Exploring the wasteland is one of the best ways to gather valuable loot, junk, weapons, outfits, medical supplies, and experience for your dwellers in Fallout Shelter.
If you’re new to the game or just want to make your wasteland runs more efficient, this guide walks you through how to send Dwellers to the wasteland, plus tips on preparation, survival, and loot management.
Why Explore the Wasteland?
Sending Dwellers into the wasteland lets you:
Find rare weapons and outfits
Collect caps, Stimpaks, and RadAway
Complete quests and objectives
Level up Dwellers quickly
But to make the most of these journeys, you’ll need to prepare carefully, especially in the early game.
How to Send Dwellers to the Wasteland
Follow this step-by-step process to send dwellers to the wasteland well prepared.
Fallout Shelter is available on multiple platforms, but this process is written with mobile players in mind – whether you’re on Android or iOS.
1. Select a Dweller & Drag Them Outside the Vault
Start by tapping a Dweller from your vault. Drag their character outside the vault entrance. You will receive a pop-up screen.
2. Equip a Weapon, Outfit & Pet
Tap the inventory icons to equip your Dweller with:
A weapon (for fending off enemies). Weapons with higher damage are better.
An outfit that boosts SPECIAL stats, ideally Endurance for exploration and better health increases upon level up. Luck is also not a bad option if you want more loot.
Optional: Add pets that boost exploration time, loot, or healing.
3. Equip Stimpaks and RadAway
Before departure, you’ll be prompted to give your Dweller Stimpaks and RadAway. It’s recommended to bring as many as your inventory allows, early explorers won’t last long without them. However, for shorter explorations, you can save some stimpaks for other uses.
Note: If dwellers die in the wasteland you can use caps to revive them. This isn’t always ideal, so ensure you have enough medical supplies.
4. Press Explore
Your Dweller will leave the vault and begin their journey into the wasteland.
You can view their progress by either tapping outside the vault at any time or by selecting the dweller from the main menu. You can also recall a dweller through this screen.
Tips for Successful Wasteland Exploration
Here are some tips to make the most out of dweller explorations:
Recall Before It’s Too Late
Dwellers explore in real time, and the longer they stay out, the more loot they’ll find, but also the more danger they’ll face. Recall them before their health gets low so they can return alive with their gear and loot.
Train Before You Send
Sending low-level or untrained Dwellers often leads to early death. Train Endurance in the Fitness Room, or any other SPECIAL attributes and level them up gradually before long journeys.
Loot Matters
Your Dweller will bring back weapons, outfits, caps, and junk. If your vault storage is full, you may not be able to claim all the loot. Be sure to clear space before they return.
Send in Waves
Don’t send everyone at once, having a rotation of returning and outgoing explorers ensures you’re always collecting loot without weakening your vault’s defences.
Summary
The wasteland is dangerous, but it’s also one of the best sources of gear and caps in Fallout Shelter. With the right prep and strategy, your Dwellers can bring home legendary loot, and live to tell the tale.
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