Can someone explain encumbrance to me?

[Red Purger]

I just started playing this game and I have less than 10 hours in it. Trying to grasp how encumbrance works because I seem to always be encumbered.
I thought at first I was just carrying too much crap in my inventory, so I picked up a garbage bag and equipped it into my left hand, transferred all the canned food in my inventory into the bag, and started walking back to my base. However, I was still grossly over encumbered to the point where I think I almost broke a bone.
I assumed encumbrance could be avoided so long as I didn't exceed the storage space in a given container, but it seems this wasn't the case.

So can anyone give me a QRD on how encumbrance works?

[Kaldrak]

Each item has it's own weight, shown in the game by it's 'encumbrance' value. Your character can only carry so much. Once you are carrying more than your carrying capacity, which is shown on the character inventory screen, you will be over encumbered. Each bag has a weight reduction value when you have it equipped. Garbage bags are one of the worst bags in the game, with low storage capacity and low weight reduction.

Your options are: Drop a bunch of stuff off somewhere till you're below your carrying capacity, find a better bag like a duffel bag or backpack and put your food in there, or exercise and build your character's strength skill.

Don't worry about the lost health from over encumbrance, btw. You can only lose a max of 30% hp from it, which you'll regain after you aren't carrying so much. Far more dangerous is being unable to move or fight quickly while your character is carrying too much or exhausted.

[hardy_conrad]

Finding a good backpack is one of the highest priorities for players. It relates to another priority, a good car. Both of these things will greatly increase the amount of loot you can safely carry around. A car in particular is handy because in addition to the storage space in the trunk, you can put things on passenger seats. Over time you'll start to learn what you do and do not need to grab, but until then the more carrying capacity the better.

[VANGUARD]

A bag with a reduction of i.e. 75% reduces the encumbrence of items inside the bag by 75% - if equipped.
Is the bag unequipped its encumbrence is all the items inside plus the encumbrence of the bag itself.

When starting out you need to pick and choose what to take, since being overencumbered is dangerous in zombie infested areas.
Maybe designate a house or something in the area as a local stash and put things there for the time being.
Just don't forget to mark it on your map.
Other than that the bare essentials to always carry are a container/bottle with water, a weapon, and maybe some non-perishable food you can eat on the go like chips or cereals.
And a pencil for marking stuff on the map :)

edit:
I guess wearing shoes is also quite important.
Things can get ugly quick otherwise.

[Beltneck]

https://pzwiki.net/wiki/Inventory
https://pzwiki.net/wiki/Heavy_load

[Animalman]

Garbage bag needs to be held in left or right hand for the effect to work.
Like backpack should be on back not in inventory.
Beyond that if issues still occur with management of the weight of the items, then strength is what most players go for.

[animal blundetto]

You can often jostle things around in your inventory to get your encumbrance to an acceptable level and get back to base. Items worn on your belt or back weight less, as do items equipped in your hands. You can equip things other than weapons in your hands.