Bandages

Bandages cover wounds, stop bleeding and let injuries heal. The group holds the Bandage, the Bandage (Sterilized), the Bandage - Adhesive and the dirty versions. Rag, Denim Strips and Leather Strips also work as improvised bandages. Every survivor needs a steady supply. A wound left without a bandage keeps bleeding and stops healing. The Doctor is the best occupation for bandages. It starts with the most First Aid skill. The Nurse and the Park Ranger also start with some First Aid skill.

All Medical Categories

Best Bandages

The top pick for each role, by the game's own figures.

For	Name	Image	Stats	Spawn ID
Lightest	Bandage - Adhesive		0.05 weight	/additem Base.Bandaid
Heaviest	Box of Bandages		1 weight	/additem Base.BandageBox

Mechanics

The Bandage tooltip says to right-click the health panel to use it. Pick the wound, then apply the bandage. The Bleeding moodle's first tooltip simply reads "Bandage required." A bandage stops the bleeding on the wound it covers. Bleeding gets worse in four steps, from Minor Bleeding through Bleeding and Severe Bleeding to Massive Blood Loss. Bandage early, before the moodle climbs.

Untreated wounds do not heal. A bandage lets the healing start and keeps it going. Sterilised bandages also fight infection in the wound.

Bandages work on scratches, lacerations, burns, bites and deep wounds. A deep wound also needs stitches. A fracture needs a Splint under the bandage.

Types

The Bandage is the standard dressing. It weighs 0.1 and becomes a Bandage (Dirty) after a while on a wound. A higher First Aid skill makes a bandage stay clean for longer.

The Bandage (Sterilized) guards against infection. Its tooltip says it is used to sterilise wounds and aid recovery from infection. It is the best choice for an infected wound.

The Bandage - Adhesive is a small plaster. It weighs only 0.05. A Box of Adhesive Bandages holds 24 of them.

Improvised bandages come from cloth. The Rag tooltip says it can be used as an improvised bandage. Denim Strips and Leather Strips carry the same tooltip. The Rag (Sterilized) can be used as an improvised bandage and guards against infection.

Dirt and Infection

A dirty bandage raises the chance of wound infection. The game's guide says to use a disinfectant on the bandage or directly on the wound to avoid infection. Dirty or bloody clothes also raise the risk.

Leave a dirty bandage on until a clean one is ready. Removing it stops the healing. A dirty bandage still stops the bleeding.

Wound infection is separate from the Knox Virus. Clean bandages prevent wound infection. They cannot stop zombification after a bite or scratch from a zombie.

Cleaning and Sterilising

Dirty bandages can be washed and reused. Clean Bandage turns a Bandage (Dirty), a Rag (Dirty), Denim Strips (Dirty) or Leather Strips (Dirty) back into a clean one. It uses water from a container.

Sterilising takes one more step. Disinfect Rag uses Rubbing Alcohol, Vodka or Whiskey on a Rag or a Bandage. The result is a Rag (Sterilized) or a Bandage (Sterilized). Disinfect Bandage does the same with water instead of alcohol. The Bottle of Disinfectant can also be used on bandages to improve healing.

Neither recipe needs any skill.

Crafting

Rags are easy to make. Rip Clothing turns cotton clothes into Rag. The game's guide notes that many items of clothing can be ripped into a Rag. Rip Sheet turns one Sheet into 10 Rag. The Sheet tooltip says it gives bandages when ripped.

Denim and leather give strips. Cut Up Denim/Leather Clothing cuts jeans and leather clothes into strips with scissors or a sharp knife. Cut Up Small Leather turns tanned leather into 6 Leather Strips. Cut Up Large Leather gives 25.

Stack Items packs 12 Rag into a Rag Bundle for storage. Unstack opens the bundle again. Pack Items in Box puts 12 Bandage into a Box of Bandages.

Other Uses

Rags and strips do far more than dress wounds. Make Splint ties a Rag or a strip of cloth to a Plank or a branch. Make Molotov Cocktail and Make Fire Bomb each use a Rag as the wick. Make Smoke Bomb uses a Rag too.

Weapon recipes bind handles with cloth. Make Scrap Metal Knife and Make Block Bludgeon each need a Rag, Denim Strips or Leather Strips. Fix With Epoxy And Rags repairs a weapon with 2 Rag or Denim Strips. Many building recipes tie logs and branches together with Rag or Twine.

Clean bandages and rags also burn. The Bandage and the Rag both count as fire tinder. So does the Bandage (Dirty), which gives a dirty dressing one last use.

The Fear of Blood trait makes treatment harder. Its description says it causes panic during first aid on oneself. It also blocks first aid on others.

Locations

Bandages fill hospital shelves, doctor and nurse tools and ambulance supplies. Fire stations and army medical storage hold them too. The Bandage - Adhesive is common in bathroom cabinets and store medical shelves.

Rags turn up in janitor closets, mechanic shelves and work outfits. Sheets fill linen crates, motel linens, hospital laundry and bedroom dressers. Denim Strips sit in tailoring crates.

Notes

• Rip a few old shirts into Rag before heading out, since rags weigh almost nothing.
• Keep a Bottle of Disinfectant or a bottle of Vodka for sterilising.

All Bandages

CraftedLooted

Name	Image	Skill	Weight	Spawn ID
Bandage - Adhesive		None	0.05	/additem Base.Bandaid
Splint		None	1	/additem Base.Splint

Name	Image	Weight	Spawn ID
Bandage		0.1	/additem Base.Bandage
Bandage (Dirty)		0.1	/additem Base.BandageDirty
Bandage (Sterilized)		0.1	/additem Base.AlcoholBandage
Box of Adhesive Bandages		1	/additem Base.AdhesiveBandageBox
Box of Bandages		1	/additem Base.BandageBox