Rust: Every Way to Get Cloth

Here's every way to get cloth in Rust, from quick fixes to long-term farming.

Cloth is one of the first things new players scramble for - usually just enough to slap down a Sleeping Bag before getting killed, but eventually you'll need a steady supply for bags, bows, and armor too. This guide runs through every way to get it, from the fastest early-game tricks to proper farming setups for later on.

Hemp Fiber

Hemp fiber plants spawn in forest and plains biomes, giving 10 cloth per plant when harvested. They don't spawn in desert or snow regions, so head toward greener terrain early on.

Three hemp plants covers a single Sleeping Bag (30 cloth). They tend to appear at random spots while running, so picking them up on your way to a base location works well without slowing you down much.

Killing Animals for Cloth

Animals like boars can be harvested for cloth once killed. A bow helps bring one down safely, though a stone hatchet can work with enough patience.

Once an animal's down, cut it open with a sharp object to get cloth along with other resources - a knife gives the best yield, but any sharp tool works in a pinch. The amount varies: a boar might only give around five cloth, while bears give more, though they're riskier to fight without proper gear.

Cacti

If you're stuck in the desert where hemp doesn't spawn, hitting cacti is a slow but reliable backup. You won't get much per hit, but it's usually enough to scrape together a Sleeping Bag when nothing else is around.

Scientists

Scientists can be picked off from a distance with a bow fairly easily, and each one drops 5 cloth. It's not a lot, but it can be a lifesaver in situations like an Oil Rig run where you're out of bandages and need a quick top-up.

Farming Roads and Recycling

The fastest method by far is looting barrels and boxes along roads for cloth-related items. Tarp, rope, rugs, bear skins, clothing pieces, and sewing kits all show up regularly and can be recycled into cloth later.

Once you've built up a decent stack, find a Recycler. Where's safest to recycle can vary depending on server population - Lighthouse and Mining Outpost tend to be less contested, while spots like Abandoned Supermarket and Oxum's Gas Station often see more traffic. Worth scouting a couple of options and sticking with whatever's quietest on your server.

Recycling items like sewing kits and rope at a safer location can easily produce hundreds of cloth in just a few minutes - more than enough for bags, bows, or early armor.

Harvesting Backpacks

A more recent addition, harvesting backpacks boost the amount of cloth you get from skinning animals. Worth picking one up if you're planning to farm animals for cloth regularly.

Gutting Fish

Not a serious source, but worth knowing - gutting fish gives a small amount of cloth as a side bonus. Not something to rely on, but useful if you're already fishing anyway.

Long-Term Farming and Cloning

For serious, large-scale cloth production, nothing beats farming. This isn't a fast method - it takes setup and time - but a manual farm you water yourself, or better yet an automated farm, can produce tens of thousands of cloth over time.

The real key to a productive farm is cloning plants with good genes. Once you've got a strong clone line established, your cloth output scales far beyond anything the methods above can offer - making it the go-to for players setting up a long-term base rather than just surviving the first few minutes after spawn.

Also, check out our other guides below :

• Rust: How to Complete the Launch Site Puzzle
• Rust: How to Generate and Store Electricity
• Rust: How to Build and Defend a Base
• Rust: How to Run the Dome Monument
• Rust: How to Fish Without Breaking Your Line
• Rust: How to Destroy Turrets While Raiding