EFT Tutorial and Guide
THE TARKOV CENTRAL
Food & Drinks
When it comes to food and water, I’ve noticed that many players don’t bring them into raids, considering it a waste. This is likely because they’re somewhat experienced in the game, know where to find these items on the maps, and have a fast-paced playstyle that leads them to extract early, so they don’t run out of energy or hydration.
However, running out of energy and hydration during a raid is a serious problem and can lead to death because you start taking constant damage from dehydration and fatigue.
Personally, I follow the school of thought that considers always bringing food and water into raids a smart decision for the following reasons:
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There are already enough dangers and things trying to kill me during raids. I prefer not to have to worry about finding something to eat or drink because I’m about to die of hunger or thirst.
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It’s not a big deal to carry them. If I need space, I can either consume what I brought and free up that space or, if I don’t have time, discard the food and water.
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Having your stomach blacked out (destroyed) is quite easy, especially if you’re not wearing good armor that covers it. As stated in the EFT Wiki Health system page, when this happens, it causes significant dehydration and energy loss. Even if you heal it quickly with a surgical kit, you might still find yourself in a difficult situation, especially in the second half of a raid when your hydration and energy levels may already be low.
Lastly, some argue that there’s no need to bring food and drinks into raids when you’ve maxed out the Metabolism skill (Elite level), as you won’t take damage when reaching zero hydration and energy.
However, even at the Elite level of Metabolism, stamina regeneration is still severely affected by low energy and hydration levels. This isn’t a consequence-free condition. Being unable to run for long because your stamina depletes quickly results in poor mobility during combat. Additionally, if the raid timer is running out, you might not make it to the extraction point in time.