VEIN rewards scavenging and clever base-building, but the game quickly turns punishing if you don’t manage weight, transport, and storage. This Vein Beginner Guide gives you a step-by-step beginner plan: what backpacks and vehicles to prioritize, how to move big items safely, how to organize base storage, and simple play-style tips so you don’t die while hauling your loot.
Vein Beginner Guide Wiki – Backpacks, Vehicles, Items
1 — Manage Inventory
Pick up the right stuff. Early game, raw materials (limestone, car parts) are heavy but crucial. Prioritize those over consumables you can open or unpack. Unpack parcels, open first-aid kits and riffless containers before you carry them — they usually weigh less inside.
Dismantle junk you don’t need. If an item is only useful for mats, dismantle it to save weight and free inventory slots.
Keep a “haul” loadout and a “run” loadout. When you’re exploring, carry just what you need for fights and looting. When you go specifically to haul, switch to a loadout optimized for carrying (bigger backpack, less ammo).
2 — Backpacks
Backpacks determine how much you can carry on foot. Learn what you’ll find and what to keep.
- School backpack (50 lb) — Common. Use it as your starter pack if you have nothing better.
- Gym bag (75 lb) — Slight upgrade, common in schools and gyms.
- Hiking backpack (100 lb) — Good all-rounder when you find it in caverns.
- Combat pack (150 lb) — Best early-game option for heavy looting; often found on dead soldiers.
When stepping into dangerous zones, wear the heaviest backpack you own and leave the light one in the vehicle as a spare. If you plan a long haul, use the combat pack or hiking pack.
3 — Vehicles
Vehicles are the backbone of efficient hauling. Know their storage classes and how to use them.
Storage tiers (typical examples from the demo)
- No trunk / glovebox only: motorcycle, bus, tractor — gloveboxes ~50 lb.
- Small cars / RVs / sports cars / UTVs: ~300 lb.
- Pickups / ambulance: ~500 lb.
- SUVs: ~700 lb.
- Vans: ~1000 lb.
- Delivery / box trucks: ~1200 lb.
Which vehicle to aim for first
- Van — Best mix of capacity and maneuverability. Ideal first long-haul vehicle.
- Police car — Fast and fun for quick loots; good for moving a few large items.
- Trucks — Huge capacity but can be fiddly; some require entering to access storage and have more buggy physics.
Vehicle use tips
Dump vs. enter: Cars and vans often let you dump items from outside. Large trucks sometimes require you to enter the vehicle to move items, which is slower. Choose based on how much time you want to invest.
Arming and disarming: Getting in/out disarms you. Re-equip immediately when exiting or you’ll get hit through windows by zeds.
Fast transfer keys:
- Press J to put a whole tab of items into the vehicle quickly.
- Press H to “chuck” all of one selected item type.
These obey vehicle weight limits; if the transfer would exceed capacity, nothing moves — so monitor weight.
4 — Moving bigger items
Big items are heavy but often worth it. Move them methodically.
Move a little at a time. Push items into your vehicle in stages, secure them, drive close to base, then move them from vehicle to placement area bit by bit.
Use stable vehicles for heavy loads. In the demo, police cars were more predictable for moving bulk items than big trucks; test what works for you.
Avoid hits while hauling. Don’t ram zeds when something is sitting on the vehicle — physics can break items or send them flying.
Getting onto roofs or high places. Build structures or platforms next to your house first, then slowly shift the item from vehicle → platform → roof. The game now allows longer carry distances, but weight still limits how far you can push.
Exhaustion and soreness. Pushing very heavy items causes fatigue and temporary penalties; plan short hauls or bring a friend.
5 — Base storage
Organizing storage early prevents inventory chaos later.
Early, cheap storage
- Crafted trash can — Cheap and surprisingly large capacity in the demo. Great first mass storage.
- Small crate (150 lb) and large crate (300 lb) — Core modular storage units. Label them mentally or physically if possible.
- Material bin (500 lb) — Best for bulk scrap and building mats.
Best placement practices
- Make a dedicated storage room. Keep one room near your vehicle parking, another near workstations.
- Place frequently used items close to the relevant workstation. Put metal and mechanical parts near the fabrication bench, food/water near the kitchen/fridge.
- Use the world objects too. Don’t ignore furniture already in houses; they are free storage until you have better craftables.
6 — Workstations and utility storage
Workstations both consume and hold materials. Understand their capacities.
- Workbench: 150 lb internal storage. Good starter bench.
- Advanced workbench: 200 lb.
- Fabrication workbench: 300 lb.
- Utility Cabinets and higher-tier benches will eat materials quickly if decay is enabled, so control what you feed them.
Tip: Store backup tools separately. Some stations require tools inside to craft; keep a small toolkit near each station so production never stalls.
7 — Water and food storage
Water: Use fluid barrels and rain collectors. The biggest barrel in the demo stores over 6,600 fl oz. Collect water before public systems shut down and move jugs to the base.
Large water jugs are practical, portable, and irreplaceable if you find them. Fill before water cuts happen.
Refrigeration: In-game fridges (found in taverns/bars) are best if you can power them. Craftable fridges exist but if you can find a steel fridge, it’s superior for preserving food.
8 — Combat and hauling: survive the horde
- Don’t fight the horde with fists while encumbered. You’ll be slow and get overwhelmed. If you hear the horde scream: run to your car fast.
- Armor up before fieldwork. A combat helmet, vest, and knee pads reduce damage and improve survivability while hauling.
- Re-equip on exit. Exiting a vehicle unequips weapons; put them back on before confronting threats.
- Use the car as a weapon sparingly. Ramming is effective but dangerous with placed cargo.
9 — Multiplayer hauling
- Coordinate roles. One player drives, another loads/unloads, another scouts. You’ll haul faster and with fewer broken items.
- Avoid griefing physics. Two players pushing unstable items can cause strange physics; communicate turns and maneuvers.
VEIN is a game about choices: what to bring, what to leave, and how far you’ll go to get it home. Start light, upgrade your hauling tools, and structure your base so everything has a place. Once your transport, storage, and craft loops are solid, the game opens up into the fun part: customizing bases, moving big toys onto roofs, and watching the sunset in your rooftop rocket ship.