The Frozen Trail update introduced Mini Pumps. Although they are an Uncommon material, finding them by looting at random can take time. Raiders often hunt for them early because the Research Station in your Outpost needs them for construction and upgrades. Their drops are limited to a small part of the loot table.
Quick answer: Search for Mini Pumps in loot zones tagged Technological and Electrical. Strong options are the Port Authority Building on Riven Tides, Cielo Sereno Observatory on Pendola Pass, and the Power Generation Complex on Dam Battlegrounds.
Mini Pump. Image: Embark Studios
The loot rule that decides where Mini Pumps spawn
Mini Pumps come from Technological and Electrical loot. Use the map selection screen before deploying to review the points of interest. Areas marked with both categories are worth searching; skip Residential and medical zones if you’re after pumps.
No particular room or container is guaranteed to hold a pump. Check lockers, but also scan shelves, desks, carts, seats, and vehicles for ones left in the open. A careful look over surfaces is just as important as searching storage. Another squad may have looted the building ahead of you.
Here are the key stats worth knowing before you fill your backpack.
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Category | Recyclable |
| Loot type | Technological, Electrical |
| Stack size | 5 |
| Weight | 0.5 kg |
| Sell value | 640 Coins |
Each pump weighs 0.5 kg and stacks up to five per inventory slot, so leave room for the rest of your haul before you head topside.
Best Mini Pump locations on every map
The areas below are the strongest Technological and Electrical loot spots on each map. Use them as a set of targets rather than following one rigid farming path, and have another point of interest ready if your first choice is contested or already looted.
| Map | Best areas | Loot density |
|---|---|---|
 Riven Tides | Port Authority Building, Customs House, Wavebreaker Compound | Heavy |
 Pendola Pass | Cielo Sereno Observatory, Railyard, Commissary Supermarket | Heavy |
 Dam Battlegrounds | Power Generation Complex, Testing Annex, Water Treatment Control | Heavy |
| Blue Gate | Station Office, Maintenance Wing, Reinforced Reception | Heavy |
 Stella Montis | Communications, Business Center, Seed Vault, Lobby | Heavy |
 Spaceport | Arrival Building, Launch Towers | Average |
 Buried City | New District, Space Travel building | Average |
Riven Tides
Riven Tides is the most consistent map for this material, and it is possible to leave with several pumps from one deployment. The Port Authority Building is the standout. Get there early before other Raiders have ransacked it and work through the white drawers, toolboxes, and desks. It is entirely realistic to collect all three pumps you need for the Research Station from this building alone.
The Customs House is nearly as dependable. Search its control room and the containers accessible by zipline underneath; pumps also tend to appear in the small structures near the extraction point. Ignore the climbable towers and concentrate on containers, red lockers, and control consoles. If the first two locations are busy, try Wavebreaker Compound as a third option.
Riven Tides. Image: Embark Studios
Pendola Pass
On the new map, the Cielo Sereno Observatory at the northeast edge is a dependable one-stop choice. Search the research and terminal areas carefully, checking desks, equipment surfaces, shelves, and side rooms rather than rushing past the main entrance. To reach the breach containers on the lower level, go through the opening in the wall beside the Security Breach Locker and drop down.
Should the Observatory have nothing, head to the Railyard with its Technological and Electrical tags, or search the shelves and containers at Commissary Supermarket.
Pendola Pass. Image: Embark Studios
Dam Battlegrounds
The game’s original map remains a dependable place to find pumps. You can get a sizeable haul at the Power Generation Complex, especially during an Electromagnetic Storm. Start with the Testing Annex and Water Treatment Control building; use Research & Administration and the Hydroponic Dome Complex as alternative stops.
Rocketeers patrol here. Proceed cautiously, and make sure an extraction point is close before you begin searching containers.
Dam Battlegrounds. Image: Embark Studios
Blue Gate
At Reinforced Reception, descend into the research lab, complete the puzzle, then enter the Control Room. Its Security Breach Locker is a promising place to find pumps. On this map, the Station Office and Maintenance Wing are also strong backup locations for heavy loot.
Pilgrim’s Peak fits the Electrical and Technological theme and has an almost comical number of lootable containers, but it leans heavily toward breachable servers, which do not spawn Mini Pumps. Hit the normal lootable containers first and save yourself the effort of ripping open every breach box.
The Blue Gate. Image: Embark Studios
Stella Montis
The Communications area and Business Center hold heavy loot, so search both before sweeping the Seed Vault and Lobby. Check suitcases, containers, and trash bins along the way, and watch for pumps sitting out as ground loot rather than tucked away. An Assembly Key may give you access to a locked room; some players have found several pumps there in one run.
Stella Montis. Image: Embark Studios
Spaceport and Buried City
On Spaceport, the Arrival Building is broken across several floors, and the various desks throughout it are good pump spots. The Launch Towers also hold a few, both in the lockers and on the control consoles in either tower, though this is a popular area that is often already looted unless you arrive early.
Spaceport. Image: Embark Studios
In Buried City, make the New District and Space Travel building your targets. The Space Travel building has two worthwhile areas: behind the barricaded doors on the top floor, and on the second floor, which you can access using the drop-mantle trick.
Buried City. Image: Embark Studios
Containers and surfaces to search
When searching a Technological or Electrical zone, prioritize these storage spots; Mini Pumps can turn up in many different types of storage.
- Office Desk, Filing Cabinet, and Bench Drawer
- Lockers and Tool Trolley
- Industrial Crate (breach to open) and Shipping Container Drawer
- Suitcase, Closet, Kitchen Cabinet, and TV Unit
- Street Bin, Trash Bin, and Dumpster
- Loose on shelves, tables, seats, and inside cars
Don’t spend all your time checking lockers. Look over exposed surfaces while moving from room to room; pumps are often easy to miss when left in the open.
What Mini Pumps are used for
Mini Pumps support Outpost progression. To install Research Station Level 1, first put the Outpost in place, then provide three Mini Pumps, 35 Planks, and 5 Battered Paperback. Pumps can also be traded to the Nomad in Speranza and help make recipes available for weapon amplifications and new gadgets.
Research Station. Image: Embark Studios
There is no way to craft or buy Mini Pumps, and recycling other materials won’t produce them; scavenging is your sole source. Each spare pump yields 1 Sensor and 2 Plastic Parts when recycled, or 2 Plastic Parts when salvaged. Set aside what you need for the upgrade before breaking any down.
Before going topside, look at the Research Station upgrade panel to see your remaining pump requirement. The displayed total changes as you deposit pumps; at zero, the station can be built or leveled up. When you’re short by just one, don’t put your kit at risk to look for another.
