Inventory and Equipping Gear

New Player Guide

Inventory and Equipping Gear

Buying gear is only half the job.

The other half is actually equipping it.

Star Citizen’s inventory system can be confusing at first because items are physical, location-based, and often stored separately from what your character is carrying.

That means you can buy a rifle, fly across the system, arrive at a bunker, and realise your rifle is still sitting in local storage back at the city.

This is a classic new player moment.

Try not to make it your entire personality.

This guide will explain how inventory works, how to equip your gear, and what to check before leaving for a mission.

The Two Types of Inventory

The first thing to understand is that Star Citizen does not use a simple “everything follows you forever” inventory system.

Items live somewhere.

Usually, they are either:

  • Stored at a location
  • Carried by your character
  • Equipped on your character
  • Stored inside a ship or container

For new players, the two most important concepts are:

  • Local inventory
  • Carried inventory

Local Inventory

Local inventory is the inventory at your current location.

For example, if you buy gear at Area18, that gear usually goes into your Area18 local inventory.

It does not automatically follow you to Baijini Point, New Babbage, Seraphim Station, Pyro, or anywhere else.

If something is in local inventory, it is stored at that location.

This is useful, but it catches new players constantly.

Local inventory is where you may find:

  • Purchased gear
  • Starting items
  • Spare armour
  • Weapons
  • Ammo
  • Food and drink
  • Med pens
  • Multi-tools
  • Attachments
  • Loot
  • Components
  • Random bits you forgot you owned

Local inventory is not your backpack.

It is storage at that place.

If you leave without taking something, it stays there.

Carried Inventory

Carried inventory is what your character physically has with them.

This includes:

  • Armour you are wearing
  • Weapons equipped on your body
  • Ammo in armour slots
  • Med pens in medical slots
  • Items in your backpack
  • Items stored inside your armour
  • A multi-tool on your hip
  • Food and drink you have packed

This is the gear that actually comes with you when you leave.

If you are heading out for a mission, carried inventory is what matters.

A rifle in local storage does not help you.

A med pen in local storage does not heal you.

A helmet in local storage does not stop your face from meeting vacuum.

The game is very literal about this.

Annoyingly literal.

Opening Inventory

You can usually open your personal inventory with:

I

This brings up the inventory interface.

Depending on your current location and patch, you may see panels showing your character, local storage, containers, or nearby inventory.

You will use this screen to:

  • Equip armour
  • Equip weapons
  • Move items between inventories
  • Put items into backpacks
  • Carry food and drink
  • Equip med pens
  • Add ammo to armour slots
  • Attach tools and gadgets
  • Check what you are actually bringing

The inventory interface can be a little fiddly.

Sometimes drag-and-drop works beautifully.

Sometimes it behaves like it is negotiating with you.

Be patient.

Storage Kiosks

Storage kiosks are terminals that let you access local inventory at a location.

You will find them in places like:

  • Hangars
  • Spaceports
  • Cities
  • Stations
  • Shops
  • Medical areas
  • Cargo or equipment areas

If you bought items from a shop, they may be available through the local storage kiosk at that location.

To use one:

  1. Walk up to the kiosk
  2. Interact with it
  3. Open local inventory
  4. Move or equip the items you need

Storage kiosks are especially important before leaving for a mission.

They are your final chance to check that you have everything you intended to bring.

Your Character Equipment Slots

Your character has several equipment areas.

These may include:

  • Undersuit
  • Helmet
  • Chest armour
  • Arm armour
  • Leg armour
  • Backpack
  • Primary weapon
  • Secondary weapon
  • Sidearm
  • Utility slots
  • Ammo slots
  • Med pen slots
  • Internal armour storage
  • Backpack storage

Different armour types have different storage capacity and slots.

For example, some armour may let you carry more ammo, more med pens, or larger backpacks.

A fully prepared character is not just wearing armour.

They are carrying the right things in the right places.

Equipping an Undersuit

Your undersuit is the base layer under your armour.

You need an undersuit to wear most armour pieces.

To equip one:

  1. Open inventory
  2. Find the undersuit in local storage
  3. Double-click it or drag it onto the undersuit slot
  4. Check that it appears on your character

If you are already wearing an undersuit, equipping a new one may replace the old one.

Make sure you do not accidentally remove important gear while swapping clothing.

Fashion is dangerous.

Equipping Armour

Armour usually comes in multiple pieces:

  • Helmet
  • Chest or core
  • Arms
  • Legs

To equip armour:

  1. Open inventory
  2. Find the armour pieces
  3. Drag each piece onto the correct body slot
  4. Or double-click items if the game equips them correctly
  5. Check your character model to confirm everything is on

A proper basic armour setup usually includes:

  • Undersuit
  • Helmet
  • Chest armour
  • Arm armour
  • Leg armour

Do not forget the helmet.

It is the most important piece when leaving safe environments.

Your chest armour may stop bullets.

Your helmet stops space.

Space is undefeated.

Light, Medium, and Heavy Armour Slots

Different armour types provide different protection and storage.

Light Armour

Usually lighter, faster, and lower protection.

Good for travel, delivery, and low-risk activities.

Medium Armour

A good general-purpose choice.

Useful for bunkers, missions, and early combat.

Heavy Armour

More protection, but heavier and often slower.

Better for serious FPS combat, but not necessary for every beginner outing.

For most new players, light or medium armour is enough.

Medium is a solid first choice if you plan to try bunker missions.

Equipping a Backpack

Backpacks give you more storage.

To equip a backpack:

  1. Make sure your armour supports backpacks
  2. Open inventory
  3. Find the backpack
  4. Drag it onto the backpack slot
  5. Check that it appears on your character

Once equipped, you can store small items inside it.

Good backpack items include:

  • Food
  • Drinks
  • Spare ammo
  • Med pens
  • Multi-tool attachments
  • Loot
  • Small mission items

A backpack is not mandatory for every activity, but it makes life much easier.

Especially when looting.

And you will loot.

You may say you will not, but then you will see a shiny gun on the floor and suddenly principles become flexible.

Equipping Weapons

Weapons can be equipped to different slots.

Common weapon slots include:

  • Primary weapon
  • Secondary weapon
  • Sidearm

A rifle usually goes on your back or backpack.

A pistol usually goes on your hip.

To equip a weapon:

  1. Open inventory
  2. Find the weapon
  3. Drag it to a weapon slot
  4. Or double-click it if the game equips it correctly
  5. Confirm it appears on your character

If you do not have a backpack, some weapons may sit directly on your back.

If you do have a backpack, weapons may attach to it.

Either way, check before leaving.

Do not assume.

Assumption is how you enter a bunker with bare hands and confidence.

Weapon Hotkeys

Common weapon hotkeys include:

1 = Primary weapon
2 = Secondary weapon
3 = Sidearm

These may vary if you have changed your keybinds, but they are common defaults.

Once your weapon is drawn:

  • Right click usually aims down sights
  • Left click fires
  • R reloads
  • Holding R may stow the weapon

Practise drawing, aiming, reloading, and stowing your weapon before heading into combat.

Do this somewhere safe.

Not in a shop.

Not in a tram.

Not directly next to security unless you are committed to finding out what consequences look like.

Equipping Ammo

Ammo must match the weapon.

This matters.

Buying a rifle and random magazines is not enough. The magazines need to be for that rifle or weapon type.

To equip ammo:

  1. Open inventory
  2. Find the correct magazines
  3. Drag them into your armour ammo slots
  4. Or double-click if the game equips them correctly
  5. Check that the ammo appears in your character’s equipped storage

Some armour has more ammo slots than others.

If your armour has limited storage, you may need to carry extra magazines in your backpack.

Before leaving for combat, check:

  • Do I have a weapon?
  • Do I have matching ammo?
  • Is the ammo equipped or carried?
  • Did I bring enough?

A gun without ammo is not a plan.

It is a prop.

Reloading

Once your weapon is equipped and loaded, you can usually reload with:

R

If you have spare magazines equipped or carried, your character should reload from them.

If you press reload and nothing useful happens, check your ammo.

You may have:

  • No magazines
  • The wrong magazines
  • Magazines in local storage
  • Magazines not accessible from your current gear
  • A bug, because naturally

Before doing a bunker mission, test your weapon somewhere safe if possible.

Not by firing wildly inside a city.

That tends to attract attention.

Equipping Med Pens

Med pens are simple healing tools.

They can be equipped into medical slots on your armour.

To equip med pens:

  1. Open inventory
  2. Find the med pens
  3. Drag them to the med pen slots
  4. Or double-click if supported
  5. Check that they appear on your character

A common hotkey for med pens is:

4

You can usually use med pens to heal yourself or assist someone nearby, depending on how you use them.

Carry more than one if you are doing combat or travelling away from major stations.

You do not need a full pharmacy.

Just enough to survive the first bad decision.

Equipping a Multi-Tool

The multi-tool is one of the most useful items in Star Citizen.

It can use different attachments for different jobs.

To equip a multi-tool:

  1. Open inventory
  2. Find the multi-tool
  3. Drag it to a utility slot
  4. Or double-click it if the game equips it correctly
  5. Check that it appears on your character

A common hotkey for using the multi-tool is:

5

If you have multiple utility items, pressing the hotkey may cycle between them.

Multi-Tool Attachments

The multi-tool needs attachments to perform specific tasks.

Useful attachments include:

  • Tractor beam attachment
  • Mining attachment
  • Salvage or repair attachment
  • Other utility attachments depending on the current patch

For new players, the most important one is the tractor beam attachment.

It lets you move boxes, cargo, loot, mission items, and other objects.

To equip an attachment:

  1. Equip the multi-tool
  2. Open inventory or the attachment menu
  3. Select the attachment slot
  4. Choose the attachment you want
  5. Confirm it is installed

Depending on keybinds, you may be able to change multi-tool attachments using an interaction menu while holding the tool.

A common key for changing attachments may be:

J

This can vary, so check your bindings if it does not work.

Tractor Beam Setup

A basic multi-tool setup for most new players is:

  • Pyro multi-tool
  • Tractor beam attachment

This lets you move:

  • Cargo boxes
  • Delivery boxes
  • Loot crates
  • Bodies
  • Small objects
  • Mission items

For cargo and hauling missions, a tractor beam is extremely useful.

For bunkers, it helps move loot.

For general nonsense, it is magnificent.

A tractor beam turns you from “person picking things up one at a time” into “small-scale warehouse goblin.”

Very useful.

Very dignified.

Repair or SRT Attachment

Some attachments are used for repair, salvage, or engineering-related tasks.

Depending on the current patch, you may see items such as:

  • SRT attachment
  • Repair canisters
  • Salvage attachments
  • Engineering supplies

These are useful later, but they are not as important as the tractor beam for a new player’s first outing.

If you have spare credits, you can carry one.

If not, skip it for now.

The beginner priority is:

  1. Survive
  2. Move boxes
  3. Complete basic missions
  4. Learn the rest later

Moving Items Between Inventories

You will often move items between local storage, your body, your backpack, and containers.

Common methods include:

  • Drag and drop
  • Double-click to equip
  • Shift-click to move, depending on current behaviour
  • Moving items into specific slots
  • Moving items into backpack or armour storage

The exact behaviour can change between patches, and sometimes the UI gets moody.

If something does not move:

  • Try dragging it directly to the slot
  • Try moving it to backpack storage first
  • Check if the item is too large
  • Check if your armour supports it
  • Close and reopen inventory
  • Try a storage kiosk
  • Accept that the inventory gremlin is hungry today

This is normal Star Citizen behaviour.

Deeply annoying.

But normal.

What to Carry for Your First Mission

For your first proper mission, a simple carried kit should include:

Equipped

  • Undersuit
  • Helmet
  • Light or medium armour
  • Backpack
  • Rifle
  • Sidearm, if available
  • Multi-tool with tractor beam

In armour or backpack

  • Rifle magazines
  • Med pens
  • Food
  • Drink
  • Optional spare ammo
  • Optional repair attachment
  • Optional extra utility item

This is enough for:

  • Basic cargo
  • Delivery missions
  • Bunker missions
  • Looting
  • Travelling between stations
  • Learning the game without being completely helpless

Pre-Flight Gear Check

Before leaving your home city or station, check:

  • Am I wearing a helmet?
  • Am I wearing armour?
  • Do I have a weapon equipped?
  • Do I have ammo for that weapon?
  • Do I have med pens?
  • Do I have food and drink?
  • Do I have a multi-tool?
  • Does the multi-tool have a tractor beam attachment?
  • Do I have a backpack if I plan to loot?
  • Is everything actually on me, not just in local storage?

This check sounds basic.

That is because it is.

Basic checks prevent advanced disasters.

Common Inventory Mistakes

Buying Gear and Leaving It Behind

The number one mistake.

If the gear is in local storage, it is not with you.

Equip it or carry it before leaving.

Forgetting the Helmet

Your helmet is not decorative.

Wear it before leaving safe environments.

Especially before stepping onto moons, planets, wrecks, stations, or anywhere with questionable atmosphere.

Bringing the Wrong Ammo

Make sure your magazines match your weapon.

If you are unsure, check the item names carefully before buying or equipping.

Not Equipping Med Pens

Owning med pens is good.

Having them equipped where you can use them quickly is better.

Carrying Too Much

Do not bring everything you own.

Carry what you need.

If you die, you may lose what you brought.

Early on, simple and replaceable is best.

No Backpack for Looting

If you plan to loot, bring a backpack.

Otherwise, you will find useful items and have nowhere to put them.

This is emotionally damaging.

Forgetting the Tractor Beam

If you are doing cargo, hauling, delivery, or bunker looting, bring a tractor beam.

You will miss it when you do not have it.

What Happens If You Die?

If you die, you may lose the gear you were carrying.

This is why we recommend using affordable, replaceable gear while learning.

Your first few missions are not the time to wear your favourite armour set or carry rare weapons.

Use cheap gear.

Learn the systems.

Replace losses easily.

Once you understand death, respawn, and recovery, then start bringing better equipment.

Star Citizen is much more fun when every mistake does not feel like financial ruin.

SCANZ Recommendation

Before your first missions, equip a simple kit:

  • Undersuit
  • Helmet
  • Medium armour
  • Backpack
  • Rifle
  • Matching ammo
  • Med pens
  • Food and drink
  • Multi-tool
  • Tractor beam attachment

Keep it cheap.

Keep it replaceable.

Keep it useful.

Do not bring your best gear until you know how to recover from losing it.

The goal is not to look like a hardened mercenary on day one.

The goal is to avoid arriving at your first mission with no helmet, no ammo, no med pens, and a backpack full of regret.

Final Advice

Inventory in Star Citizen takes time to learn.

It is physical, location-based, sometimes clunky, and occasionally possessed.

But once you understand the basics, it becomes manageable:

  • Local inventory stays at the location
  • Carried inventory comes with you
  • Equipped gear is what you can actually use
  • Backpacks give you extra storage
  • Ammo must match the weapon
  • Med pens should be equipped
  • Multi-tools need attachments
  • Always check your gear before leaving

Do not rush this part.

A good gear check before a mission can save you a long trip, an avoidable death, or the shame of asking your org mates if anyone has spare pants.

They might.

But still.

Next Guide

Next: Your First Flight