Days Gone Camps: Best Base Building & Survival Tips

Days Gone camps form the backbone of survival in the post-apocalyptic open world, offering players a place to rest, resupply, and strategize. These fortified locations are more than simple waypoints; they shape how you manage resources, plan raids, and respond to the relentless Freaker threat.

Understanding the nuances of these camps, from their layouts to their upgrade systems, is essential for long-term success. This guide breaks down everything you need to know to make each base feel like a true stronghold.

Camp Location and Regional Impact

Choosing where to establish your Days Gone camps is never just about scenery. Each region brings a unique mix of Freaker density, resource availability, and traversal difficulty. Mountain Origin camps, for example, often sit near valuable salvage nodes but may be harder to defend due to narrow approaches. Highway 97 locations offer faster travel by bike but can attract larger, more aggressive packs at night.

The environment itself changes how you plan your loops and side activities. River zones provide water sources and natural choke points, while industrial areas yield more high-tier scrap and weapon components. Understanding these regional traits helps you decide where to build a temporary hideout and where to invest in a permanent base.

Regional events and dynamic storms can also shift the safety of a location in real time. A camp that feels secure during daylight may become a death trap after dark or when heavy rain reduces visibility and mobility. Adjusting your camp placement based on these variables is a core part of long-term strategy.

Base Upgrades and Management

Upgrading your Days Gone camps turns a simple shelter into a functional headquarters. Early improvements focus on survival essentials like storage capacity and weapon maintenance, while later upgrades unlock tactical advantages such as reinforced walls and automated defenses. Each upgrade requires a specific mix of scrap, time, and in some cases, rare components salvaged from high-level Freakers.

Facilities like the Workshop and Armory directly affect your combat readiness by improving gear and weapon mods. The Research Lab opens new crafting paths and blueprint options, making it a priority for players who like to optimize loadouts. Investing in an Infirmary also reduces downtime after failed missions, letting you get back on the road faster.

Resource management becomes more complex as your camps grow. You need to balance food consumption, fuel reserves, and scrap storage capacity while expanding infrastructure. Planning supply runs and allocating workers to specific tasks keeps everything efficient and reduces the risk of shortages during critical missions.

Story Missions and Camp Security

Your Days Gone camps are often drawn into the main narrative, serving as staging points for pivotal story missions. Defending these locations from coordinated Freaker attacks creates high-stakes moments that test your preparation and reflexes. Losing a camp temporarily can disrupt access to important facilities, so maintaining a solid defense is never optional.

Watchtowers, automated turrets, and layered walls form the first line of defense. Strategically placing these structures around your perimeter lets you monitor multiple approach vectors at once. Reinforcing gates and key access points ensures that even if one section breaks, the rest of the camp remains secure.

Upgraded security systems also generate valuable intel on incoming threats. Knowing the size and type of upcoming attack lets you prepare traps, healing items, and weapon loadouts in advance. Combining physical defenses with tactical awareness turns your camps into resilient hubs that can withstand even the largest assaults.

Exploration and Resource Gathering

Exploration is tightly linked to the strength of your Days Gone camps, because distant regions often hold the best loot. Sending scouts on recovery missions uncovers hidden supply caches and blueprints that are impossible to find in the open world. These missions expand your crafting options and reduce reliance on random scavenging.

Resource gathering teams can be assigned to nearby zones to collect materials on a schedule. This passive income stream helps you maintain a steady flow of scrap, metal, and food without constantly risking encounters. Efficient routing and timing make a noticeable difference in how quickly you can upgrade facilities and gear.

Travel between camps and resource nodes requires smart use of vehicles and fast travel points. Upgrading your bike with better suspension and storage lets you move heavier loads across rough terrain. Securing key roads and shortcuts also shortens travel time, giving you more hours in a run to focus on objectives rather than transit.

Optimizing Your Survival Strategy

• Prioritize storage and crafting upgrades to support longer loops
• Scout resource-rich regions and secure fast travel points early
• Balance offensive gear mods with defensive infrastructure
• Schedule regular supply runs to prevent resource shortages
• Monitor threat levels and adjust perimeter defenses accordingly
• Use exploration missions to uncover hidden materials and blueprints
• Integrate vehicle upgrades for faster movement between camps