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How to Increase Inventory Space in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) – Maximize Your Carrying Capacity
In Old School RuneScape (OSRS), inventory space is a precious resource. With only 28 slots available by default, players often find themselves juggling items, making frequent bank trips, or leaving loot behind. Whether you’re gathering resources, training skills, or tackling quests, running out of space can slow you down. Fortunately, while you can’t directly increase the base 28-slot inventory, OSRS offers clever workarounds to effectively expand your carrying capacity. In this guide, we’ll explore practical methods to increase inventory space in OSRS, optimize your gameplay, and make every trip more efficient.
The inventory system in OSRS is a core mechanic that shapes the game’s economy and pacing. Limited to 28 slots, it forces players to strategize what they carry and when to bank. Stackable items like coins, runes, and arrows take up just one slot regardless of quantity, but most items—like logs, ores, or fish—occupy individual spaces. This limitation ensures gathering and crafting remain time-intensive, balancing the in-game economy. However, there are ways to work around it without breaking the game’s rules.
Why Inventory Space Matters
A cramped inventory impacts your efficiency. For example, filling up on rune essence while Runecrafting or fish while training Fishing means more trips to the bank, cutting into your experience rates or profits. Increasing your effective inventory space lets you stay in the action longer, making it a game-changer for skillers, questers, and PvM enthusiasts alike.
The Base Inventory: What You Start With
Every player begins with a 28-slot backpack inventory, and unlike some modern MMOs, OSRS doesn’t offer a direct upgrade to this limit. Instead, the game provides tools, familiars, and mechanics to extend how much you can carry indirectly. Let’s dive into these solutions.
Using Beasts of Burden to Boost Inventory Space
One of the most effective ways to increase inventory space in OSRS is through Beasts of Burden (BoB), familiars unlocked via the Summoning skill. These creatures act as mobile storage, carrying additional items for you while you explore Gielinor.
How Beasts of Burden Work
Summoning a BoB requires a specific pouch, summoning points, and a trained Summoning level. Once active, the familiar follows you and holds a set number of items, ranging from 1 to 30 extra slots depending on the creature. To access these items, you need free inventory slots to withdraw them, but some BoBs offer additional perks like banking items remotely.
Top Beasts of Burden for Inventory Space
Here’s a rundown of the best BoBs for increasing your carrying capacity:
- Spirit Terrorbird (Level 52 Summoning): Holds 12 items. A mid-tier option great for general skilling.
- War Tortoise (Level 67 Summoning): Carries 18 items. Perfect for longer trips or PvM.
- Pack Yak (Level 96 Summoning): Stores 30 items and can send items to your bank with Winter Storage scrolls. The ultimate inventory extender.
- Bull Ant (Level 40 Summoning): Holds 9 items. A solid early-game choice.
The Pack Yak stands out as the gold standard, but it requires significant Summoning investment. Start with lower-tier options and work your way up as you level.
Practical Applications of BoBs
Use a Spirit Terrorbird for Woodcutting to hold extra logs, or bring a Pack Yak to a boss fight to store loot and supplies. The ability to bank items with the Yak’s special move also saves trips, making it invaluable for high-level content like the Chambers of Xeric.
Leveraging Specialized Storage Items
Beyond familiars, OSRS offers items designed to consolidate specific resources, freeing up inventory slots. These tools are skill-specific and often require unlocking through quests, achievements, or training.
Key Storage Items to Unlock
Here’s a list of must-have items that effectively increase your inventory space:
- Ore Box: Stores up to 100-140 ores (depending on tier) of various types. Unlocked via Mining training and Family Crest quest rewards.
- Tackle Box: Holds fishing supplies and up to 1,000 fish (noted). Earned through Fishing Trawler and Angler’s Outfit completion.
- Herb Sack: Stores 30 of each grimy herb type (up to 420 total). Purchased with Slayer points after 750 points.
- Gem Bag: Holds 100 uncut gems. Bought for 100 Dungeoneering tokens or upgraded via Motherlode Mine.
- Rune Pouch: Stores 16,000 of three rune types. Obtained from Slayer or PvP rewards.
How to Get These Items
Most require some grind—Slayer points for the Herb Sack, Mining levels for Ore Boxes, or Fishing Trawler runs for the Tackle Box. Plan your training around unlocking these early to maximize efficiency.
When to Use Specialized Storage
Take an Ore Box to the Mining Guild to hoard ores without banking every 28 slots, or use a Herb Sack while farming herbs at Trollheim. These items shine when you’re focused on one skill, letting you stack resources without cluttering your inventory.
Optimizing with Noted Items and Bank Access
Another way to “increase” inventory space is by converting items into noted form or minimizing bank trips. Noted items stack in one slot, and strategic banking keeps your inventory free for action.
Achievement Diary Rewards for Noted Drops
Completing certain Achievement Diaries turns specific drops into notes, saving space:
- Fremennik Elite Diary: Dagannoth Kings drop noted bones.
- Wilderness Elite Diary: Noted dragon bones from Wilderness dragons.
- Karamja Hard Diary: Noted red spider eggs from Tower of Life.
These perks are niche but hugely beneficial for PvM or specific grinds.
Magic Notepaper and Remote Banking
Magic Notepaper turns unstackable items into notes instantly, costing about 500-600 gp each on the Grand Exchange. Pair it with a Pack Yak’s Winter Storage for remote banking, or use the Sign of the Porter (from Divination) to auto-bank resources like logs or fish as you gather them.
Bank Deposit Boxes and Alternatives
When you can’t reach a bank, deposit boxes (found in key locations like Port Sarim or the Crafting Guild) let you offload items quickly. For remote banking, the Bank Chest at the Blast Furnace or Invention Guild Deposit Box can be clutch during skilling runs.
Strategic Inventory Management Tips
Sometimes, increasing inventory space is less about tools and more about smart planning. These strategies help you make the most of your 28 slots without extra gear.
Prioritize High-Value or Stackable Items
Drop low-value items like feathers or bones mid-run to keep slots open for stackable loot (e.g., coins) or high-value drops (e.g., clue scrolls). For example, while fishing lobsters, ditch the bait once your inventory fills to squeeze in more catches.
Use Drop Trading for Extended Gathering
Drop items on the ground, move to a new spot, and pick them up later. This old-school trick works for skills like Woodcutting or Mining when banks are far. Just watch out for the 60-second despawn timer in busy areas!
Plan Routes Near Banks
Train near bank-accessible spots like the Fishing Guild or Motherlode Mine. Proximity cuts travel time, letting you offload and return faster, effectively mimicking a larger inventory.
Comparing Inventory Expansion Methods
To help you choose the best approach, here’s a table comparing the main methods:
| Method | Extra Slots | Requirements | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pack Yak | 30 | 96 Summoning | PvM, Long Skilling Trips |
| Ore Box | 100-140 (ores) | Mining Levels, Family Crest | Mining |
| Herb Sack | 420 (herbs) | 750 Slayer Points | Herb Runs, Slayer |
| Magic Notepaper | Varies (noted items) | GP Cost | General Use |
| Drop Trading | Unlimited (temporary) | None | Short-Term Gathering |
The Pack Yak is the most versatile but demands high Summoning, while specialized items like the Ore Box are ideal for focused skilling. Drop trading is free but risky in crowded areas.
Increasing inventory space in OSRS isn’t about breaking the 28-slot cap—it’s about mastering the tools and tactics the game provides. From Beasts of Burden to niche storage items and clever management, you can stretch your capacity to fit your playstyle. Start with accessible options like the Spirit Terrorbird or Gem Bag, and work toward elite solutions like the Pack Yak or Elite Diary perks. With these strategies, you’ll spend less time banking and more time enjoying Gielinor. What’s your favorite way to manage inventory in OSRS? Let us know!