Discovering all the preppers in Death Stranding helps you unlock valuable gear and upgrades, significantly enhancing your gameplay experience. Not only do these upgrades allow you to carry more cargo over longer distances, but they also add depth to the storyline. Nonetheless, the primary reason to engage with preppers is the equipment you gain, which progressively eases your journey.
Items like advanced weapons, floating cargo carriers, and exoskeletons require some effort to acquire, but they save time and energy in the long run. Each prepper rewards you with new gear as you find and deliver packages to them, thereby improving your relationship. Although you’ll often come across essential items through the main story missions, many of the non-essential preppers offer incredibly useful upgrades.
Warning: This section contains spoilers regarding Death Stranding gear and equipment, but it doesn’t reveal any story details—only side characters, locations, and rewards.
Unlockable Gear Through Death Stranding’s Story
To get the essentials in Death Stranding, you just need to focus on the story. Straying too far can delay access to important gear, like the all-terrain exoskeleton, which makes navigating difficult landscapes much easier. It’s advisable to unlock these vital items before embarking on lengthy side quests.
Here’s a list of gear that you will automatically receive through the story:
- Postbox PCC Level 1 (Waystation West of Capital Knot City)
- Container Repair Spray (Distribution Center West of Capital Knot City)
- Bridge PCC Level 1 (Distribution Center West of Capital Knot City)
- Generator PCC Level 1 (Wind Farm)
- Blood Bag (Capital Knot City)
- Hematic Grenade Level 1 (Capital Knot City)
- Delivery Bot (Port Knot City)
- Smoke-Emitting Decoy Cargo (Lake Knot City)
- Power Skeleton Level 1 (Engineer)
- Smoke Grenade Level 1 (Engineer)
- Bola Gun Level 1 (Craftsman)
- Delivery Bot (Distribution Center South of Lake Knot City)
- PCC Level 2 (Weather Station)
- Floating Carrier Level 1 (Weather Station)
- Anti-BT Handgun Level 1 (Chiral Artist)
- Power Skeleton Level 1 (Junk Dealer)
- Smoke Grenade Level 1 (Junk Dealer)
- Backpack Customization (Distribution Center South of Lake Knot City)
- Truck (Distribution Center South of Lake Knot City)
- Handgun Level 1 (South Knot City)
- Assault Rifle Level 1 (South Knot City)
- Grenade (South Knot City)
- Sticky Gun (Lake Knot City)
- Armor Plate Level 1 (Waystation North of Mountain Knot City)
- Non-Lethal Assault Rifle Level 1 (Waystation North of Mountain Knot City)
- Stabilizer (Knot City)
Beyond this list, many other items are optional. For example, while a Level 2 Floating Carrier can handle more weight, the basic version will serve you well throughout the game. Additionally, various customization options, such as colors and materials, can be earned. Exploring all the preppers will also uncover fun cameos from the Death Stranding universe.
To maximize your rewards, it’s important to know which preppers offer specific upgrades. As your relationships with them improve through continued deliveries, you’ll unlock additional items. Random characters can give out rewards seemingly at random, so being organized will help you avoid unnecessary grinding for upgrades you may not need. Without tracking your progress, you might miss out on some valuable gear.
Reaching Level 5 with any character typically unlocks the following bonuses:
- The character’s hologram (sometimes granted earlier if they have few items to unlock)
- The option to rest there (if it’s a prepper)
- A special star for Sam to wear
Note: This list includes mostly functional gear—we haven’t covered all the color or material options, which are plentiful. Higher-level locations will typically provide crucial story-related items sooner.
As you unlock more fast travel options, navigating the world will become significantly easier.
Preppers, Gear, and Upgrades in the Eastern Region
- 1. Capital Knot City
- 2. Ludens Fan
- Level 2
- Hologram: Ludens Jumbo Nendroid
- Level 4
- Level 2
- 3. Distribution Center West of Capital Knot City
- Level 4
- Hologram: Benjamin Hancock
- Level 4
- 4. Musician
- First Delivery – Harmonica
Preppers, Gear, and Upgrades in the Central Region
- 1. Lake Knot City
- 2. Engineer
- Level 2
- Power Skeleton Level 1
- Smoke Grenade Level 1
- Level 3
- Power Skeleton Level 2
- Smoke Grenade Level 2
- Level 4
- Power Skeleton Level 3
- Engineer Hologram Data
- Level 2
- 3. Craftsman
- Level 2
- Level 3
- Bola Gun Level 2
- Custom Hematic Grenades (restocked with subsequent deliveries)
- 4. Elder
- 5. Distribution Center South of Lake Knot City
- Backpack Accessory: Windmill
- Level 2
- Delivery Bot
- Bridges Boots Level 2
- 6. Collector
- 7. Junk Dealer
- Level 2
- Speed Skeleton Level 1
- Smoke Bomb
- Level 3
- Speed Skeleton Level 2
- Custom CHIRAL Ladder x3
- Level 4
- Remote Stun Bomb
- Hologram: Junk Dealer
- Custom CHIRAL Ladder
- Level 2
- 8. Chiral Artist
- Level 2
- Level 3
- Anti-BT Handgun Level 2
- Chiral Boots x2 (restocked with subsequent deliveries)
- Level 4
- 9. Film Director
- Level 1
- Level 2
- Hologram Generator (disguises post box as rocks)
- Level 4
- 10. Weather Station
- Backpack Accessory: Weather Talisman
- Level 2
- PCC Level 2
- Floating Carrier Level 1
- 11. Cosplayer
- Level 1
- Level 2
- Utility Pouch Bag Upgrade
- Level 3
- Level 4
- Wandering MC and Cosplayer Holograms
- Level 5
- Omnireflector Backpack Color
- 12. South Knot City
- Level 2
- Handgun Level 1
- Assault Rifle Level 1
- Grenade
- Level 3
- Reverse Trike: Defensive
- Handgun Level 2
- Level 4
- Truck: Defensive
- Second Delivery Bot
- Level 2
- 13. Timefall Farm
- Level 2
- Odradek Scanner Nullification (cancels out Mule pings with your own Odradek scan)
- Level 3
- Odradek Human Detection (highlights human enemies)
- Level 5
- Level 2
- 14. Veteran Porter
- 15. Palaeontologist
- Level 2
- Oxygen Mask
- Hematic Grenade Level 2
- Level 4
- Hologram: Palaeontologist Hologram
- Level 2
- 16. Geologist
- 17. Heartman
- Level 1
- Level 3
- Backpack Accessory: Cryptobiote
- 18. Evo-devo Biologist
- 19. Roboticist
- Level 2
- All-Terrain Skeleton Level 1
- Level 3
- All-Terrain Skeleton Level 2
- Level 4
- All-Terrain Skeleton Level 3
- Level 2
- 20. Mountain Knot City
- Level 2
- Level 3
- Assault Rifle Level 3
- Non-Lethal Assault Rifle Level 3
- Level 4
- Third Delivery Bot Unlocked
- 21. Doctor
- 22. The First Prepper
- 23. Spiritualist
- Backpack Accessory: One Dollar Coin
- Level 4
- 24. Waystation North of Mountain Knot City
- Level 2
- Armor Plate Level 1
- Non-Lethal Assault Rifle Level 1
- Level 3
- Level 2
- 25. Distribution Center North of Mountain Knot City
- Level 2
- Assault Rifle Level 2
- Non-Lethal Assault Rifle Level 2
- Level 3
- Level 2
- 26. The Novelist’s Son
- Level 2
- Backpack Accessory: Bell Charm
- Level 3
- Hologram: Novelist’s Son
- Level 2
- 27. Photographer
- Level 2
- Shotgun Level 1
- Riot Shotgun Level 1
- Level 3
- Level 4
- Level 2
- 28. Mountaineer
- Level 2
- Bridges Boots Level 3
- Power Gloves
- Custom Chiral Climbing Anchor (restocked with subsequent deliveries)
- Level 4
- Hologram: Mountaineer
- Hologram: Mountain Guide Holograms
- Level 2