Red Barrels took the Outlast formula into co-op with The Outlast Trials, which left Early Access on March 5, 2024. You play a Reagent, a Cold War era test subject processed by the Murkoff Corporation inside the Sinyala Facility and pushed through therapy sessions that are really survival gauntlets. You never get a gun: your entire kit is one Rig, a few throwables, and night vision goggles that eat batteries.
Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brick | S | Breaking line of sight when a Grunt has already spotted you and your Rig is on cooldown. | Thrown blunt object that staggers an Ex-Pop for a moment and can smash a window or a fragile lock from range. |
| Bottle | A | Clearing a patrol off a valve or terminal you need to hold for several seconds. | Throwable noisemaker. |
| Lockpick | A | Fast routes through the Police Station and Courthouse, where locked shortcuts are everywhere. | Single use tool that opens locked doors and cabinets without a key, cutting long detours out of a route. |
| Antidote | B | Psychosurgery difficulty runs and any map where the Skinner Man keeps appearing. | Cures psychosis on the spot and restores sanity, ending the screen distortion that makes tracking enemies almost impossible. |
| Night vision goggles | B | Basements, vents and the unlit halves of every Program Genesis map. | Battery powered vision in total darkness. |
S-Tier: Brick
Thrown blunt object that staggers an Ex-Pop for a moment and can smash a window or a fragile lock from range.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Breaking line of sight when a Grunt has already spotted you and your Rig is on cooldown. |
| Key Mechanic | Rig abilities |
| Recommended Build | Stun controller |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Brick: Pairs naturally with Stun controller thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Bottle
Throwable noisemaker. Landing it away from your position pulls patrolling enemies toward the sound instead of toward the objective you are working on.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Clearing a patrol off a valve or terminal you need to hold for several seconds. |
| Key Mechanic | Sanity and psychosis |
| Recommended Build | X-Ray scout |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Bottle: Pairs naturally with X-Ray scout thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Lockpick
Single use tool that opens locked doors and cabinets without a key, cutting long detours out of a route.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Fast routes through the Police Station and Courthouse, where locked shortcuts are everywhere. |
| Key Mechanic | Night vision battery drain |
| Recommended Build | Heal anchor |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Lockpick: Pairs naturally with Heal anchor thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Antidote
Cures psychosis on the spot and restores sanity, ending the screen distortion that makes tracking enemies almost impossible.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Psychosurgery difficulty runs and any map where the Skinner Man keeps appearing. |
| Key Mechanic | Prescriptions and Amps |
| Recommended Build | Blind trapper |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Antidote: Pairs naturally with Blind trapper thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Night vision goggles
Battery powered vision in total darkness. Nothing else lets you read an unlit room, and no enemy is blinded by you using them.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Basements, vents and the unlit halves of every Program Genesis map. |
| Key Mechanic | Release tokens |
| Recommended Build | Solo objective runner |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Night vision goggles: Pairs naturally with Solo objective runner thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Police Station
- Bottle → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Lockpick → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Brick → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Night vision drains while the goggles are on, not while you are moving, so tap them for a two second look and turn them off. Reagents who leave goggles running are the ones caught blind in the last third of a Trial when every battery on the map is already gone.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More The Outlast Trials Guides
- The Outlast Trials The Outlast Trials Overview
- The Outlast Trials Best Builds
- The Outlast Trials Tier List
- The Outlast Trials Walkthrough
- The Outlast Trials Beginner's Guide
- The Outlast Trials Tips & Tricks
- The Outlast Trials Combat Guide
- The Outlast Trials Boss Guide
- The Outlast Trials Maps & Locations
- The Outlast Trials Crafting Guide
- The Outlast Trials Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy The Outlast Trials, check out these related guides:
- Phasmophobia Weapons Guide: horror game with similar mechanics
- Lethal Company Weapons Guide: horror game with similar mechanics
- Dead by Daylight Weapons Guide: horror game with similar mechanics
