How to recover health and treat injuries
To recover health in Permafrost, clear Bleeding with a bandage, treat remaining wound or infection effects, and restore food and warmth before resting. A claimed bed restores Health gradually once the immediate survival danger has been addressed.
What to do after a fight or fall
- Leave immediate danger. Move away from the fight before starting your recovery routine, giving yourself room to handle treatment without trying to manage another enemy at the same time.
- Check your active effects. Look for Bleeding after combat and after a fall; falls can cause bleeding too, so do not judge your condition only by the amount of Health left.
- Use a Makeshift Bandage, Bandage or Military Bandage to clear Bleeding. Consume it through the inventory action menu or use it from a quick slot, then check which effects remain.
- Treat any remaining wound or infection with a suitable medicine. Match the item's tooltip to the effect you still have; medkits cover a broader range of conditions than bandages.
- Eat to replenish Hunger. Health continues falling when Hunger reaches zero, so replacing lost Health without dealing with starvation may only give you temporary relief.
- Restore Body Warmth using shelter and a fueled heat source. Cold can keep draining Health when Body Warmth reaches zero, so address exposure before settling down to rest.
- Rest on a claimed bed. Once the immediate danger, hunger and cold have been addressed, resting can gradually restore Health before you head back out.
Choose treatment by the injury you have
On Survival difficulty, choose a treatment by the effect it removes as well as the Health it restores. Bandages handle Bleeding and Nasty Wound, while medkits also remove Infected Wound and Parasites. Painkillers and Panacea remove Infected Wound and Parasites, making them another option when those effects remain.
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| Makeshift Bandage | Restores 70 Health; removes Bleeding and Nasty Wound. |
| Bandage | Restores 90 Health; removes Bleeding and Nasty Wound. |
| Military Bandage | Restores 120 Health; removes Bleeding and Nasty Wound. |
| AFAK, MFAK, IFAK and Car Medkits | Each restores 300 Health; removes Bleeding, Infected Wound, Nasty Wound and Parasites. |
| Improvised Tea | Restores 45 Health. |
| Herbs | Restores 25 Health. |
| Edible Root | Restores 15 Health. |
| Painkillers | Restores 75 Health; removes Infected Wound and Parasites. |
| Panacea | Restores 75 Health; removes Infected Wound and Parasites. |
Craft bandages and replace your supplies
The Makeshift Bandage recipe is known from the start and costs 2 Cloth. Craft it directly from your inventory without a station. Keeping Cloth available gives you a way to replace this treatment when your ready-made bandages run out.
A regular Bandage costs 2 Cloth and 1 Surgical Spirit. Unlock its recipe in the Blueprints Crafting tree for 1 point, then craft it from your inventory. It also appears in the Workbench crafting list once you know the recipe.
Surgical Spirit comes from Medical Supply Boxes and military crates, and Robyn sells it at Horizon. Robyn's reward box also includes Bandages and a Dish. Use a visit to Horizon to replace supplies before committing to another expedition.
Keep cold from undoing your recovery
Medicine can replace lost Health while leaving the cause of the loss unresolved. When Body Warmth reaches zero in bone-chilling cold, Health continues to fall. Seek shelter, use a fueled heat source and wear cold-resistant clothing before continuing your journey.
Compare the surrounding temperature with the cold resistance shown in your inventory. If conditions are colder than your gear can handle, Body Warmth starts dropping; in conditions your gear can handle, it can recover. Plan your return to warmth before pushing farther into a Cold Zone.
An equipped heater increases the rate of warmth gain by 100% and reduces the rate of warmth loss by 50%. Its durability is short, and repairing it requires plastic. Save it for demanding stretches or short Cold Zone trips, with a fire outside the zone where building is allowed.
Use food and bed rest to finish recovering
Food can restore Health as well as address Hunger. After Anna's quest unlocks the stove at House Camp, combine edible roots with Meat to make a healthy dish. It fills your character's Hunger and restores 50 Health, giving you a useful recovery food to prepare ahead of a fight.
Cook Meat at a lit campfire to avoid the Parasites risk from eating it raw. Cooking produces a Dish. A lit campfire or stove burning Wood or Coal can be used for cooking, so include food preparation when you stop to rebuild your supplies.
At the Church, look beyond Anna for cots behind screens, mattresses and sleeping bags, where you can claim a free sleeping spot. Once claimed, the bed shows the Press F Rest prompt. Use it for gradual Health recovery after dealing with your immediate survival needs.
The Church hall is warmer than the open snow, although its temperature remains below zero. It is a No Build Zone, so you cannot place your own campfire or crafting stations inside. Check your warmth needs before treating a bed there as your entire recovery plan.