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Reference · Condition
Item condition and repair
Every item in DayZ has a condition, every hit and every day of use wears it down, and a Ruined label on the wrong item ends a character. The five states, what each one does to each kind of item, and the kit that fixes it.
The five states
Pristine to Ruined
| State | Health | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Pristine | Full | As spawned. Everything works at its best |
| Worn | High | Normal wear. Small effect; the best state a repair can reach |
| Damaged | Half | Noticeable: guns jam more, clothes insulate less, helmets protect less |
| Badly Damaged | Low | One more hit from Ruined. Repair now if the item matters |
| Ruined | Zero | Does not work, cannot be repaired. Drop it or use it for parts |
Condition is per item: a jacket can be Pristine while the bandage in its pocket is Ruined, because the bullet went through both. The glossary has the short definitions; this page has the consequences.
What damage does
By item type
Firearms
Lower condition means more jams and less accuracy. A Ruined gun does not fire. Attachments wear separately: a Ruined scope cannot be aimed through, a Ruined suppressor is just weight. See the combat guide.
Magazines and ammunition
Damaged rounds are more likely to jam; Ruined rounds are useless. A Ruined magazine will not feed. Take rounds out of a bad magazine and into a good one before you throw it away.
Clothing and bags
Insulation and protection fall with condition, so a Damaged jacket lets the cold in and a Damaged helmet stops less. Ruined clothing still holds what is in it but protects nothing and cannot be repaired. Items inside take damage with the garment.
Food and drink
Damaged food is still food. Ruined food and drink cannot be consumed. Cans survive hits better than fruit; a drink bottle can be Ruined by one bullet and lose everything in it.
Medical
Condition affects how much a bandage, saline bag or kit gives you. Ruined medical items cannot be used, which is why the medkit you were shot while carrying may not save you. See what to carry.
Tools, melee and electronics
Blades go blunt and do less, tools work slower, and a Ruined battery, torch or night-vision set is dead. Melee weapons lose condition with every hit on an infected or a tree.
What causes it
How items get damaged
- Bullets and melee hits damage the clothing hit and everything in it.
- Use: every shot, every swing, every cut of wood, every hour of a running torch.
- Water: wet items wear faster, and some (matches, paper, electronics) are damaged by it directly.
- Fire: standing in it, and cooking items in a pot too long.
- Infected: their hits damage the clothing on the body part they strike.
- Dropping and vehicles: items thrown or run over take damage; a car crash damages the parts.
- Explosions ruin most things in their radius, including the base part they were planted on.
Repair kits
Which kit fixes what
| Kit | Repairs | Found |
|---|---|---|
| Sewing Kit | Cloth clothing: shirts, pants, hats, most bags, armbands | Houses, hunting, medical |
| Leather Sewing Kit | Leather and tough clothing: boots, vests, leather jackets and bags | Hunting, farm, houses |
| Duct Tape | Almost all clothing and bags, plastic containers, base parts, many tools. The all-rounder | Industrial, houses, work |
| Gun Cleaning Kit | Every firearm and suppressor | Military, hunting, police |
| Sharpening Stone | Knives, axes, machetes and other blades | Hunting, farm, work |
| Epoxy Putty | Helmets, hard plastics, vehicle plastic parts, some vests | Industrial, work |
| Electrical Repair Kit | Electronics: night vision, rangefinders, electronic sights, radios, batteries, lights | Industrial, electronics shops |
| Tire Repair Kit | Vehicle tyres and rubber items such as gas masks and dry bags | Industrial, garages |
| Pliers | Chainmail and the armoured hood, plus base building | Work, industrial |
| Blowtorch | Metal vehicle parts and plate armour (chestplate, great helm, Norse helm) | Industrial, garages |
Every item page lists its own kit under Repair; the clothing stat tables can be sorted by it.
Repair rules
The three rules
- Ruined is final. Nothing repairs a Ruined item. Tear ruined clothing into rags, strip a ruined gun of its attachments, and move on.
- Repairs stop at Worn. A kit takes an item from Badly Damaged, Damaged or Worn up to Worn, never back to Pristine. Pristine only comes out of the loot economy.
- Kits wear out. Each use takes a percentage off the kit. Carry duct tape for the general case and a gun cleaning kit for the weapon you will not replace.
Repair itself: hold the kit in your hands, hover over the item in your inventory and choose Repair. Clothing must be off your body for some kits; weapons can be repaired in hand.
Quick answers
Questions people ask
Can you repair ruined items in DayZ?
No. Ruined is permanent. Tear ruined clothing into rags and take attachments off a ruined weapon; otherwise drop it.
Can you repair items to Pristine in DayZ?
No. Repair kits restore an item to Worn at best. Pristine items come only from loot.
What repairs guns in DayZ?
The Gun Cleaning Kit. It also repairs suppressors. Ruined guns cannot be repaired.
What does duct tape repair in DayZ?
Most clothing and bags, plastic items and containers, base parts and many tools. It is the general-purpose kit.
What repairs helmets in DayZ?
Epoxy Putty for ballistic and hard-shell helmets; a Blowtorch for medieval plate helmets; Pliers for chainmail.
Does damaged clothing affect warmth in DayZ?
Yes. Insulation falls with condition, so a Damaged jacket keeps you less warm than a Pristine one, and Ruined clothing insulates almost nothing.
Keep going
More guides and tools
Checked 1 November 2026 against DayZ 1.30 (PC 1.30.164200, console 1.87). Kit assignments cross-checked with the Repair field on our item pages; a few item-specific exceptions exist, and the item page wins.