Best EFT Hideout Upgrade Tricks

Syrocket your Hideout progress with these EFT Hideout upgrade tricks!

That early wipe feeling, when I do a run in Factory with a Makarov, praying for a CPU fan just to get my Workbench up and running. Nothing’s worse than needing just one more item to unlock a key Hideout upgrade and spending hours searching for it, only to end up with nothing.

But over time, I picked up some tricks, the real ones, not just “farm Interchange.” The EFT Hideout Upgrade system can be brutal if you’re unprepared, but with the right crafts, quests, and scav runs, it’s way more manageable. 

In this guide, I’ll share the best EFT Hideout Upgrade tricks I’ve learned firsthand. Whether it’s dodging grindy loot walls or unlocking modules faster than usual, these tips will save your sanity and give your stash the boost it needs.

Also Read: The Only EFT Hideout Guide You’ll Need

1. Toolsets, Workbenches, and Early Crafting Hacks

Toolsets are a staple requirement for early upgrades like the Workbench and Lavatory. I remember hoarding every toolbox spawn in Factory just to get my second one.

• Crafting Toolsets: At Workbench Level 1, you can now craft a toolset using ripstop, insulating tape, and basic barter junk.
  
• Alternative Sources: Some quests like Secured Perimeter (Jaeger) and Spartor Part 3 (Peacekeeper) offer toolsets as find-in-raid rewards. Worth doing early on.

Another sneaky trick: Ripstop can be crafted using insulating tape in the Lavatory. You don’t need to rely purely on RNG spawns anymore.

Personal Tip: If you’re lucky enough to have a few ripstops, craft extra toolsets ahead of time. You’ll thank yourself when future modules ask for them again.

2. High-Tier Crafting Ingredients: Bulbex, Thermite, and Topographic Maps

This is where the hideout starts to demand real commitment.

Bulbex:

• Required for upgrading Generator and Solar Power.
• One of the rarer tech items.
• Try Technical Supply Crates and duffle bags in high-tech spawns.

Thermite:

• Got stuck here last wipe hard.
• Guaranteed drop from Broadcast Part 1 (Mechanic),  do it even if you hate Lighthouse.
• Use Workbench Level 2 for crafting, though the input costs can sting.

Topographic Maps:

• Required for Intelligence Center Level 1.
• RNG loot only unless you do Abandoned Cargo (Therapist).
• To unlock that, finish Seaside Vacation first. You’ll need the Company Director’s Room Key (Customs) — which has only 10 uses.

Pro Tip: Don’t burn through quest keys without checking spawn consistency. It’s easy to lock yourself out.

3. Wires, Bulbs, and Syringes

It’s crazy how often you’ll hit a wall on these simple items.

Bulbs:

• Needed for Illumination and breaking down the Gym wall.
• Best found in filing cabinets and tech stores.
• Farming Part 1 rewards one extra.

Wires:

• Needed in bulk across multiple modules.
• Best crafted by breaking down power cords found in PCs.
• Minor quest rewards like Gunsmith Parts 2 and 7 help, but barely.

Syringes:

• Needed for Medstation Level 1 and a few crafts.
• Rare, frustrating to loot.
• Painkiller (Therapist) rewards one if you turn in Morphine first.
• Otherwise, check Medbags, Medcases, and medical crates.

Tip: Always mark Med loot locations on maps. Syringes often become the early bottleneck.

Also Read: Is The Hideout Worth Upgrading in Tarkov? 

4. Drills and Electric Motors

Drills were my biggest choke point in my second wipe. You need them for everything, like Solar Power, Workbench, Generator upgrades, which are annoyingly rare.

Finding Drills:

• Gunsmith Part 7 and Part 16 give one each.
• Filing cabinets on Interchange sometimes drop them.
• Spam Techlight, Rasmussen, and Ollie in Interchange.

Electric Motors:

These are directly tied to drills since crafting motors requires one.

• Can be crafted at Workbench Level 2 (if you do have a drill).
• Key quests like Gunsmith Part 4, Passion for Ergonomics, and Secrets of Poly provide electric motors.

If you don’t have Arena for alternate trades, your best bet is to just stick to high-tech spawns and pray.

5. Flash Drives & Graphics Cards

Ah yes, the infamous USB sticks and GPUs. Nothing quite screams Tarkov like needing 5 flash drives and finding none for a week.

Flash Drives:

• Required for Intelligence Center and quests.
• Holiday Beyond the Means gives three find-in-raid flash drives and two GPUs if done during events.
• A New Day, New Paths from Peacekeeper gives one.
• Otherwise: Spam PCs, especially on Streets and Interchange.

Graphics Cards:

• Required for Bitcoin Farm and Skier quests.
• Chemistry Closet is the only consistent quest reward, but you’ll need the Blue Tape Key.
• Tech stores in Interchange and marked rooms are your best bet.

Friendly Reminder: Always check folders and PCs in Labs, Reserve, and even Ground Zero. Hidden gems everywhere.

6. Dry Fuel

This item deserves a section of its own because there’s literally no quest or crafting method to get it. It’s pure RNG.

Dry Fuel Spawn Tips:

• Interchange tech stores and tool areas (especially back of OLI).
• Technical supply crates on maps like Lighthouse or Woods.
• Loose loot near generators or in bunkers.

Why is this one item so important? Because it’s needed for Generator upgrades and gates Ragman’s hideout progression through the OLI Logistics Key. You’ll have to choose: upgrade or quest.

My Strategy: Always bring a big backpack when hitting tech stores. I found one dry fuel in the OLI back room, and it felt like winning the Tarkov lottery.

7. Misc Quest-Based Workarounds

Sometimes, you can sidestep painful loot grinds with smart questing.

Quests Not Requiring Keys:

• Bad Rep Evidence – Normally needs Portable Bunkhouse Key, but you can now sneak in through the window.
• Farming Part 2 – Gives electric motors and helps progress other crafts.
• Farist – Can be completed without the 114 Key thanks to terrain changes. Use freelook and angle it right through the curtain.

Tip: Always read patch notes. Terrain changes and loot shifts can quietly make once-impossible tasks viable.

Conclusion

Upgrading your hideout in Tarkov is part challenge, part grind, and part luck. Something I’ve come to appreciate (and sometimes hate) across multiple wipes. From crafting toolsets and hoarding wires to chasing down dry fuel like it’s gold, there are tricks to smooth out the process if you know where to look. 

I hope these firsthand EFT Hideout Upgrade strategies help save you some sanity and get you leveling that Bitcoin farm in no time. If you want to find these items and every valuable loot in raids, our Tarkov ESP tool is what you need.