Looking for where to find Rusted Gear in ARC Raiders? This common salvage component turns up all over the surface, but knowing exactly which containers, machines, and zones to hit will fill your pockets far faster. Below you'll find the best loot spots, the maps worth raiding, and a reliable recycling method so you never run short of gear again.
Rusted Gear is the kind of material you'll burn through constantly while crafting and upgrading early equipment, so it pays to gather it on every run. The good news is that it's plentiful, low-rarity loot — you just need to know where to look. Here's everything that matters, broken into clear sections.
What you need before you start
- A loadout you're comfortable losing — ARC Raiders is an extraction shooter, so anything you carry can be lost if you die.
- Enough free inventory space to scoop up scrap as you go.
- Access to your hideout/workshop and a recycler for breaking down spare loot.
What Rusted Gear is and why you need it
Rusted Gear is a common salvage material recovered from the worn-out machinery littering the surface. It sits at the low end of the rarity scale, which means it drops often and is cheap to stockpile. You'll spend it on crafting and upgrading basic gear, gadgets, and workshop recipes, so it's one of those materials that's always useful to have a healthy stack of back at base.
Search lootable containers and machinery
The most reliable way to find Rusted Gear is simply to loot everything you walk past. The component is pulled from old, broken hardware, so it tends to spawn inside or around man-made objects: toolboxes and crates, wall lockers and cabinets, abandoned vehicles, and the rusty machines and debris piles scattered around the environment. Walk up to any of these, hold the interact prompt, and grab what's inside.
Because it's common loot, you don't need to chase rare chests. Just keep a habit of sweeping every container along your route, and the gear adds up quickly without slowing you down much.
Head to industrial and scrap-heavy zones
Rusted Gear naturally concentrates in places that used to be full of machinery. Steer toward industrial and man-made areas — scrapyards, old factories and warehouses, dam and power infrastructure, and large structures like the Spaceport. These zones are packed with containers and broken equipment, so the density of lootable objects (and therefore gear) is far higher than in open wilderness.
Plan a loop that strings together two or three of these points of interest, loot your way through, and head for an extraction point before you get overloaded or run into trouble.
Recycle junk items into Rusted Gear
If you're still short, you don't have to find Rusted Gear directly — you can make it. Many low-value items and broken pieces of equipment can be dismantled at the recycler, breaking them down into their base components, including Rusted Gear. Drop unwanted salvage and duplicate gear into the recycler instead of leaving it on the ground, and you'll steadily convert clutter into useful materials.
Farm it efficiently and extract safely
Finding Rusted Gear is easy; keeping it is the real challenge. Since this is an extraction shooter, anything in your bag is gone if you don't make it out. Loot wide rather than deep, make shorter runs, and prioritise getting to an exit once your inventory is comfortably full.
Tips for stockpiling Rusted Gear
- Sweep, don't detour. Hit every container on the way to your objective rather than crossing the map for a single box.
- Carry light, return often. Frequent short runs beat one greedy run that ends with you dying fully loaded.
- Stash it at base. Move spare gear into storage so it never clogs your raid inventory.
- Recycle duplicates. Turn loot you don't need into components instead of dropping it.
Troubleshooting
I keep looting but barely find any Rusted Gear
You're probably spending too long in open or residential areas. Reroute toward industrial points of interest with lots of machinery, and make sure you're actually opening every locker, toolbox, and vehicle rather than only grabbing floor loot.
I find plenty but keep losing it
Shorten your runs. Decide on an extraction point in advance and leave once your bag is full. Losing a heavy haul to a single bad fight is far more costly than making two safer trips.
I have no junk left to recycle
Hang on to broken or low-value items you'd normally discard during a raid. Once you're back at the hideout, feed them into the recycler to top up your component stocks.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best place to find Rusted Gear in ARC Raiders?
Industrial and scrap-heavy zones — scrapyards, factories, warehouses, and large structures like the Spaceport — have the highest density of containers and broken machinery, which makes them the best places to farm Rusted Gear.
Is Rusted Gear rare in ARC Raiders?
No. It's a common, low-rarity salvage component that drops frequently from lootable containers and machinery, so it's easy to stockpile if you loot consistently.
Can you craft or recycle to get Rusted Gear?
Yes. You can break down many low-value items and broken equipment at the recycler to recover base components, including Rusted Gear, instead of finding it directly.
What is Rusted Gear used for?
It's a crafting and upgrade material used in basic gear, gadgets, and workshop recipes, which is why it's worth keeping a steady supply on hand.
Final thoughts
Rusted Gear is everywhere in ARC Raiders once you know the pattern: loot every container, focus on industrial zones, and recycle whatever junk you bring home. Build the habit of sweeping objects on every run and extracting before you overload, and you'll never have to think twice about whether you've got enough for your next craft. For more on the game itself, check the official ARC Raiders website.
