How to Find Outbound Red Ore Location & Craft Hardened Metal

Farming Red Ore in Outbound is where most players struggle. You can use it to build Hardened Metal, which is essential for various upgrades, such as an engine cooler for your van and some useful tools. You can find the Outbound Red Ore in the Canyons. Keep reading to learn exactly where to find this vital resource and use it for upgrades, so you can keep your road trip moving.
What You’ll Read:
Where to Find Red Ore Outbound
Here is the Outbound Red Ore location:
Head straight for the northeast-most corner of the Canyons map. Leave your van behind and reach the outer borders right up against the massive cliff walls.
You should find unique rock formations here. Look for flat-topped rocks flashing a bright silver and red color. Once you spot them, pull out your pickaxe and collect them. (Check the Outbound red ore map below)
Farming Yields and Respawn Timer
Every node drops exactly three pieces of Red Ore. These rocks have a fixed timer and respawn in those exact locations after 24 in-game hours. The best way to farm is simple:
Mine the entire cliff edge, sleep in your van and farm the rocks again the next day.

Another incredibly important resource you will need is Thread. Read our Outbound Thread: Crafting & Location Guide to learn all about it.
How to Smelt Outbound Red Ore into Hardened Metal
Got your bags full of Red Ore? Good. Now, head straight back to your van. Raw ore is completely useless on its own. You need to process it using the Metal Smelter. Open up the machine’s interface and throw your stack of ore inside.
Click the power switch located right between the two lower grid squares. Once that progress arrow becomes full, you can collect your fresh Hardened Metal from the finished slot.

Essential Hardened Metal Upgrades
Do not stop after crafting just a couple of bars. Trust me. You need a massive amount of this resource to survive the Canyons. Almost every major objective requires it. Here are some of the most important Hardened Metal upgrades you should add to your to-do list:
Tool Upgrades (Wrench II & Sickle III)
You have to build the Sickle III to harvest high-tier plants blocking your path. The Wrench II is also mandatory. You need it to interact with the advanced, broken machinery scattered around the biome.

Van Engine Cooling Upgrade
Navigating these steep Canyons roads will constantly overheat your engine. You can permanently fix this with the Engine Cooling Upgrade, which costs exactly five Outbound Hardened Metal.
You also need to fix the ferry motor at the dry dock to advance the story. This repair takes two Hardened Metals and your new Wrench II. So farm a massive batch of ore right now to avoid the tedious work later.
That’s everything you should know about Outbound game Red Ore. Now start farming and getting those upgrades. Do you still have more questions about Red Ore? Ask them in the comments below and I’ll find out the answer for you. ,
FAQ
Can you find Red Ore in the starting zones?
No. You cannot find this material in the starting zones or along the coast. You have to drive into the northeast section of the Canyons map.
How much Red Ore does one node drop?
You receive exactly three pieces of Red Ore for every node you successfully mine.
Why is my van engine overheating?
The steep Canyons roads put too much stress on your vehicle. You have to install the Engine Cooling Upgrade to prevent it from overheating.



