Make the Trip Worth the Lost Customer
Scavenging can restock an empty shop, but it is not a free extra shift. This Probably Stolen scavenging guide follows the demo and playtest route: close the store, select a bag, visit the Dumping Grounds and bring back the useful finds you can carry. Going out at night costs time and means opening later with one customer missed the next day in the recorded tutorial.
That trade-off matters when you already have merchandise ready to sell. A trip is more attractive when you need stock or specific material than when a full bag of unsold goods is simply coming along for the ride.
Empty Your Bag and Pack What You Need
Before leaving, unload the previous haul and select the bag you actually want to take. One recorded player forgets to empty a small bag and loses the opportunity to collect much of the next trip's loot.
A larger backpack gives more carrying room, but you do not need to treat the largest possible bag as a hard prerequisite for every visit. The early tutorial starts with a small pack, while later runs use larger bags to fit both equipment and worthwhile finds.
Carry a bandage if you can spare one. Leave enough room for potential loot instead of filling the entire bag with equipment whose benefits you have not assessed. The official Probably Stolen Steam page provides the game's broader shopkeeping and production context; the trip preparations here come from player experience.
Match Tools to the Finds You Want
The supplied material describes several relevant tools and machines:
| Item | Documented use |
|---|---|
| Screwdriver | Break down ruined modules; the recorded result includes useful parts |
| Wire cutters | Salvage wire from broken machines |
| Plasma cutter | Salvage scrap metal from broken machines |
| Flashlight | Scavenging assistance, without eliminating the demonstrated injury risk |
| Scav Scanner | A displayed chance of extra loot, with electronic parts used to upgrade it |
Not every tool is equally useful for your current stock needs. If you already have more junk than your machinery can process, another route to parts or more carrying room may be worth considering before committing every slot to equipment.
Do not infer that carrying duplicate cutters stacks their benefits, or that raising the Scav Scanner beyond a certain displayed value creates triple loot. The recordings ask those questions without establishing the answers.
Handle Wounds Before Continuing
In the recorded tutorial, a minor wound prevents further scavenging. Using a bandage allows the player to continue, although another injury can still end the outing if no treatment remains.
A flashlight does not make the trip injury-proof. The supplied run includes wounds despite carrying one, and another recording shows an untreated minor wound worsening. Check your condition rather than repeatedly attempting to continue without knowing why the action is unavailable.
As the bag fills, compare the finds with what your shop can use or sell. The player sometimes leaves low-value junk for tools, household goods or a more valuable bag. That is a situational inventory decision, not proof that every scavenging result will be profitable.
Unload, Process and Reassess the Next Night
Back at the shop, remove the haul from the travel bag. Ruined modules can be dismantled with the appropriate tool, useful material can feed machinery, and sale stock can be prepared for customers.
Check your next rent payment before spending the proceeds on more gear. The recorded player repeatedly weighs equipment purchases against rent, and a larger bag or scanner upgrade still costs cash that cannot pay the landlord at the same time.
There is no need to go out every night. If injuries need attention or the shop already has plenty of stock, retaining the next day's customer can be a sensible alternative to another uncertain haul.
Scavenging FAQ
Where do I scavenge?
The documented route is to the Dumping Grounds after closing the shop, with a selected bag for carrying supplies and finds.
Why can I not keep scavenging?
Check for a wound. The recorded tutorial specifically blocks further attempts while wounded, and the player uses a bandage to continue.
Do I lose anything by going out at night?
The tutorial says the trip takes time, delays opening and costs a customer the next day.
How is the Scav Scanner upgraded?
The recorded player uses electronic parts on it and sees its displayed extra-loot chance increase. This does not establish additional effects beyond the ones shown by the item.