Windrose's default inventory fills up fast. A short trip to a neighboring island can leave you choosing between loot and essentials before you've even started exploring. The fix is straightforward — craft a bag, equip it in your Accessories slot, and enjoy the extra room. Two bag tiers are available in the early game, and each one builds on the last.
Quick answer: Craft a Torn Sailcloth Bag at a Level 1 Workbench for +4 inventory slots, then upgrade to a Sailor Backpack at a Level 2 Workbench for +8 slots total. Both must stay equipped in the Accessories section to keep the bonus active.
Torn Sailcloth Bag — Your first inventory expansion
The Torn Sailcloth Bag is the earliest bag you can make, and it only requires a Level 1 Workbench. Once crafted, it grants four additional inventory slots. You equip it through the Accessories section of your inventory screen, and the extra space remains available only while the bag sits in that slot. Removing it instantly revokes the bonus slots, so keep it equipped at all times.
Open your Workbench and navigate to Plans & Recipes. Scroll until you find the Torn Sailcloth Bag entry. The recipe calls for two materials, both processed from Plant Fiber at the same workbench.
| Material | Quantity needed | Plant Fiber cost per unit | Total Plant Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rope | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Coarse Fabric | 2 | 20 | 40 |
| Grand total | 45 | ||
Plant Fiber drops from chopping shrubs and bushes scattered around your starting area. Gather at least 45 fibers in one run, process them all into Rope and Coarse Fabric at the workbench, and then craft the bag without any extra trips.
Sailor Backpack — Doubling your extra slots
The Sailor Backpack replaces the Torn Sailcloth Bag and bumps your bonus from four slots to eight. It also occupies the Accessories slot, so you swap one bag for the other rather than stacking them. The catch is that this recipe requires a Level 2 Workbench, and the upgrade path for workbenches is not immediately obvious.
| Material | Quantity needed | How to obtain |
|---|---|---|
| Torn Sailcloth Bag | 1 | Crafted at Level 1 Workbench (see above) |
| Rough Hide | 5 | Dropped by boars in jungle areas |
| Copper Ingot | 2 | Smelted from Copper Ore (introduced during the tutorial) |
Rough Hide is the material most likely to slow you down. Boars roam the jungle zones near your starting island, but they share the area with other wildlife and can be spread thin. Plan a short hunting session dedicated to collecting all five hides before heading back to your workbench.
Copper Ingots, on the other hand, should already be familiar. The tutorial quest walks you through mining Copper Ore and smelting it, so you likely have leftover ingots or know exactly where to find more ore nodes.
Upgrading your Workbench to Level 2
You cannot craft the Sailor Backpack at a Level 1 Workbench — the recipe simply will not activate even if you have every material ready. Upgrading the workbench works differently than upgrading weapons or armor; there is no "upgrade" button on the station itself.
Step 1: Open the building panel by pressing B and navigate to the Crafting & Utilities tab. Look for the Workbench section.
Step 2: Find the Sawhorse listed next to the Workbench entry. Craft it using 20 Wood and 10 Copper Ingots. If the Sawhorse recipe is not available yet, you need to progress further through the main quest line before it unlocks.
Step 3: Place the Sawhorse inside the radius of your bonfire area — the same area where your Workbench sits. The Sawhorse is a passive structure; you do not interact with it directly. Simply placing it within the bonfire zone automatically upgrades every Workbench in that zone to Level 2.
Once the workbench reads Level 2, open it, go back to Plans & Recipes, and the Sailor Backpack recipe will be craftable. Combine your Torn Sailcloth Bag, five Rough Hides, and two Copper Ingots to finish the upgrade. Equip the new backpack in your Accessories slot, and you'll see eight extra inventory spaces immediately.
Ship-based storage through the Ketch
Bags are not the only way to carry more in Windrose. After completing the quest called "I Need a Bigger Boat", you unlock the Ketch — a ship that comes with its own inventory. This effectively gives you a mobile storage solution for longer voyages, letting you offload items without returning to your base. The quest becomes available as you progress through the main storyline, so focus on advancing your quests if you want ship storage sooner rather than later.
Key things to remember
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Bag slot | Both bags go in the Accessories section; removing them removes the bonus slots |
| Stacking | Bags do not stack — the Sailor Backpack replaces the Torn Sailcloth Bag |
| Progression | Larger bags continue to become available as you advance through the game |
| Workbench upgrades | Place passive structures like the Sawhorse near your bonfire to level up your workbench |
| Ship inventory | The Ketch, unlocked via the "I Need a Bigger Boat" quest, adds mobile storage |
Getting both bag upgrades sorted early makes a noticeable difference in how often you need to sail back to base. Prioritize gathering Plant Fiber and hunting boars during your first few sessions, and you'll spend far more time exploring islands than managing a cramped inventory.