OctoPack
guide.

THE SHORT CHECKLIST

Before you start

• Valheim with BepInEx already installed.
• The same OctoPack core version on participating clients and the dedicated server.
• A level 1 workbench and the starter materials to craft your first backpack.

These instructions describe the documented defaults. Check your installed release notes and server rules if a recipe, key, or setting differs.

1. Install the core mod

1. Close Valheim before changing plugin files.
2. Install the published OctoPack package with a compatible mod manager, or extract the manual download and copy its plugins folder into your existing BepInEx folder.
3. For a manual installation, confirm the resulting file is BepInEx/plugins/OctoPack/OctoPack.dll.
4. Keep one copy of the DLL. Remove the legacy Octodad.Backpack plugin before using OctoPack.
5. Launch Valheim once to generate BepInEx/config/OctoPack.cfg.

When updating, replace the plugin while retaining your configuration. A dedicated server uses the same core DLL as clients; there is no separate server build. Check the selected release’s requirements before combining it with companion mods.

2. Craft and equip your first pack

At a level 1 workbench, craft the Traveller backpack using:

• 10 Deer Hide
• 10 Leather Scraps
• 4 Bone Fragments
• 2 Resin

Open your inventory and equip it in OctoPack’s dedicated backpack slot. It is separate from normal armor. The Traveller begins with four backpack slots and a +100 carrying-capacity bonus when inventory benefits are enabled.

Move supplies into the backpack inventory. Cargo belongs to that pack and keeps its positions when you unequip or drop it. The backpack panel follows the bottom of your player inventory until you move it yourself.

3. Upgrade through the bosses

Each upgrade requires the preceding pack, your character’s personal defeat of the next boss, and one of that boss’s main drops. Keep the preceding pack equipped or in your inventory, then craft its next version at the workbench. The upgrade changes that pack in place, preserving its cargo.

Use the in-game recipe for the required drop: OctoPack reads the loaded boss’s main drop, so another mod can affect that ingredient. Personal progression and the correct preceding pack matter; a world’s boss flag alone does not replace those requirements.

4. Learn the useful controls

These are the documented bindings. Existing configs can override them.

Key binding consumes one Swamp Key and grants that character permanent Sunken Crypt access. A hanging key becomes a cosmetic reminder; hiding that decoration does not remove access.

5. Drop, display, and recover your pack

Press Shift + R outside menus to drop the worn pack. Its contents remain with it, and picking it up equips it directly. At an armor stand, use Shift + Use to hang or remove the pack while keeping its stored cargo.

OctoPack includes grave recovery for the pack and supported equipped accessories. After a death, recover your equipment through the normal grave interaction. Keep client and server versions aligned when using portable packs, because the core handles their persistence and collision behavior.

Lantern and Camping Kit extend the travelling loadout, but neither is included in the core download. Install only the add-ons whose features you want.

6. Adjust your setup

Settings live in BepInEx/config/OctoPack.cfg. Back up the file before editing. It contains controls, inventory-panel placement, cosmetic display, backpack motion, cape visibility, and other appearance options. Inventory benefits have their own gameplay setting.

To restore automatic panel placement after dragging it, set BackpackPanelMoved = false. For the equipment slot, set PackSlotMoved = false. These are independent settings.

The F6 reload shortcut requires EnableConfigReload to be enabled; some supplied profiles leave it off. Restart after changing that switch. Otherwise, close the game, edit the file, and relaunch. Newer builds use fixed weapon mounts and remove the old F7 mount editor, so follow the notes for your installed release.

7. Solve common setup problems

8. Updating and getting help

Retain your config when replacing the DLL and read the release notes for migrations. Avoid mixing duplicate plugin copies left in different folders. If multiplayer behavior differs between players, compare OctoPack and add-on versions on each client and the server.

For a useful bug report, include the mod versions, whether you are hosting or joining, the steps that reproduce the problem, and the relevant section of BepInEx/LogOutput.log. Share reports through the studio’s Discord link below, and remove passwords or other private information before posting a log.

KEEP THESE HANDY

Project reference & help

Use the author’s project notes for current release requirements and changes. If you need help, include the installed version, what you tried, and the relevant log excerpt.

• OctoPack project documentation ↗
• OctoPack releases and change notes ↗
• Studio Bascinet Discord ↗

Review logs before sharing. Do not include server passwords, admin access keys, or other private information.