7 Days to Die requires players to get comfortable gathering resources to survive the zombie apocalypse. That process requires time, effort, and some investment in useful perks to improve mining efficiency. However, another aspect of acquiring minerals is planning how much ore to gather every trip to keep a decent stock and make better equipment and improved defenses. The more players farm every mining trip, the longer they can sustain their crafting rotation, though, spending too much time mining takes away from other tasks, such as hunting or food farming.

Whether using iron to smelt forged iron for upgrading fences or forged steel for crafting certain weapons, tools, and other quality items, having a decent supply of ore is crucial to fending off zombies. The longer players survive, the more difficult the Blood Moons become. This increasing challenge mandates some mining skills and a decent threshold for which to strive when gathering minerals.

How Much Ore to Farm in One Trip in 7 Days to Die

7 Days to Die - Mining Perks

Unless using mods in 7 Days to Die , the default number of ore that constitutes a stack is 6,000. In the beginning, that number seems high. However, as gamers gain experience and increase their level, they will find that obtaining a stack of 6,000 of any given ore, especially if utilizing certain perks in the Strength tree (Sexual Tyrannosaurus, Miner 69'er, and Mother Lode), eventually becomes quick and easy.

For this reason, it behooves survivors to aim for a minimum threshold when mining. This threshold can vary from ore to ore and should be higher for the more important ones. Iron, for example, is one of the most useful ores players can use, as it is a core material required for upgrading fences, crafting most weapons, building doors and other defenses, and making repairs. To that end, a decent goal for mining iron each trip is four stacks of 6,000. With the proper perks, food, drinks, and tools, this goal can be reached in less than half an in-game day.

Next, stone, which is the easiest mineral to acquire, can be found alongside any of the other ores. Stone's ease of access results in a smaller threshold being necessary, despite the resource's use in the crafting of many items. Two stacks of stone, for example, is a reasonable minimum, as players will often inadvertently gather extra amounts of it while focused on other materials.

The remaining important resources found via mining – potassium nitrate, coal, and lead – all have similar thresholds to iron and stone, with potassium nitrate arguably being the most important of the three considering its use in growing food, making gunpowder for some better firepower during Blood Moons, and formulating medicine. Given potassium nitrate's importance, players should focus on acquiring at least four stacks of the resource, with five or six stacks likely being more optimal.

When it comes to coal and lead, both of which are useful for crafting gunpowder and ammunition for guns, the ore deposits are a little scarcer than iron or stone. As such, when players come across either, they should aim for at least two stacks of 6,000 each. However, the more difficult Horde Nights all but mandate better firepower. Thus, survivors will want to craft as much ammunition as they possibly can, thereby increasing the threshold they set when setting out to mine coal and lead. Five or six stacks tends to be a solid goal for these resources in the late game.

Next: 7 Days to Die: How to Build a Minibike in Navesgane

7 Days to Die is available on Mac, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.