The Jacket is a partial torso covering, its earliest mentions in the game dating back to May 2015. Originally called the Vagabond Jacket, it is the preferred alternative to the Metal Chest Plate for improving cold protection for players that base in the arctic biome. It’s commonly used in the best RUST armor combinations.
The jacket operates much like the Hide Poncho, Wood Chestplate, Road Sign Jacket, or metal chest plate. While not as defensively stacked as the metal chest plate in this slot, that defensiveness turns to weakness when the sun goes down in the snow.
They are particularly useful for keeping players alive through cold nights. Projectile protection is slightly lower, but cold resistance amounts to an 18% difference. It also boasts a radiation protection bonus that metal pieces alone lack.
Players can find jackets in mid to high-tier loot crates and boxes and are dropped from multiple scientist NPCs. Players can research it at a Research Table or through scrap investment at a tier 1 workbench.
The jacket may be recycled for a marginal amount of Cloth and a Sewing Kit and is a prominent item popular to be skinned.
