Overview
**This is a work in progress – UPDATE OCTOBER 2020! – CURRENTLY ON HOLD DUE TO COMPUTER BREAKING DOWN, Hard drive with the data collected is still in my broken PC and I simply don’t have the money to fix it right now. *All tips listed are from screenshots taken from loading screens in-game – Please feel free to comment about any tips that I’m missing so far, corrections, concerns, questions, and more!The Rundown:I run The Long Dark on an SSD drive so I load into areas fairly quickly. Even with running everything on highest settings I still tend to load into certain areas quickly. This has made it difficult for me to read the loading screen tips when transferring between locations. I found myself looking online for the tips in hopes somebody had already collected all of them on a wiki or something. Unfortunately, there was no such thing on the internet at the time that I looked. So, I took it upon myself to collect these tips and share them with you all. All tips listed are in the game and are taken from screenshots that I took when loading into areas. I will continue to update this guide with more tips as I get them. I have created categories that I think are appropriate to help organize these tips.These consist of Character, Clothing, Food, Items, Lore, and Survival. Please note that there are some similarities between some of the tips. Some tips have the same text (Drawn By Scent and Scent) while others may share the same title but give different tip information (ie Fuel, Great Bear Island, The Collapse etc.). Hopefully this helps you guys out if you are having similar first world problems. Otherwise, enjoy!
Character
Exposure Leads To Frostbite – Uncovered skin can become Frostbitten. Check your Clothing interface to watch for areas of Frostbite Risk.
Hypothermia – Hypothermia happens when body temperature stays too low for too long. Keep an eye on your temperature using the Status screen.
Laceration – Bandages treat Blood Loss and can be found or Crafted from Cloth.
Radial Menu – Press [Key] for a quick way to access a variety of critical game actions, as well as critical status information.
Scent Indicator – Keep an eye on your Scent Indicator [symbol] when carrying Raw Meat or Fish, or when Bleeding. Predators can smell you, and may come looking.
Sheltered Indicator – When you see the Sheltered Indicator [symbol], this means you are currently protected from the wind.
Clothing
Clothing As Armour – Clothing can offer Protection against physical harm – whether it be falls or wildlife attacks.
Crafting Clothing – Clothing you make from wildlife hides can offer unique survival advantages.
Improvised Clothing – As a last resort, Craft Improvised Head and Hand Wraps to protect yourself from weather and wildlife.
Layered Clothing – Layer your Clothing [symbol] wisely to take advantage of different Clothing attributes such as Weight, Windproofness and Protection against wildlife.
Mariner’s Pea Coat – Heavy wool coat designed for seafaring types. Not the warmest coat out there, but close to it. Does a good job of blocking the wind but gets very heavy when wet. Stylish.
Wet Or Frozen Clothing – Wet or frozen clothing can be deadly. Warm it by a fire to dry it out.
Food
Cooking – Cooked Food is generally safer to eat.
Cooking – To Cook without a Pot, place raw food directly on hot stones, a grill, or a stove top.
Cook Longer To Purify Water – To produce non-potable Water, place a Can or Pot on an active cooking surface and Melt Snow. Boil the Water to make it safe to drink.
Food Poisoning – Use Antibiotics or Reishi Tea to recover from Food Poisoning
Food Poisoning – You can get food poisoning by eating low-condition food items.
Hot Food And Drinks Warm You Up – Eating warm Food or Drinks will give you a buffer against the cold.
Military – Grade MRE – Contemporary MRE, good quality, and meets all technical requirements to be considered real food. Designed to keep a soldier on their feet.
Warming Up – Drinks and Canned Food can be placed on or near a fire to warm them.
Items
Accelerant – Accelerants are a great way to start a fire when you can’t afford to fail, but are a rare resource.
Arrows – Cure Birch Saplings and Forge Arrowheads to craft Arrows.
Birch Bark Tea – Drink Birch Bark Tea to restore lost Condition over time.
Can Opener – Opening cans using a Can Opener [symbol] maximizes the Calories value of the food inside.
Charcoal – Spent fires produce Charcoal, which you can use in Survival Mode to update your world map with a Survey.
Distress Pistol – Distress Pistol rounds can be an effective deterrent against hostile wildlife. They are the only thing that can reliably deter a charging Bear.
Emergency Stim – Emergency steroid injection. Will provide a short-burst of energy. Then you’ll collapse from exhaustion. Use as a last resort!
Hacksaw – Hacksaws let you Harvest Scrap Metal for Crafting and Repair. You can also use them to Harvest wood from tree limbs.
Hatchets – Hatchets are the best Tool for Harvesting larger amounts of wood.
Hunting Knife – A Hunting Knife is a key tool for harvesting meat from carcasses. It can also protect you against hostile wildlife.
Hunting Rifle – An old .303 caliber bolt-action hunting rifle. Will bring a deer down. Maybe a wolf.
Hunting Rifle – The Rifle is a powerful Hunting tool, but ammunition is scarce! Use it wisely. Rifle shots can also scare wildlife away.
Improvised Tools – Create Improvised Tools at a Forge from Scrap Metal.
Lamp Oil – Every Fish you cook produces oil that you can use in Lanterns.
Old Man’s Beard Lichen – Harvest Old Man’s Bear Lichen to craft naturally disinfecting wound dressing.
Prybar – Prybars are essential for forcing open locked doors and vehicles.
Revolver – A powerful defensive weapon, you can shoot the Revolver quickly from the hip to frighten wildlife, or aim down sights for accuracy.
Reishi Mushrooms – Reishi Mushroom tea makes for an effective natural antibiotic. Useful against Intestinal Parasites and Infections.
Rose Hips – Harvest and Prepare Rose Hips to brew a natural painkilling teas. Useful against Sprains and Burns.
Snare – Craft and place Snares wherever you see Rabbits. Over time, the snares may catch Rabbits. Add multiple Snares to create trap-lines
Stones – Use the small Stones you find ton the ground to hunt Rabbits.
Storm Lantern – Lanterns are useful for casting light in dark areas, and also provide a bit of warmth when carried in-hand.
Survival Bow – Cure Maple Saplings and Gut to craft a Survival bow.
Water Purification Tablets – Don’t have a fire? Use Purification Tablets to treat Non-Potable Water no matter where you are.
Lore
Buffer Memory – The Aurora can bring old Computers back to life, restoring old data left in their memory banks. These artifacts provide a glimpse of Great Bear before the lights went out.
Carter Hydro Dam – First opened in the 1960’s, seismic activity on Great Bear Island proved to be a major obstacle for its builder, the industrialist Richard Carter.
Desolation Point – With plenty of human-made shelters and signs of Great Bear’s industrial past, this narrow coastline is a scavenger’s dream.
Great Bear And The Collapse – Already dependent on The Mainland, the effects of The Collapse intensified the Island’s remote character.
Great Bear Island – Active for decades, the Forest Talkers are fierce defenders of Great Bear Island’s ecology.
Great Bear Island – Earthquakes have decimated parts of Great Bear’s infrastructure, making travel across the Island difficult and dangerous.
Great Bear Island – Now abandoned, mines were a staple of local industry on Great Bear prior to The Collapse.
The Collapse – Early – 21st century economic instability in North America and Europe was a key factor in accelerating The Collapse.
The Collapse – Largely cut off from the Mainland since The Collapse, Great Bear Islanders became even more resourceful in their isolation.
Survival
Aim Accuracy – Your ability to aim successfully is affected by Cold, Fatigue, and Breathing. Kneeling confers added stability.
Bear Dens – If you find bones in a cave, this may mean it’s a Bear Den. Watch out! Resting in these caves might earn you a nasty surprise.
Blizzards – Blizzards are deadly and enduring storms. They also freeze and damage your Clothing.
Broken Ribs – Treat Broken Ribs with Painkillers, Bandages, and Rest.
Burns – Burns reduce your overall Condition. Use Painkillers or Rose Hip Tea for quickest recovery.
Carcass Quartering – Quartering an animal carcass makes it easier to transport. But keep in mind, the quartering site may attract predators!
Cold – Freezing is the fastest way to die on Great Bear. Warm up by getting out of the Wind, getting near a fire, or getting inside a shelter.
Curing Hides And Saplings – Cure your Fresh Hides and Green Saplings indoors to Craft unique items.
Drawn By Scent – Raw Meat and Fish give off a scent that attracts predators.
Drawn By Scent – Wolves are attracted to your scent – – raw meat or fish, or bloody injuries, can draw them to you. Remain down-wind to help mask your scent.
Drop Decoy – Dropping decoys can distract predators, giving you enough time to escape their interest.
Dysentery – Drinking Unpotable Water can lead to Dysentery. Take Antibiotics or Reishi Tea, then Rest to recover.
Energy Boost – Energy Drinks grant a Boost to Stamina and reduce Fatigue for a short time. Useful in precarious places.
Fatigue – A silent killer. Everything is harder when you’re Exhausted. Find a safe place to Rest and recover.
Finding Fuel – Use your Hatchet or Hacksaw to harvest downed firewood from tree limbs or branches. Sticks are abundant and can be harvested without a tool.
Fog – Dense fog can blanket Great Bear Island, making navigation difficult.
Forage – Cat Tails are a tough, but edible source of calories. Use the Cat Tail Heads as Tinder.
Fuel – Wood burns more slowly when it’s extremely cold
Fuel – Each Fuel type affects your chance to start a fire and how long the fire will last.
Frostbite – Frostbite injuries are permanent. Keep exposed skin covered to avoid this debilitating Affliction.
Great Bear Island – Remote regions of Great Bear Island offer fewer human-made shelters. Come prepared!
Headaches – Some afflictions or even first aid actions can leave you with a distracting Headache.
Hunger – Starving is a slow and steady path to Condition loss. Eat enough to stay healthy, or your weakened condition can lead down many paths to death.
Ice Fishing – Use a Tool to break the ice hole in an Ice Fishing hut. It will freeze up again over time!
Infection Risk – Antiseptic helps treat Infection Risk resulting from Struggles with Great Bear Island predators.
Intestinal Parasites – Treat Parasites with Antibiotics or Reishi Tea and Rest. You can get Intestinal Parasites from eating certain meats.
Items In Vehicles – Locked trunks can be opened using a Prybar.
Items In Vehicles – Vehicles may hold valuable supplies. Don’t forget to check the trunk and glove compartment!
Landmarks – Look for landmarks to guide your way in the wilderness. Every region tells a story.
Listen Carefully – Wolves can often be heard before they are seen.
Moonlight – Use moonlight to Craft, Research, and Repair when outdoors.
Moose Sign – If you see trees with scratched bark, this might mean Moose are in the area. Listen for them!
Pain – Pain causes blurred vision and discomfort. Treat it, or let it heal on its own over time.
Rabbits – Rabbits are quick but plentiful on Great Bear. Use Stones to stun them for capture.
Rest – You can Rest or Pass Time in a vehicle, with or without a Bedroll.
Scent – Raw Meat and Fish give off a scent that attracts predators.
Sheltered – Weather turning bad or predators nearby? Take shelter in a vehicle.
Shivering – When using a Rifle, a Revolver, or a Distress Pistol, cold temperatures can cause Shivering, affecting your aim.
Slope Warning – Watch for a Slope Warning when traveling over steeper terrain. Your chance of Sprains is higher on steep or uneven ground.
Snow Shelter – If lost or Freezing in the wilderness, build a Snow Shelter to escape the wind and keep warm.
Sprain Risk – If Encumbered or Exhausted you are at risk for a Sprain on sloped ground. Drop gear or Rest to eliminate the Risk.
Storms Drop Fuel – Blizzards and high winds can knock loose Sticks or drop tree Limbs which you can then Harvest later.
Temperature – Time of day can dramatically affect the overall air temperature on Great Bear Island.
Thirst – A quick way to lose Condition. Keep Water on hand to quench your thirst.
Tools – Keep your Tools in good Condition. Maintain them using a range of gear items, including Whetstones and Tool Kits. It could make all the difference in the wilderness!
Tools – Using any tool reduces its Condition. Maintain tools before they break!
Thrown Torches & Flares – Thrown Torches and Flares have a chance to scare away hostile wildlife.
The Sun – Use the sun’s position in the sky to navigate Great Bear Island
Wind – High winds will slow movement and exploration, as well as put out campfires.
Wolf – Keep your distance whenever possible. A Wolf struggle could be the end of your journey.
Wolf Deterrence – Thrown Flares and Torches have a chance to deter Wolves. Keep them on hand if exploring.
Wolf Struggles – As well as causing dangerous and deadly Afflictions, Wolf struggles can damage and destroy Clothing.
Workbench & Forge – Keep an eye out for these valuable crafting locations. The items you make with them are often better than the ones you find in the world.