Introduction
For players on U.S. DayZ servers, the burlap backpack is a useful early-game pack because it needs common survival items instead of rare military gear. In vanilla DayZ, you make it by combining a burlap sack, rope, and three wooden sticks.
The full crafting path is:
- Combine a burlap sack and rope to make a burlap courier bag.
- Combine the courier bag with three wooden sticks to make a burlap backpack.
This guide covers the standard vanilla recipe on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. Community servers may change the recipe, item names, or storage size.
Materials You Need
You need four basic resources:
| Material | Amount | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Burlap sack | 1 | Main bag material |
| Rope | 1 | Makes the courier bag |
| Wooden sticks | 3 | Upgrades the courier bag |
| Cutting tool | 1, optional | Helps create sticks or process some materials |
You can find burlap sacks in farm buildings, sheds, industrial areas, and other rural loot locations. Rope may also spawn as loot. If you cannot find rope, you can usually craft it from six rags or from twelve guts, depending on the item state and game version.
You can make wooden sticks by cutting branches from small trees or bushes with a suitable cutting tool. You can also find sticks on the ground in wooded areas.
The backpack recipe uses a burlap sack, not burlap strips. If you only have burlap strips, you may need more strips to make a sack first. The exact crafting prompt can vary after updates or on modified servers.
Step-by-Step: Craft the Burlap Backpack
1. Find or make a burlap sack
Search farm sheds, barns, warehouses, and other rural buildings for a burlap sack. Keep it in your inventory.
If your server allows burlap strips to be turned back into a sack, collect the required number and combine them using the crafting prompt. If the recipe does not appear, the server may use a different recipe or may not support that conversion.
2. Get one rope
Look for rope in industrial and farm areas. Rope is often useful for several survival recipes, so avoid dropping it unless your inventory is full.
If you cannot find rope, make it from:
- Six rags, or
- Twelve guts, where supported
To make rags, use a cutting tool on clothing or other suitable fabric items. To get guts, harvest an animal with a knife and process the carcass.
3. Combine the burlap sack and rope
Place the burlap sack and rope in your hands or crafting slots. Select the combine option.
The successful result is a burlap courier bag. This is the first stage of the backpack recipe.
If the game does not show the combine prompt, check that:
- You have the correct item, not burlap strips.
- The rope is in usable condition.
- Neither item is ruined.
- You are using the correct interaction button for your platform.
- The server has not changed the recipe.
4. Collect three wooden sticks
You need three wooden sticks for the final upgrade. Gather them before starting the last step.
You can usually obtain sticks by cutting branches from small trees or bushes. A knife, hatchet, or another suitable tool may work, depending on the server and item type. Avoid confusing short sticks with the larger wooden sticks required by the recipe.
The game’s item name matters. If the recipe requires wooden sticks and you have short sticks, the crafting prompt may not appear.
5. Combine the courier bag with three sticks
Put the burlap courier bag and three wooden sticks together. Select the combine prompt.
The result is the burlap backpack. It provides more storage than the courier bag and is useful when you are leaving the coast or moving between towns.
6. Confirm the finished item
Open the burlap backpack and check its inventory. In standard vanilla DayZ, the backpack commonly provides 24 storage slots, while the courier bag provides less. The exact capacity can differ on community servers or after game changes.
The craft is complete when the item name changes from Burlap Courier Bag to Burlap Backpack.
Fast Recipe Summary
Use this short recipe if you already know where to find the materials:
Burlap Sack + Rope = Burlap Courier Bag
Burlap Courier Bag + 3 Wooden Sticks = Burlap Backpack
The most common mistake is trying to combine the burlap sack directly with three sticks. The rope step must come first.
Another common mistake is using the wrong type of stick. Check the item name in your inventory before troubleshooting the recipe.
Where to Find Each Material
The best location depends on what you still need.
Burlap sack
Search:
- Farm sheds
- Barns
- Industrial buildings
- Storage areas
- Rural warehouses
- Hunting and outdoor loot areas
Farm zones are often a good choice because they may also contain cutting tools, rope, food, and clothing.
Rope
Search:
- Industrial buildings
- Farm buildings
- Storage sheds
- Construction areas
- Warehouses
Rope is not required to be pristine for every crafting use, but ruined items generally cannot be used. Check the item’s condition if the recipe fails.
Wooden sticks
Look near:
- Small trees
- Bushes
- Forest edges
- Rural paths
- Woodland areas
You can often gather sticks while traveling between towns. This saves inventory space because you do not need to carry them across the entire map before making the courier bag.
Cutting tools
Useful tools include:
- Stone knife
- Kitchen knife
- Hunting knife
- Steak knife
- Hatchet
- Axe
Tool rules can differ by action and server. A stone knife may work for one task but not another, so follow the crafting prompt rather than assuming every tool has the same function.
Best Way to Gather the Items
The safest plan is to collect the materials in stages.
- Search a rural or industrial area for a burlap sack and rope.
- Make or obtain the courier bag.
- Carry the courier bag while traveling through wooded areas.
- Gather three wooden sticks near the place where you plan to finish the craft.
- Upgrade the courier bag into the backpack only when you have a safe moment.
This approach reduces the time you spend carrying loose materials. It also lets you avoid filling your character’s inventory with sticks before you need them.
A burlap backpack is most useful early in a life when you need extra space for food, medical supplies, tools, and ammunition. It is less useful later if you already have a higher-capacity assault, field, or hunting backpack.
Troubleshooting: Why the Recipe Is Not Working
The burlap sack and rope will not combine
Check these points first:
- You have a burlap sack, not burlap strips.
- The rope is not ruined.
- Both items are in your hands or crafting slots.
- You are using the correct combine command.
- The server uses the vanilla crafting recipe.
If the prompt still does not appear, move both items into your inventory, drop them, and pick them up again. On some platforms, cycling through the available crafting actions can reveal the correct prompt.
The courier bag and sticks will not combine
The usual causes are:
- You have fewer than three wooden sticks.
- You have short sticks instead of wooden sticks.
- The courier bag is ruined.
- The server has a custom recipe.
- The game has not registered one of the items correctly.
Collect three sticks with the exact item name shown in your inventory. Then place the courier bag in your hands and add the sticks one at a time if needed.
The bag disappeared during crafting
DayZ crafting normally replaces the input items with the finished item. Look for the new courier bag or backpack in:
- Your hands
- Your inventory
- The ground near your character
- A nearby container
If you were attacked, moved, or disconnected during the action, the result may be harder to locate. Check the area before repeating the recipe.
The backpack has a different capacity
Community servers can change item capacities. Mods may also replace the vanilla backpack with a custom version.
If the item is clearly labeled Burlap Backpack but has different storage, that does not necessarily mean the craft failed. Check the server’s mod list or rules for custom item settings.
Burlap Backpack vs. Other Early-Game Bags
The burlap backpack is easy to craft, but it is not always the strongest pack available.
| Backpack type | Main advantage | Main drawback |
|---|---|---|
| Burlap backpack | Easy to craft from common materials | Usually less durable or less protective than better bags |
| Improvised backpack | Can be made from basic clothing materials | May require more steps or specific items |
| Hunting backpack | Often offers useful storage and camouflage | Depends on finding one |
| Assault or field backpack | Usually offers high storage | Can be visually noticeable and may be harder to find |
The burlap backpack is a practical choice when you need more storage now. If you already have a better bag, crafting one may waste rope and sticks that could support another task.
Its appearance can also matter. A plain burlap bag may blend into rural terrain better than a bright or military-colored backpack, but it still makes your character easier to spot than carrying no bag.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Trying to craft it in one step
The backpack is not made directly from a burlap sack and sticks. Make the courier bag first.
Using short sticks
Short sticks and wooden sticks are different items. Read the item label before assuming you have the correct materials.
Cutting up the only burlap sack
A burlap sack is the key starting item. Do not cut it into strips unless you know your server supports rebuilding the required sack.
Crafting in an exposed place
Crafting takes time and limits your attention. Move behind cover before combining items, especially near towns, military zones, and high-traffic roads.
Carrying too much
A new backpack can encourage you to pick up every item you see. Keep food, water, medicine, and tools first. Extra loot is not useful if it slows you down or prevents a quick escape.
Ignoring item condition
Ruined items generally cannot be used in crafting. Inspect the condition of the sack, rope, courier bag, and sticks if a recipe fails.
Is the Burlap Backpack Worth Making?
Make the burlap backpack when you have a burlap sack and rope but no reliable backpack. The recipe is cheap, and three sticks are usually easy to gather.
Skip it when you already have a larger or better-condition bag. In that case, keep the rope for another recipe and save the time needed to gather sticks.
