Hushed River Valley

[Seal Clubba]

Stalker/Day 5 there on a 233 day game, the struggle is real out here bra.

Huge map, no permanent structures, crazy maze like ice caves, wolves, tigers, bears and a smoldering signal fire.....wtfffffffxxx.

Anybody experienced on this map have any suggestions/tips?

[jswilliams]

Mad respect to Stalker players. Day 233 so you're obviously kitted out, but don't know details. Up to you about ammo conservation, Cloth, clothing kit/bedroll.

From wherever you're at, I'd chunk the map into areas. Dominate your current area while scouting for the next cave/cave system to base up in. Leave caches behind obviously.

MAP everything so you can keep track where u are, where u been with the aid of Journal.

Most importantly, do NOT under any circumstances die.

[Seal Clubba]

Appreciate the advice!

Deets on my dude are 5 skill everything except for 4 fishing/rilfe. I have over 50 rounds stockpiled, don't even bother with it since a headshot with the bow drops bears.

Gear is everything animal except for underwear, no food, 3/4 gallon water, can, sleeping roll.

After exploring the region, it really isn't all that bad, just have to find that first ice cave, set up base in the entrance and the cave complex from there branches out to many different exits.

The biggest problem there is navigating that maze, so I suggest anybody exploring Hushed River bring plenty of fuel (at LEAST 1 gal if you plan on spending 3 days+)

[The Mighty Mulletman]

Originally posted by Seal Clubba:

Appreciate the advice!

Deets on my dude are 5 skill everything except for 4 fishing/rilfe. I have over 50 rounds stockpiled, don't even bother with it since a headshot with the bow drops bears.

Gear is everything animal except for underwear, no food, 3/4 gallon water, can, sleeping roll.

After exploring the region, it really isn't all that bad, just have to find that first ice cave, set up base in the entrance and the cave complex from there branches out to many different exits.

The biggest problem there is navigating that maze, so I suggest anybody exploring Hushed River bring plenty of fuel (at LEAST 1 gal if you plan on spending 3 days+)

There's plenty of stones in the cave. I suggest using them to mark your way.

[Alaqella]

I explored that map fully before, the best way was to map everything and moving from cave to cave, marking what leads where

[Seriously Unserious]

Beware of wolves. You could get Fluffied if you assume safety. I almost did but was saved by a bug when Fluffy II got stuck in the bedrock and couldn't path to me anymore.

Other then that, just be careful and explore. Gather the natural resources while you're there, they won't spoil, and will give you tons of food, and meds, process them when you have spare moments to craft, the processed mushrooms, rosehips and old man's beard weigh less then the unprocessed equivilant.

There's several bears possible down there as well, and you can get stomped by a moose in a box canyon you can't get out of if you let the moose get you, at least not until you've waited out the healing period for broken ribs. I was watching a YouTuber, Lonely Wolf, get stomped down there by a moose and he was stuck for over a week in that same valley waiting on 2 busted up ribs to heal with no way to climb back out again.

[SBlack]

There are plenty of caves where you can sleep in. Also there are two ice caves and one is wolf free

And yeah, the map is divided into several distinct areas that are connected by caves and ropes:
https://imgur.com/BJ2KMwS (just a rough outline without spoiling details)

For starting there is a very nice cave in the red area you can use as a base camp. It's not far from the entrance

[Seriously Unserious]

Originally posted by SteveS:

There are plenty of caves where you can sleep in. Also there are two ice caves and one is wolf free

And yeah, the map is divided into several distinct areas that are connected by caves and ropes:
https://imgur.com/BJ2KMwS (just a rough outline without spoiling details)

For starting there is a very nice cave in the red area you can use as a base camp. It's not far from the entrance

That is true. If you're new to the area, it may take some time to find the caves, and in the meanwhile would be vulnerable to any very badly timed blizzards, and in a blizzard, good luck finding a cave in a region you don't know! Of course, this is The Long Dark and it would NEVER throw a blizzard at you at the most inopportune moment possible!

For that reason, I went in with a butt-load of cloth and made sure to always have at least 5 cloth and 15 sticks on me at all times (in case I needed an emergency snow shelter), at least until I started to get to know the region better. Good thing I did that as I needed that snow shelter for the first 4 days or so as I got caught out by a series of blizzards and processing a deer and wolf kill.

[Joker [IT]]

Originally posted by Seriously Unserious:

For that reason, I went in with a butt-load of cloth and made sure to always have at least 5 cloth and 15 sticks on me at all times (in case I needed an emergency snow shelter), at least until I started to get to know the region better.

The problem is that you have to carry clothes before coming in this map. I hate it. Also, I'm not sure 'cause I'm coming from a long pause, but when you brake the snow shelter you can't get back all the clothes (hope I'm wrong).

[Seriously Unserious]

Originally posted by Joker IT:

Originally posted by Seriously Unserious:

For that reason, I went in with a butt-load of cloth and made sure to always have at least 5 cloth and 15 sticks on me at all times (in case I needed an emergency snow shelter), at least until I started to get to know the region better.

The problem is that you have to carry clothes before coming in this map. I hate it. Also, I'm not sure 'cause I'm coming from a long pause, but when you brake the snow shelter you can't get back all the clothes (hope I'm wrong).

I think you will lose some of them, yes. but if you can keep repairing it frequently enough, you only need a stick to bring it back to full health. I've rarely had any issues finding a few sticks when I need them. As a rule, I'll usually collect sticks as I come across them, unless already too burdened, and just drop them off in places I may need them later. If it turns out I didn't need them, well, better to have them and not need them then to need them and not have them, but if I do need them, I'm glad I bothered.

[Imran Khan]

Explore ice caves in the daytime and you don't need to use a lantern. This region is really maze like and took a while to learn. I normally make a base in the cave near the center of the map, along the river. It's not the best base. It's the only place I've ever had a wolf come into a cave and attack me. All I was doing was cooking some deer meat in my cave. I have also had adventures in that box canyon someone mentioned, that's only accessible by rope. There is normally a moose in it, though.

[Seriously Unserious]

Originally posted by Hekmatyar:

Explore ice caves in the daytime and you don't need to use a lantern. This region is really maze like and took a while to learn. I normally make a base in the cave near the center of the map, along the river. It's not the best base. It's the only place I've ever had a wolf come into a cave and attack me. All I was doing was cooking some deer meat in my cave. I have also had adventures in that box canyon someone mentioned, that's only accessible by rope. There is normally a moose in it, though.

I know that canyon well. Lonelywolf in one of his TLD series got stuck in there for a long time, that moose stomped him twice before he got the moose, and we had to watch him spend weeks down there waiting on the ribs to heal and living off that moose meat until he could finally climb back out again.

I nearly met my end last fall in the original Darkwalker challenge down there. needed to binge on e-stims to get away from that thing, which was on my rear the whole way out.

I usually set up base at a few different caves in there, depending on what area I'm exploring. For the area around Stairsteps lake, there's a cave just past the end of the lake that I usually use, and if I thought to bring some snares along, I can supplement whatever other food sources I have with trapping bunnies, not to mention getting hides and guts to keep my bunny hat going.

When exploring the eastern end, There's another cave along the base of the cliffs leading up to the ridge Monolith Lake is on that I usually use, also with a rabbit warring suitable for trapping and some deer spawns nearby.

Up on the ridges, I stay at the upper ends of the ice caves, or sometimes at the cave directly on Monolith Lake.

All are pretty central to the areas I'm exploring and have enough distance from wolves to not be at constant risk.

FYI, when processing meat, I recommend keeping it on the ground, where it's smell won't attract predators. Wolves aren't the only threat you need to worry about when running smelly, bears will also follow your stink if they get wind of it.

[Joker [IT]]

Originally posted by Seriously Unserious:

I think you will lose some of them, yes. but if you can keep repairing it frequently enough, you only need a stick to bring it back to full health. I've rarely had any issues finding a few sticks when I need them. As a rule, I'll usually collect sticks as I come across them, unless already too burdened, and just drop them off in places I may need them later. If it turns out I didn't need them, well, better to have them and not need them then to need them and not have them, but if I do need them, I'm glad I bothered.

Just found an old igloo I made some time ago (long time ago) and it needed 1 cloth and some sticks. I found some other clothes exploring but it's very difficult to find them here. Also, no houses, no curtains. I think I'll come back to Mountain Town for some supplie. This map is scaring... it's very difficult to find your way around... I've never used so much spray as in this map (to give me indications).

Originally posted by Hekmatyar:

Explore ice caves in the daytime and you don't need to use a lantern.

I needed to use light untill now. I don't know if it's not necessary for some cave, but it is rare that additional light is not needed.

Question: to go through the water is it better to take off your clothes first?

[Martial.Lore]

Close your eyes and spin around three times. If you know which direction you're looking when you open them again, then, and only then, have you learned the map. Seriously, HRV is the easiest region to become disoriented in, even when the sun is out. And when fog rolls in or a blizzard starts, you better hope you know EXACTLY where you are and which direction you're looking.

[Seriously Unserious]

Originally posted by Martial.Lore:

Close your eyes and spin around three times. If you know which direction you're looking when you open them again, then, and only then, have you learned the map. Seriously, HRV is the easiest region to become disoriented in, even when the sun is out. And when fog rolls in or a blizzard starts, you better hope you know EXACTLY where you are and which direction you're looking.

If you don't know the map, HRV is easy to get disoriented in, but if you know the map, there are enough areas with memorable landmarks you don't need to be able to spot in the distance to figure something out.

The worst in low visibility are:
1- Forlorn Muskeg, out in the bog, especially on the south side of the tracks. Easy to get lost amid all the islands and not know which is which, no matter how well you know the region.

2- Coastal Highway, out on the frozen bay. This is so featureless that if you can't see the landmarks on shore, you can wander around for hours and still never see anything but ice, ice and more ice.

[Martial.Lore]

Originally posted by Seriously Unserious:

Originally posted by Martial.Lore:

Close your eyes and spin around three times. If you know which direction you're looking when you open them again, then, and only then, have you learned the map. Seriously, HRV is the easiest region to become disoriented in, even when the sun is out. And when fog rolls in or a blizzard starts, you better hope you know EXACTLY where you are and which direction you're looking.

If you don't know the map, HRV is easy to get disoriented in, but if you know the map, there are enough areas with memorable landmarks you don't need to be able to spot in the distance to figure something out.

The worst in low visibility are:
1- Forlorn Muskeg, out in the bog, especially on the south side of the tracks. Easy to get lost amid all the islands and not know which is which, no matter how well you know the region.

2- Coastal Highway, out on the frozen bay. This is so featureless that if you can't see the landmarks on shore, you can wander around for hours and still never see anything but ice, ice and more ice.

True, but both are far easier to navigate in good weather than HRV, especially when you're first learning the layout.