Containers

This article is currently under construction.

It is in the process of an expansion or major restructuring. You are welcome to assist in its construction by editing it as well.

If this page has not been updated in a while, please replace this notice with {{Improve}}. Last edit was 20/04/2018.

The UI for containers

Containers are pieces of furniture found throughout Project Zomboid's various locations, including Knox County and the unnamed suburb (Pre-0.2.0r). The key difference between a container and other furniture pieces like chairs, tables and so forth, is that they have their own dedicated inventory. This lightens your load and makes scouting for more items easier. If you put more than one of the same item inside the container, it will automatically stack with the other in one slot.

Container Window

The container window as displayed in-game. Explanation of numbers are to the left.

To the right is an image displaying the container window. In order to show this window, the player can either left-click the container, or mouse hover over the proximity/container window (displayed at the top of the screen by default. Pressing "I" will make it appear if it isn't showing).
Just like the player's inventory, the container window is separated into three categorical columns. The icon of the item, the type (name of the item), and category (e.g. literature or food).

Below is a description explaining each component of the container window; numbers are paired with those displayed on the image to the right.

1. Containers can currently hold any type of item, however only up to their maximum weight. This functionality is similar to how bags can only hold a certain amount of weight. The two numbers display the current (0.9) and the maximum (20) weight.
2. The rightmost column displays all the lootable containers within the player's proximity. Left-clicking an icon in this column will display the container's inventory. The is the floor inventory.
3. By selecting Loot All, the player will begin to transfer all items from the container to their current inventory. Moving, or turning away will cancel this action.
4. By default, the items will be listed in a hierarchical manner. This shortens the player's inventory list by stacking similar items together. In order to view all stacked items, the player can left-click the small arrow, presenting them with a darkened overlay. This can be especially helpful when the player has items of different levels/durability, such as a half full water bottle and a one.

Types Of Containers

Bookshelf

Bookshelves usually contain books, newspapers, magazines, journals, empty notebooks, sheets of paper, skill books and recipe magazines. A small and a large bookcase can be constructed by the player with a high enough carpentry skill and correct equipment.

Boxes

In certain houses and storage buildings, there are small cardboard boxes instead of crates. These boxes contain general items, weapons, and construction tools. They are very often found in "empty" houses with little furniture, implying the person or people living there were moving. The player can pick up an empty box regardless of skill and will never break.

Cash Register

Cash Register Model

The cash register is found on countertops in restaurants and stores. It currently does not have any lootable items inside when it is generated in the world but can be used as a container to store items in.
*At Version 39.50, this item is no longer a container*

Cupboard

Cream Cupboard Model

Cupboards are found in certain shops and in most, if not all houses. They have a large range of objects, such as nonperishable food, general items, weapons, mouse traps and a dead rat or dead mouse. The cupboards of some houses will contain items that are related to particular occupations or hobbies. For example, the cupboards of some houses might be filled with seeds, trowels, and spades. "Survivor houses", or houses with barricades on their windows and doors, will contain much more canned food than other houses will. In some buildings these cupboards can also be found in bathrooms, sheds, and medical buildings. If a cupboard is spawned in any of these special buildings, the items that it spawns typically match what is to be expected in these buildings (e.g. medicine inside a cupboard in a medical building).

Desk

Desks can be found in some bedroom, most offices and frequently inside a school. They will spawn stationery items, adhesive tape, glue, Cigarettes and various useless toys like cubes, along with other items you would expect to find in a desk.

Dresser

In the bedrooms of most houses, dressers are usually present. Inside these dressers, sheets and clothes are usually found. However, occasionally, there can be bags and weapons inside a dresser.

Locker

Lockers are found in two locations: schools and police stations. In schools, they spawn with pens, pens, paper, and various useless toys like cubes and yo-yos, along with other items you would expect to find in a school. The form of locker found in police stations are filled with guns and ammo of various types.

MailBoxes

Post box Model

Mailbox Model

A mailbox can currently be found in 3 variants: the standard mailbox; found at the end of most driveways, the post box; found in commercial areas, the lockbox; found inside a post office. They will usually contain newspapers, comic books or magazines, including recipe magazines. Making mailboxes the best place to look for recipe magazines, as they're so frequently scattered around residential areas.

Medicine Cabinet

Medicine Cabinet Model

Medicine cabinets are found exclusively in bathrooms of certain homes. They sometimes contain a First Aid Kit, or various individual Items. In "Survivor houses", i.e. houses with barricades already on windows and doors, canned food will spawn in abundance in these cabinets.

Microwave Oven

The microwave oven can be found in houses, staff rooms and restaurant kitchens. Similarly to the oven it can be used to cook food, however of poorer quality. Right-clicking a microwave and selecting "settings", will display a UI, allowing the player to adjust cooking function and timer. Unlike the oven, setting the timer will turn the microwave off once the time is up. Thus, being a much safer option over the oven for preventing burning of food.

Oven

Oven Model

Ovens are only found in houses or restaurant kitchens. They are currently used to cook food by placing the cookable item(s) inside one of the slots and then turning them on. The occupied slot's background has a smooth transition from a slightly, to clearly visible red that indicates the cooking process and its rough progress. Recipes, such as soup, can be crafted using the inventory and also cooked in this way. Most foods look different when they're done cooking and substantially reduce your hunger when compared to the uncooked versions. Cooking a food for too long will burn the food and will make it less filling and can make the consumer ill. Right-clicking an oven and selecting "settings", will display a UI, allowing the player to adjust the temperature and timer. If the timer is set, a bell ring upon reaching zero, as a reminder for the player so they can do other tasks while food is cooking.

Refrigerator/Mini-Fridge

Refrigerator Model

Like the oven, the refrigerator is only found in house and restaurant kitchens. They usually contain normal and spoilable foods like steaks, apples, carrots and chicken as well as some water. The refrigerator slows down the spoiling process of food when you place food in the refrigerator. All fridges also contain a separate container, which is a freezer. Freezers tremendously slow down the spoilage of food, much more than fridges do, so food should be put in the freezer if it is not full. However, once the power goes out, the refrigerator will no longer preserve the food.

Shelves

In certain houses and storage buildings, there are shelves. These shelves tend to contain seeds, weapons, and construction tools. Selves can also be constructed by the player using nails and wood planks.

Vending Machines

Crisps Vending Machine Model

Pop Vending Machine Model

Vending machines can be found inside and outside some commercial buildings like laundromats, but they are mainly found inside restaurants or around restaurants. They usually contains chips and pop.

Wardrobe

Wardrobe Model

The wardrobe is a large wooden container which is found in bedrooms and are usually divided into 2 parts. These slots usually contain socks, sheets, belts, clothing, and on rare occasions certain weapons and pillows.

Wooden Crate

Wooden Crate Model

Wooden crates are found in the storage buildings, inside certain houses, and in various outdoor locations. They contain general items, weapons, and construction tools, most important of which being sledgehammers and axes. They are a source of gas cans, and a rare source of wood planks. These containers can be crafted by the player; useful in makeshift bases or when not enough containers are present.

Garbage Can/Dumpster

Garbage cans and dumpsters are common containers. Garbage cans are usually in front of or in houses and restaurants, while dumpsters are almost always in the back of large buildings. The two are interchangeable in terms of loot; the only difference in that garbage cans take up one unit of space, while dumpsters are twice as wide. They drop small items such as empty water bottles, socks, cigarettes, Battery, and the occasional lollipop.

Zombies

Zombies corpses are another source of items. Usually, the zombie corpse will have the clothing that the zombie is currently wearing. However, these corpses sometimes contain certain purpose-less items like razors, lockets, wallets, Lipstick, Wedding Rings, and combs. Sometimes, they may also have useful items such as Pistols, 9mm Round, or Axes.

Space Saving Storage

(Depreciated)If the player has a high enough carpentry level, they can build a small bookcase, at 65 units, and place a double shelf on top, at 65, allowing for, in one tile, a possibility of 130 units of storage. There must be a wall to place the shelve on, however.

Currently(Starting prior to build 38) the player at level 3 carpentry can build three crates stacked, for a max storage of 150, with each crate containing 50.

See Also

• Carpentry
• Metalworking
• Vehicles