You're hovering 200 meters down in the Twisty Bridges. Your oxygen is screaming at you. You look at your inventory and realize you're carrying three different tools you don't need, but your oxygen tank is still the basic model because you forgot to upgrade the most important part of your character. It’s frustrating. Managing Subnautica Below Zero equipment slots isn't just about inventory management; it is literally the difference between exploring the Crystal Caves and becoming leviathan fish food.
The game doesn't hold your hand.
Unlike the original game, Below Zero tweaks how you interact with your gear. You have specific slots for your head, body, hands, and feet, along with the chip slots that most players completely ignore until they're ten hours deep and wondering why they can't find magnetite. If you're coming straight from the first Subnautica, you'll notice the UI feels familiar but the stakes are different because of the cold mechanic.
The Gear That Actually Matters
Most players focus on the wrong thing first. They want the big shiny vehicles. Honestly? You need to fix your suit. Your paper-thin starting gear is useless against the freezing temperatures of Sector Zero.
The Cold Suit is a game-changer for land exploration. It takes up the main body, head, and foot slots. You lose the mobility of the fins, but you gain the ability to not freeze to death while staring at a Penguin. It’s a trade-off. You have to decide if you're a diver or a hiker in that moment. You can’t be both efficiently.
One thing people get wrong is the Reinforced Dive Suit. It’s heavy. It slows you down. But if you’re planning on tangling with Chelicerates or heading into the deeper, high-pressure zones near the fabricator base, you need those physical protection buffs. It reduces damage from creature attacks by 50%. That is huge.
Why Chip Slots are the Real MVP
You have two chip slots. Use them wisely. Most people slap a Compass in there and call it a day. That’s a mistake. While the Compass is helpful for not getting lost in the Mercury II wreckage, the HUD Chip for the Scanner Room is arguably the most powerful item in the game.
Imagine not having to swim back to your base every five seconds to see where the copper is.
By taking up one of those Subnautica Below Zero equipment slots with the Scanner HUD, you see the resources directly on your screen. It feels like cheating. The second slot should almost always be the Mineral Detector or, later on, the Seatruck Perimeter Defense upgrade if we're talking vehicle-specific slots.
The Seatruck Slot Dilemma
The Seatruck is a modular beast. It isn't just a submarine; it's a floating train. You have four upgrade slots on the left side of the pilot seat. If you aren't using the Afterburner and the Depth Modules, you’re doing it wrong.
The Depth Modules are mandatory. You literally cannot finish the game without them. Mk1 gets you to 300m, Mk2 to 600m, and Mk3 takes you all the way down to 1000m.
But what about that fourth slot?
A lot of veterans swear by the Horsepower Upgrade. If you’re towing four or five modules—like the Storage Module, the Fabricator Module, and the Docking Module—your Seatruck is going to move like a lead brick. The Horsepower chip mitigates that drag. It makes the "train" feel like a "truck" again.
Forget the Solar Charger
Seriously. Unless you spend 90% of your time at the surface, the Solar Charger is a waste of a slot. Power cells are cheap to craft. Magnetite is harder to find, sure, but once you have a steady supply, you should be looking at the Ion Power Cells anyway. Use that slot for something that keeps you alive, like the Perimeter Defense System.
The Perimeter Defense is your "Get Out of Jail Free" card. When a Shadow Leviathan grabs your hull, one shock sends it running. It’s the only way to explore the late-game biomes without losing your mind.
Specialized Footwear and Tank Choices
Let's talk about your feet. Ultra Glide Fins are the standard. They increase your swim speed significantly. However, once you start building large bases or exploring the Phi Robotics Lab, you might find yourself switching to the Snowfox or just running on foot.
The Swim Charge Fins are a niche pick. They recharge your held tool while you swim. This sounds amazing in theory. In practice, tools like the SeaGlide have their own batteries that last quite a while, and by the time you're worried about battery life, you usually have a battery charger in your Seatruck anyway. Stick to the speed. Speed is life when your oxygen meter starts pulsing red.
High Capacity vs. Ultra High Capacity
There is a weird logic in the community about oxygen tanks.
- Standard O2 Tank: 75 units.
- High Capacity: 135 units.
- Ultra High Capacity: 225 units.
The Ultra High Capacity tank takes up a lot of inventory space if you take it off, but it fits into the same equipment slot as the basic one. There is zero reason—none—to ever use the Booster Tank unless you are a speedrunner. The Booster Tank uses oxygen as fuel to give you a speed boost. It’s a death trap for casual players. You’ll find yourself 300 meters down with 10 seconds of air because you "wanted to go fast." Don't do it.
The Logic of the Tool Belt
While not "slots" in the traditional armor sense, your hotkey bar is your lifeline. In Below Zero, you can actually categorize how you pull items.
- SeaGlide: Always in slot 1. No exceptions. It’s your primary movement.
- Scanner: Slot 2. You’ll be pulling this out every time you see a new fragment or a weird fish.
- Repair Tool: Slot 3. Essential for when you hit a rock with the Seatruck.
- Laser Cutter: Slot 4. For those pesky sealed doors in the wrecks.
- Flashlight or Flare: Slot 5. Though the SeaGlide has a light, a dedicated flashlight is better for interior exploration.
Advanced Strategies for Slot Management
When you transition to the late game, your equipment needs to shift. You’ll likely find yourself swapping between the Reinforced Dive Suit and the Cold Suit constantly.
Pro tip: Keep the suit you aren't wearing in a storage locker right by the moonpool of your Seatruck.
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If you're heading to the surface to find Al-An's components, swap to the Cold Suit. If you're diving into the Red Crystal Caves, put the Reinforced suit back on. It’s tedious, but it saves your life.
Also, don't sleep on the Headlamp. It fits in the head slot. While it removes the bonus from the Cold Suit or the Reinforced Suit's helmet, it allows you to use two-handed tools (or just keep your hands free) in pitch-black caves. It’s incredibly underrated for base building at night.
The Prawn Suit Alternative
Sometimes the best way to handle Subnautica Below Zero equipment slots is to stop using the Seatruck entirely. The Prawn Suit has its own set of four slots.
If you're going for a "tank" build, you want:
- Grappling Arm (Essential for mobility).
- Drill Arm (Essential for resources).
- Two Storage Modules (Because the Prawn's default storage is tiny).
The Prawn Suit handles depth better than anything else. If you equip it with the Jump Jet Upgrade, you can skip half the platforming puzzles in the game. It’s bulky, but it’s a fortress.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Dive
To truly master your gear, you need to stop treating your equipment as "set and forget." It's a living system.
- Audit your Chip Slots immediately. If you're still carrying a compass but you know the map by heart, swap it for a Scanner HUD.
- Prioritize the Seatruck Perimeter Defense. This is the single most important upgrade in the game for stress-free exploration.
- Craft the Ultra High Capacity Tank as soon as you find the blueprint in the Twisty Bridges. The recipe requires a High Capacity Tank, 4 Silver Ore, and some Glass. It’s expensive early on, but worth every penny.
- Carry a Spare Battery. One slot in your inventory for a spare battery can save you if your SeaGlide dies while you're deep inside a wreck.
- Build a "Change Room" at your main base. Put a locker next to the entrance with your land gear and your sea gear separated. It prevents the "I forgot my gloves" realization when you're halfway across the map.
Mastering these slots isn't just about stats. It's about freedom. When you aren't worried about oxygen or freezing or leviathans, you can actually enjoy the beauty of 4546B. Stop micromanaging your inventory and start optimizing your slots. It makes the game a lot more fun, honestly.