Loot: keep, sell and craft
Keep ingredients for the recipe or FOB upgrade you are pursuing before selling surplus. Binding Catalyst, Biomaterials, Reactive Metals and Rigid Synthetics have specific early crafting uses.
Game imagery © Activision. Used as an editorial reference.
Keep or sell: identify the item type
The four basic Resources do not use Stash slots. Intact Ingredients do. A gem icon identifies valuables, but some valuables also pay for FOB upgrades; it is not an instruction to sell everything in that category.
| Loot | What to do |
|---|---|
| Synthetics, Electronics, Chemicals, Metals | Automatically break down into Resources. Check totals in Stash / 3D Printer. |
| Binding Catalyst and Biomaterials | Reserve 1 Catalyst and 5 Biomaterials per planned Medkit, plus 30 Chemicals. |
| Reactive Metals | Reserve 5 per planned 2-Plate Armor Vest, plus 50 Synthetics. |
| Rigid Synthetics | Reserve 5 per planned Medium Backpack, plus 50 Synthetics. |
| Recipes and Weapon Manuals | Extract to consume and unlock them automatically; the published payout is 5,000 DMZ Cash. |
| Valuables with a gem icon | Check 3D Printer → Upgrades before selling; some upgrades require valuables. |
| Story Mission / Dynamic Op key items | Use the dedicated Mission Item slot; no regular Backpack space needs to be freed for them. |
Six starter recipes: exact quantities
The 3D Printer unlocks at DMZ Level 2. These six recipes are listed in the official first-crafting table; quantities are for one item.
| Craft | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Bandage | 15 Synthetics + 15 Chemicals |
| Medkit | 30 Chemicals + 1 Binding Catalyst + 5 Biomaterials |
| 1-Plate Armor Vest | 25 Synthetics + 25 Metals |
| 2-Plate Armor Vest | 50 Synthetics + 5 Reactive Metals |
| Small Backpack | 25 Synthetics + 25 Metals |
| Medium Backpack | 50 Synthetics + 5 Rigid Synthetics |
Save recipes and calculate your shopping list →
Source for this sectionWhere to look for the missing ingredient
At the 3D Printer, select the recipe, inspect its requirements, and use Track/Untrack to pin the ingredient. The Ingredient Locations panel recommends a search area; tracked ingredients show a pin when looted. This is the official way to find an ingredient-specific recommendation, not proof of a fixed guaranteed spawn.
- Select the craft you need and compare required quantities with your Stash count.
- Pin the missing Ingredient, then read its Ingredient Locations recommendation.
- In Hajin, search the recommended building type or area and extract the Ingredient intact.
- Move it from Backpack to Stash, then print to Stash or directly to the Operator.
Buildings with documented loot uses
Green Clinics: medical loot. Red Fire Stations: radiation gear and parachutes. Blue Police Stations: military gear and a locked Armory. Compounds: improved loot and intel, with heavier resistance. These are search areas, not guaranteed named-item drops. The reviewed official material does not establish a fixed Binding Catalyst coordinate.
Building types, tasks and map references →
Source for this sectionWeapon Manuals and a full backpack
Infinity Ward identifies military containers and safes as common Manual sources. Extracting a weapon alone does not unlock repeat purchases: its Manual does. On controller, the AMA describes using the backpack button on a floor item when full, then selecting the carried item to replace; follow your displayed binding.
Source for this sectionGame facts are based on the official material linked below. Preparation checklists are our editorial recommendations, not guaranteed outcomes or first-hand test claims.
Official crafting, Stash and recipe guide
