

Simple beginner priority order

Survival items
Reliable weapon/ammo setup
Rusted Gear and other salvage
Crafting and upgrade materials
Luxury gear and specialization

If you are unsure whether to keep something, keep it. Early progression in extraction games punishes impatience more than caution.

Common Newbie Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Most beginners lose more loot to bad habits than to enemies.

1. Chasing every fight

Mistake: You hear combat and run toward it, hoping for easy loot or an exciting win.
Fix: Only take fights that protect your route, your extraction, or a clearly better reward. If the fight does not improve your run, leave.

2. Looting too long after getting a good haul

Mistake: You already have useful Rusted Gear and supplies, but you keep searching one more room.
Fix: Set a mental extraction trigger. Once you hit your “good enough” threshold, leave immediately.

3. Carrying low-value clutter

Mistake: Your inventory fills with random items that feel useful but are easy to replace.
Fix: Reserve space for flexible materials and only keep junk if you know why you need it.

4. Entering hot zones without an exit plan

Mistake: You know where the loot is, but not where the escape is.
Fix: Before entering any risky area, identify the nearest safe exit route and extraction option.

5. Ignoring sound and movement cues

Mistake: You sprint everywhere and fail to notice threats until you are already trapped.
Fix: Slow down near interiors, pause at corners, and listen before opening another room.

6. Treating every death like a gear problem

Mistake: You assume better equipment will fix poor route choices.
Fix: Improve decisions first. Better gear matters, but not as much as cleaner extraction habits.

When You’re Out of the Beginner Phase

You are out of the beginner phase when you can reliably extract with meaningful loot, identify safe Rusted Gear routes, and make gear decisions without panicking.

A good graduation sign is consistency. If you can survive multiple runs in a row, keep your backpack organized, and choose when to fight instead of reacting blindly, you are no longer a true beginner.

Clear signs you have moved on

You know at least one safe Rusted Gear loop.
You can estimate when a zone is too dangerous for the reward.
You extract with useful materials more often than you die with a full pack.
You understand which items are trash, which are flexible, and which are core progression pieces.
You can play a run with a plan instead of improvising every step.

At that point, your next improvement comes from specialization: better routes, better weapon choices, and better squad coordination.

What to Do Next

You should move from general survival into targeted progression once you can extract consistently.

Best next steps

Read a build-focused breakdown in arc raiders where tips
Study advanced loot routes in related guide
Follow a mission or progression walkthrough in related guide

If you are still asking where to get Rusted Gear, stay with basic industrial loops until your extraction rate improves. If you already know the common scrap zones, start optimizing around your preferred weapon and squad size.

Extra Beginner Advice for Safer Runs

You will get more Rusted Gear over time by surviving more runs, not by forcing the highest-risk route.

Keep these habits

Move with purpose.
Loot containers that fit the “old machinery” theme.
Avoid prolonged firefights unless they secure your exit.
Leave when your pack already contains a strong haul.
Learn one map route at a time.
Repeat successful runs until they feel automatic.

ARC Raiders is an extraction game, so the best beginner skill is restraint. Even in a strong game with broad appeal, the winning habit is still the same: extract with something valuable. The game currently holds a Metascore of 86/100 across 65 professional reviews Source, and Steam’s review summary reads Very Positive at 82.8% positive across 408777 reviews Source. That level of reception usually means the core loop is solid, so your job is to master it one safe run at a time.

Sources

Arc Raiders Hub Editorial

Editor · GameFleet

Expertise: Editorial team behind Arc Raiders Hub. Content is compiled from official patch notes, community wikis, and playthrough notes, then reviewed and updated on schedule.

Editorial policy

Sources

🔥 Popular Guides

Beginner Guide

ARC Raiders Beginner Guide: Getting Started, Loot Priorities, and Early Survival

Learn ARC Raiders basics, first-hour priorities, common mistakes, resource order, and when you’ve outgrown beginner status.

Beginner Guide