Overview
Inventory management is one of the most important skills to develop early in Crimson Desert. Every piece of loot, every crafting material, and every weapon takes up space in your bags. Kliff Macduff begins his journey with a limited number of inventory slots, and filling them up is easier than you might expect. Fortunately, the game offers several ways to expand your carrying capacity through purchasable bags, quest rewards, and story milestones.
This guide explains the default inventory size, how to acquire every type of bag, where to find Private Storage for offloading excess items, and practical tips for staying organized as you explore Pywel.
Default Inventory Size
When you first take control of Kliff, you start with 50 inventory slots. Pearl Abyss increased this from an original count of 20 slots based on player feedback during early testing. The inventory operates purely on a slot-based system with no weight limit. Each weapon and each piece of armor occupies one slot regardless of size. Consumable items and crafting materials stack up to 50 units in a single slot, so a stack of 50 Iron Ore takes the same space as a single sword.
While 50 slots may feel adequate during the opening hours, inventory pressure increases rapidly once you begin looting enemy camps, gathering crafting materials, and collecting equipment drops. Expanding your capacity early is one of the best investments you can make.
Bag Types
There are four types of bags in Crimson Desert, each adding a different number of slots to your inventory. Bags are consumed automatically when picked up or purchased, and their effect is permanent.
Bag Type | Slots Added | How to Obtain | Approximate Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
Small Bag | +1 | Purchase from vendors in towns | 50 Copper Coins |
Medium Bag | +3 | Commission and Faction Quest rewards | Free (quest reward) |
Large Bag | +5 | Main story milestones | Free (story progression) |
Extra Large Bag | +10 | Found in the world (Hills of No Return) | Free (exploration) |
Because bags are permanent upgrades, there is never a reason to hold off on picking one up. If your inventory is completely full when you try to collect a bag from the ground, you may need to free up a slot first.
Small Bags
Small Bags are the most accessible inventory upgrade. Nearly every merchant across Pywel sells at least one Small Bag for 50 Copper Coins. Each Small Bag adds a single inventory slot. While the per-bag gain is modest, the sheer number of vendors means you can accumulate a meaningful boost simply by visiting every shop you pass.
Each vendor stocks only one Small Bag at a time. Once you buy it, the bag does not restock immediately; vendors refresh their Small Bag stock when their inventory resets. Because of this, it pays to check every merchant you encounter, even specialized ones like butchers or tanners.
Hernand Vendors Selling Small Bags
The city of Hernand has the highest concentration of vendors in the early game. The following merchants each sell one Small Bag:
Vendor | Shop Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
Rhett | Equipment Shop | Central Hernand |
Alden | Provisioner's Shop | Central Hernand, near Rhett |
Bran | Tannery | Hernand |
Delkin | Grocer's Shop | Hernand |
Renee | Butchery | Hernand |
Grimrak | Back Alley Shop | Hernand (hidden) |
Alfred | Confessional | Hernand |
That means you can pick up seven Small Bags in Hernand alone for a total of 350 Copper, adding seven extra slots to your inventory. Open your map and switch to the Environment tab to look for question mark (?) icons, which indicate vendor locations. For a full list of merchants, see the Vendor Directory.
Vendors Outside Hernand
As you travel beyond Hernand into regions like Arboria, Howling Hill, and other settlements, continue checking provisioners and roadside merchants for Small Bags. Innkeepers, general goods sellers, and even some less obvious NPCs (such as a goblin merchant near a mill) carry them. Every 50 Copper spent on a Small Bag is 50 Copper well spent, especially in the early chapters when inventory space is at a premium.
Medium Bags
Medium Bags are the single best source of inventory expansion in the game. Each one grants +3 inventory slots, and they are earned entirely through gameplay with no purchase cost. The game awards Medium Bags (also referred to as Standard Inventory Expansion Tools in quest reward descriptions) for completing Commissions and Faction Quests.
You can track available Commissions by opening your Journal and navigating to the Faction Quests tab. Hover over any quest to preview its rewards on the right side of the screen. Quests that reward a Medium Bag will show an inventory expansion icon.
Hernand Commissions
Hernand offers the largest pool of Commissions in the game. There are approximately 63 Hernand Commissions available, and each one rewards a Medium Bag upon completion. That translates to a potential 189 additional inventory slots just from Hernand Commissions alone. These tasks range from gathering resources and delivering items to clearing bandit camps and crafting specific recipes.
Greymane Commissions
After establishing the Greymane Camp at Howling Hill during Chapter 3, you unlock a second set of Commissions. There are roughly 27 Greymane Commissions, each of which also rewards a Medium Bag. This adds up to another 81 potential inventory slots. Many of these quests become available as you recruit new Greymanes and speak to them back at camp, where they offer additional tasks.
Prioritizing Medium Bags
Because Medium Bags are free and offer triple the slots of a Small Bag, completing Commissions should be a top priority in every region you visit. Pick up Commission tasks from notice boards and NPCs before heading out on exploration trips so you can complete them along the way. Between Hernand and Greymane Commissions, dedicated players can earn over 270 extra inventory slots through quests alone.
Large Bags
Large Bags grant +5 inventory slots each and are tied to major story milestones. Unlike Small and Medium Bags, you cannot farm Large Bags through vendors or side quests. They are automatic rewards for reaching specific points in the main campaign.
Large Bag Reward | Chapter | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
Large Bag #1 | Chapter 3 | Unlock Damiane as a playable character |
Large Bag #2 | Chapter 3 | Complete the first Howling Hill camp expansion |
Large Bag #3 | Chapter 7 | Unlock Oongka as a playable character |
These three Large Bags provide a combined 15 extra slots. Since they are earned through natural story progression, there is no special effort required beyond playing through the campaign.
Extra Large Bag
The Extra Large Bag is the single largest inventory boost available in the game, adding +10 inventory slots in one pickup. It is a unique item found in the open world rather than purchased or earned from a quest.
Location
The Extra Large Bag is located in the Hills of No Return, southwest of the Arboria Craftshop and northeast of Hernand Town. Look for a ruined wagon on the roadside. The bag sits next to the wagon and can be picked up by interacting with it.
How to Reach It
The nearest fast travel point is the Abyss Nexus near Karin Quarry. From there, travel northeast past Hook Rapids until you reach the Hills of No Return. The ruined wagon is visible from the main road, so keep an eye on both sides of the path as you travel through the area.
If your inventory is completely full when you attempt to pick up the Extra Large Bag, you will need to discard or consume an item first to free up at least one slot. It is worth making the trip early, as 10 free slots represent a significant quality-of-life improvement.
Total Inventory Potential
Combining every source of inventory expansion gives a rough picture of how large your carrying capacity can grow:
Source | Slots | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Starting Inventory | 50 | Default at game start |
Small Bags (vendors) | Varies | ~1 per vendor across Pywel; 7 in Hernand alone |
Hernand Commissions | Up to 189 | 63 quests at +3 slots each |
Greymane Commissions | Up to 81 | 27 quests at +3 slots each |
Large Bags (story) | 15 | 3 bags at +5 slots each |
Extra Large Bag | 10 | Hills of No Return pickup |
Players who complete all available Commissions and collect every bag can push their inventory well past 200 slots. The exact maximum depends on how many vendors you visit for Small Bags across the entire map, but a dedicated completionist can reach roughly 350 or more total inventory slots.
Private Storage
In addition to expanding your personal inventory, you have access to a separate Private Storage chest that holds up to 240 slots. Private Storage was introduced in Patch 1.00.03 (released March 22, 2026) and serves as a shared stash where you can deposit items you are not actively using.
The storage chest is shared across all playable characters (Kliff, Damiane, Oongka, Dain), so items deposited by one character can be withdrawn by another. There is no fee for using Private Storage. Consumable items stack inside the chest the same way they stack in your inventory, up to 50 per slot, which means 50 units of meat take up only one of the 240 available slots.
Private Storage Locations
Location | Chapter Availability | Where to Find It |
|---|---|---|
Hernand Temporary Lodgings | Chapters 1 and 2 | Freesword Encampment outside Hernand Castle, in the northeasternmost tent behind Carl |
Howling Hill Camp | Chapter 3 onward | Central tent area at the Greymane Camp, behind Carl |
Both storage locations link to the same shared chest, so anything you deposit at Hernand can be retrieved at Howling Hill and vice versa. The chest also automatically receives goods from stronghold liberation activities and Greymane dispatch missions, so check it periodically for new items.
What to Store
Use Private Storage to offload items that are valuable but not immediately needed. Good candidates include:
Spare weapons and armor you may want later for different builds or characters
Boss drop equipment that cannot be re-obtained if discarded
Excess crafting materials beyond what you need for your current recipes
Collectibles and key items that serve no immediate purpose but may be needed later
Upgrade materials you are stockpiling for future gear improvements
Item Stacking Rules
Understanding how items stack is essential for managing your inventory efficiently. Not all items follow the same rules:
Item Category | Stacks? | Stack Limit |
|---|---|---|
Crafting Materials | Yes | 50 per slot |
Food and Consumables | Yes | 50 per slot |
Ammunition | Yes | 50 per slot |
Weapons | No | 1 per slot |
Armor | No | 1 per slot |
Accessories | No | 1 per slot |
Collectibles (e.g., butterflies) | No | 1 per slot |
The non-stacking behavior of collectibles is a common source of inventory bloat. A single captured butterfly occupies as much space as a full suit of plate armor. Keep this in mind when deciding what to carry and what to sell or store.
Using the Group Feature
Crimson Desert includes a Group function that consolidates scattered stacks of the same item into a single slot. For example, if you have Iron Ore in three different inventory slots with partial stacks of 12, 18, and 20 units, grouping merges them into one stack of 50 and leaves the extra slots empty.
To use the Group feature, open your inventory and press the designated button (L3 / left stick click on controller, or the key shown in the inventory UI on keyboard and mouse). Grouping does not increase the total number of items you can carry; it simply reorganizes existing stacks to eliminate wasted slots. Make a habit of grouping your inventory after every major looting session or before heading into a dungeon.
Vendor Repurchase as Temporary Storage
Before Private Storage was added in Patch 1.00.03, players discovered a workaround using vendor repurchase tabs. If you sell items to a vendor, those items remain in the vendor's Repurchase tab and can be bought back at the same price. This effectively turns any merchant into a temporary deposit box.
Important caveats:
Items remain in the Repurchase tab for roughly seven in-game days before they are permanently removed from the vendor's stock.
Items can only be repurchased from the same vendor you sold them to. Selling a rare cloak to Rhett means only Rhett can sell it back.
Now that Private Storage exists, this method is largely obsolete, but it can still be useful in a pinch if you are far from a storage chest.
Tips and Best Practices
Buy every Small Bag you see. At just 50 Copper per slot, they are the cheapest permanent upgrade in the game. Check every vendor in every town.
Prioritize Commissions that reward Medium Bags. Open your Journal and scan the Faction Quests tab. Any quest listing an inventory expansion reward should move to the top of your to-do list.
Sell items you no longer need. Learned recipes, obsolete gear, and duplicate materials are all candidates for the vendor. Do not hoard items out of habit.
Use Group after every loot run. Consolidating partial stacks can free up multiple slots instantly, especially after farming crafting materials.
Visit Private Storage regularly. Deposit boss-drop equipment and stockpiled materials before heading out on a new expedition. You never want to find a rare item with a full inventory.
Empty your bags before exploration. If you are about to enter a new region or dungeon with heavy loot, sell or store everything you do not actively need first.
Collect the Extra Large Bag early. The trip to the Hills of No Return is worth making as soon as the area is accessible. Ten free slots make a real difference.
Discard used documents. Quest-related documents that have already served their purpose (read letters, completed maps) can be safely discarded to reclaim a slot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is There a Weight Limit?
No. Crimson Desert uses a pure slot-based inventory system. There is no weight mechanic. The only constraint is the number of available slots.
Do Small Bags Restock at Vendors?
Vendors restock their Small Bag after their inventory resets. However, each vendor only carries one Small Bag at a time, so the gains from revisiting the same vendor are slow. You get much better returns by visiting new vendors you have not bought from yet.
Can I Lose Items in Private Storage?
No. Private Storage is permanent and safe. Items deposited in the chest remain there indefinitely until you withdraw them. The chest is shared across characters, so switching to Damiane or Oongka does not affect stored items.
What Happens If I Miss the Extra Large Bag?
The Extra Large Bag in the Hills of No Return remains at its location until you pick it up. There is no time limit or quest requirement. You can return and collect it at any point in the game.