Metal is the most important resource not just early-game or just late-game, but it’s used throughout the whole game. You need it early-game to advance more efficiently, and you need it late-game to make advanced tools and machinery. And throughout the whole experience in Raft, you’ll need metal to upgrade and fortify your raft and to make replacement tools that never seem to last long enough. Here are the top 5 ways to get metal in Raft.

5. Story Island Loot Boxes

A material loot package found on Caravan Island.

Story islands tend to have more loot boxes than the randomly generated islands. They are typically found in kitchen cabinets and drawers, which gives the island the appearance of being lived in. It’s sad to see these settlements all abandoned, but it’s a great looting opportunity for us. It’s not the most effective way to get metal, but it’s worth doing if you’re already headed to the island for resource collecting.

Caravan Island and Tangaroa have the most loot boxes out of all the other story islands. This is due to how many living spaces there are on these islands. You can find these loot boxes in the RVs on Caravan Island and the hotel rooms on Tangaroa.

Make sure to explore every single RV and hotel room. It may be repetitive, but you don’t want to miss out on any metal ore, do you?

How it works:

• Enter every single RV or hotel room.
• Make sure to check all the drawers and cabinets.
• The look boxes will respawn the next time you come back to the island.

4. Island Crates/Loot Boxes

A crate found on a randomly generated tropical island.

Loot boxes found on randomly generated islands have a chance of containing metal ore. They aren’t the most reliable source of metal, but since these are found on most islands—and you’ll be visiting many islands ahead of you—this is a decent method in the long run.

I do recommend stopping by the bigger islands. The big islands always have loot boxes, and usually more than one. They also tend to carry better loot boxes with a higher chance of getting metal ore.

When exploring an island, loot boxes can be found on the highest point of the island, in mushroom caves, and in underwater caves. The underwater caves normally have good loot, so make sure to circle the island underwater just to make sure you don’t miss any underwater caves.

How it works:

• Stop by every island and look for loot boxes.
• Each box has a chance of dropping metal ore.

3. Trading Post

The cash register of a trading post.

The trading post is so good for collecting resources. The trading post allows you to buy the metal ore three times, and each trade comes with five metal ore, so you can get 15 metal ore per trading post island.

Once you have a recycler and start making trash cubes, I really recommend leveling up your trade tier at any trading post you come across. Once you get to Tier 2, you’ll be able to trade for metal ore.

If you plan on using the trading post as your main source of metal ore, you’ll have to start out at Tier 1, where you’ll buy simple fish bait. Use all of the bait to catch special fish that you can trade for trade coins.

How it works:

• Consistently make trash cubes while you’re drifting. That way, you’ll have plenty by the time you see an island with a trading post. Shark heads and watermelons are great for biofuel.
• Trade rare fish for trade coins.
• Once you’ve reached tier 2 in the trading post, you can trade 2 trash cubes and 1 trade coin per 5 metal ores.

2. Metal Detector

A brief case found in buried treasure.

Once you’ve come far enough in the game, you’ll be able to make a metal detector, which can detect buried treasure. Metal ore can only be found if you dig up assorted trash or a suitcase. They are on the lower end of buried treasure, so there is a 72.5% chance you’ll get either one of them.

Every single island has buried treasure, so always be sure to bring your metal detector and shovel with you on every island exploration.

How it works:

• You’ll need a metal detector and a shovel.
• Use the metal detector to find buried treasure; the faster the detector beeps, the closer you are.
• Once you’ve found the spot, use the shovel to dig up the treasure and collect it.

1. Underwater Mining

Player deep sea diving for resources.

Underwater mining is the best and most efficient way to obtain metal. You’ll find a few pieces of metal on every single island, so as long as you’re mining every island you explore, eventually your metal collection will start to build up.

It’s definitely the most time-consuming way to obtain metal, because once you’re down there, you’ll want to collect other resources as well. Even so, it’s the best way to get metal.

Take a spare hook with you. There’s nothing worse than killing the shark, mining only halfway around the island, and then having to head back to your raft to craft another hook. It wastes time while you’re trying to get what you can before the shark respawns.

How it works:

• Make sure to have a hook, food, and water.
• Dive down in the water, and normally metal ore will be found on the outer edges of the shallow coral reefs.
• Use your hook to mine the metal ore.

You may also be interested in:

• Raft Best Ways To Get Metal (Top 5 Ways)
• [Top 10] Raft Best Recycler Items (And Why They're Useful)
• Raft Best Ways To Make Biofuel (Top 5 Ways)
• [Top 10] Raft Best Food (And How To Get Them)

You may also be interested in:

• [Top 10] Raft Best Recycler Items (And Why They're Useful)
• Raft Best Ways To Make Biofuel (Top 5 Ways)
• [Top 10] Raft Best Food (And How To Get Them)
• Raft: How to Get Titanium (Top 3 Ways)