How do you avoid overencumbrance while gathering wood and stone?

Overencumbrance is a common issue in Valheim when gathering wood and stone, as these resources are heavy and quickly fill your inventory. To avoid this, you need to manage your inventory efficiently, use tools and mechanics to your advantage, and plan your gathering trips strategically. Here’s a detailed guide to help you stay mobile while collecting resources.\n\nFirst, understand the weight system in Valheim. Each item has a weight value, and your character has a maximum carry capacity of 300 units. Once you exceed this limit, you become overencumbered, slowing your movement to a crawl. Wood and stone are particularly heavy, with wood weighing 2 units per piece and stone weighing 1 unit per piece. This means even a small stack can quickly add up, so you need to prioritize what you carry.\n\nOne of the best ways to avoid overencumbrance is to use a cart. Carts are crafted using 20 wood and 10 bronze nails, and they allow you to transport large quantities of resources without overloading your inventory. Simply load the cart with wood and stone, then pull it behind you. While pulling a cart slows you down slightly, it’s far more efficient than being overencumbered. Carts are especially useful in the Meadows and Black Forest biomes, where terrain is relatively flat and easy to navigate.\n\nAnother effective strategy is to use portals. Portals are crafted using 20 fine wood, 10 greydwarf eyes, and 2 surtling cores, and they allow you to teleport between two linked locations. Set up a portal near your gathering site and another near your base. This way, you can quickly deposit resources without making long trips. For example, if you’re gathering stone in the Black Forest, place a portal near the stone deposits and another at your base. This saves time and prevents overencumbrance.\n\nInventory management is also crucial. Before heading out to gather resources, clear your inventory of unnecessary items. Equip only the tools you need, such as a pickaxe for stone and an axe for wood. Leave behind non-essential items like food or weapons unless you’re in a dangerous biome. Additionally, consider using a workbench to craft items on-site. For example, if you’re gathering wood, you can craft planks or beams directly from the wood you collect, reducing the amount you need to carry.\n\nFor experienced players, using a longship can be a game-changer. Longships are crafted using 40 fine wood, 10 deer hide, 100 bronze nails, and 40 iron nails. They have a large storage capacity and are ideal for transporting resources across water. If you’re gathering resources near the coast, load them onto your longship and sail back to your base. This is particularly useful in the Swamp biome, where you can gather large amounts of wood and stone near the water.\n\nFinally, consider using the Eikthyr power if you’re in the early game. Eikthyr’s Forsaken Power reduces stamina usage for running and jumping, making it easier to move quickly while carrying heavy loads. Activate this power before heading out to gather resources, and you’ll be able to cover more ground without becoming overencumbered.\n\nIn summary, avoiding overencumbrance while gathering wood and stone in Valheim requires a combination of tools, mechanics, and planning. Use carts and longships for heavy loads, set up portals for quick transport, manage your inventory carefully, and leverage powers like Eikthyr to stay mobile. By following these strategies, you can gather resources efficiently without slowing down your progress.