Crates, ranked by what they pay
| Container | Scrap | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Barrel | 2 | Plus one item — rope and metal blades most common |
| Basic crate | 3 | |
| Brown crate | 5 | |
| Tool crate | 5 | |
| Military crate | 8 | Green wooden crate, mostly gun parts |
| Underwater advanced crate | 10 | |
| Elite crate | 25 | Olive metal crate — the best crate you can open without a hack |
| Locked crate | 140–160 | Requires a hack; always 2 Advanced Fragments |
What an elite crate actually rolls
The elite crate always gives 25 scrap. Beyond that:
- HQM, rifle bodies, SMG bodies, metal pipes, tech trash — 27.7% each
- MLRS rockets — 20%
- Targeting Computer — 15.3%
- Advanced Blueprint Fragment — 10%
- Plus full guns such as the AK and the Bolt Action Rifle
That combination is why elite crates are the backbone of mid-to-late progression: they pay scrap, high-quality metal, and a shot at a complete weapon in one box.
The locked crate is the prize
The locked crate always contains 2 Advanced Blueprint Fragments and a Metal Armor Insert, carries a 31.6% Assault Rifle chance, and has a 33% chance at 140 to 160 scrap.
Nothing else in the game pays like that from a single container — which is also why locked crates are the most contested content on a server. They call in heavy scientists when hacked.
Where the best crates spawn
Elite crates spawn at:
- Launch Site
- Military Tunnels (the red room)
- Missile Silo
- Both oil rigs
- Arctic Research Base
- Underwater Labs
Most of them sit behind a red keycard door.
Monument tiers — where to go and when
Safe zones — Outpost and Bandit Camp. Turrets shoot anyone who pulls a weapon, making them the safest place to recycle, trade at vending machines and buy basic gear. Players can still wait outside to ambush you on the way out.
Low tier — gas stations, supermarkets, lighthouses and the Junkyard. Barrels, crates and a recycler, with little danger beyond other players.
Mid tier — Sewer Branch, Satellite Dish, the Harbor, Water Treatment Plant and the Train Yard. These have keycard puzzles that start with a green keycard.
High tier — Launch Site, Military Tunnels, Airfield and the Oil Rigs. Armed scientists, radiation and geared players. Leave these until you have a Hazmat Suit, a real gun and ideally a teammate.
Loot route by stage of the wipe
Wipe day, no gear. Run a road from barrel cluster to barrel cluster with a rock or hatchet, open every brown and tool crate on the way, and finish at a recycler. You can easily make a few hundred scrap in your first half hour.
First kit. Hit small and medium monuments for brown and military crates. Military crates give the rifle and SMG bodies that turn into guns.
Geared up. Run the red-card monuments and the oil rigs for elite crates and advanced fragments. Bring meds, armor and a team.
Late wipe. Contest locked crates, airdrops and the Bradley. They are loud, so expect other players.
Respawn timing
There is no fixed timer you can see in game. Monument crates respawn roughly 30 to 60 minutes after being emptied on vanilla servers, and a crate that still has items in it does not start its timer — so if you want a crate to come back, take the junk out too and drop it.
Roadside barrels and crates are part of a spawn population that tops itself back up across the whole map, so roads refill steadily and a cleared road is worth a second pass later. Modded servers often change these timers, so watch for a “loot respawn” tag in the server name.
The rule that keeps you profitable
Never carry more loot than you can afford to lose on the walk home. The best crates are always guarded — military and elite crates sit among scientists, locked crates call in heavy scientists, and airdrops pull every nearby player. Bank your loot often.