Tarp is an important crafting material in Rust. It's used to craft water catchers, water barrels, composters, planters, and parachutes. It's also used to craft lots of important clothing, like the Hazmat Suit. Tarp can also be used to be recycled down into cloth, another important material in Rust. This guide will show you where to find Tarp, and how to farm it effectively.

Method 1: Exploring Sunken Chests and Crates

One effective way to find tarps is by exploring sunken chests and crates. To do this method, follow these steps:

  1. Find a Diving Kit: Before you can explore underwater, you’ll need a diving kit. This includes a diving mask, diving fins, and a diving tank. These can be found in crates, barrels, or purchased from NPC vendors.
  2. Locate Diving Sites: Diving sites are marked on the map with a small diving helmet icon. These sites contain sunken crates and chests that can be looted.
  3. Dive and Explore: Equip your diving kit and head to the marked diving sites. Once underwater, look for the sunken chests and crates. Use the "Interact" key (usually 'E') to open and loot them.
  4. Loot Chests/Crates: Sunken chests and crates can contain a variety of items, including tarps. While not guaranteed, tarps are one of the potential loot items.

Feel free to explore our guide on how to get a boat if you need to get out to the ocean. You can also get a submarine if you want to use an underwater vehicle.

Method 2: Loot Tunnel Dwellers

Looting dwellers is another way to obtain tarps. Dwellers can be found in various structures and compounds around the map. We recommend going to the tunnels to find dwellers that are easy to beat. Be prepared for combat as these dwellers can be hostile and well-armed.

To do this method, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Tunnels: You can find the entrances to tunnels at major monuments. You can also press G to open the map and find an entrance.
  2. Kill the Tunnel Dwellers: At minimum, you will want a Crossbow and some health items to kill the dwellers.
  3. Loot the Dwellers: Dwellers have a 15% chance to drop tarp.

Method 3: Break Barrels

Breaking barrels scattered around the map is a simple yet effective method to find tarps. These barrels are commonly found along roads, near monuments, and in other populated areas. Use any tool or weapon to break the barrels and collect the loot inside, which frequently includes tarps.

Barrels are often located in specific areas of the Rust map, including:

  • Roads: Barrels are frequently found along the roads that traverse the map.
  • Monuments: Areas like the Airfield, Train Yard, and other monuments have a higher concentration of barrels.
  • Junkpiles: Random junkpiles scattered across the map also contain barrels.

To efficiently break barrels, you can use a variety of tools and weapons, such as:

  • Stone Hatchet or Metal Hatchet
  • Salvaged Axe
  • Melee Weapons: Spear, Mace, etc.
  • Firearms: Any gun can quickly break barrels, though it might be wasteful.

By following these methods, you'll be able to gather enough tarps to support your crafting needs in Rust. Happy scavenging!