I play Baldur’s Gate 3 a lot and I still rearrange my inventory mid-campaign. Honestly, inventory is its own mini-game — you can’t carry everything, and throwing out the “junk” can bite you later. I’ll tell you what I keep, why I keep it, and when you can safely sell. In my experience, a few small choices save hours of backtracking.
🎒 Camp supplies and food — don’t sell them all
Sell too much food early and you’ll pay for every long rest. I learned this the hard way during Act 1 after the August 3, 2023 release: camps require supplies, and running out forces you to spend gold to rest. Keep 80–120 supply value on hand. Why? Because resting without supplies costs 80 gold per long rest (that adds up fast if you’re grinding).
| Item | Supply | Weight | Keep? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supply Pack | 40 | 10 | Yes — always |
| Cheese Wheel | 10 | 1 | Yes |
| Bread | 5 | 0.5 | Yes |
| Apple | 3 | 0.5 | Sell if over 150 supplies |
💎 Gems: not always vendor trash
Most players sell gems right away. I’ve noticed that some gems unlock dialogue or trade options with certain NPCs, and a few are used in crafting or quest checks (this depends on your save and companions). Keep a small variety — Bloodstone, Onyx, Jade, Ruby and Sapphire are worth holding until you confirm they’re useless for your run. Watch this: one gem can change a conversation and a quest outcome.
Controversial opinion: sometimes selling gems for quick gold is the smarter move — you won’t use every gem.
📜 Books & letters — keep the weird ones
Books often contain puzzle clues, passwords, or journal updates that the game references later. I always keep notes that mention phrases or numbers. Why? Because the game reuses text in later acts (depends on dialogue choices). That “three bells at midnight” scribble? It may matter. Read carefully before you sell.
“If you toss a note without checking location-linked text, you’ll probably regret it.” — personal rule, 2025
🔧 Crafting parts — rare materials matter
Don’t assume all ore is common. Some items are rare or tied to companion quests. For example, items labeled Infernal Iron or Mithral are scarce and often used in upgrades. I won’t claim every named item is needed — there are exceptions — but if an item has a weird name, hang on to it. Store it in the camp chest if you’re unsure.
- Metals to keep: Infernal Iron, Mithral Ore, Silver Ingots
- Organics to keep: Sussur Bark, Spider Silk, rare mushrooms
⚔️ Early weapons that age well
That rusty sword? Sometimes a base weapon becomes upgradeable through quests. Keep uniquely named or oddly weighted weapons. Silver and cold iron are specifically useful against certain enemy types (vampires, shapeshifters, fey). Why? Because material tags trigger damage bonuses in scripted fights. Yes, it’s niche — but when you need it, it matters.
🗝️ Keys and mysterious junk
Keys often open things far from where you found them — and sometimes in later acts. Store ambiguous keys in the camp chest instead of selling. The “Mysterious Artifact” might be worthless in one run but essential in another (depends on your choices and companions).
Quick storage tip (code):
{
"camp_chest": ["rusty key", "ornate key", "mysterious artifact"]
}Practical rules I follow (short list)
- Keep 80–120 camp supplies.
- Save uniquely named items and oddly heavy trinkets.
- Store keys and uncertain items in camp; sell duplicates.
- Read notes in potential quest locations before selling.
Here’s the funny part: sometimes I hoard way too much, but that’s better than missing a quest. Surprisingly, you’ll rarely lose anything critical if you use the camp chest. Between us — I still regret selling one item early on. Yep, I did that.
One counterintuitive insight
Keeping a few low-value food items (apples, bottles) often prevents expensive rest costs more than selling them for gold will ever repay. Sounds small, but it compounds across 30–40 hours of play.
Final caveat: patches after 2025 may change where items are used. If a developer update reassigns an item, that could alter its importance. Check patch notes when you’ve doubts. To be fair, that’s true for most RPGs!
Good luck out there. Want my save’s camp chest list? Ask and I’ll share (I won’t judge your hoarding tendencies!).
