Why ancient luggage is worth a detour
Ancient luggage is the only box that guarantees a mystical item: PEAK’s rule-bending tools, from revives and cure-alls to cursed objects. Picking one up also counts for the Esoterica badge (“obtain a mystical item”).
The price is the 20 Injury the box deals when it opens. Injury does not wear off by itself: it takes up a fifth of your stamina bar until you heal it with a bandage, a First Aid Kit, healing food or by lighting a campfire.
What can be inside
In co-op, the pool includes the Scout Effigy, Cure-All, Book of Bones, Bugle of Friendship, Faerie Lantern, Pandora’s Lunchbox, the Anti-Rope items and Anti-Zooka, plus riskier picks such as the Cursed Skull and Ritual Dagger. Solo runs use a smaller pool without the Scout Effigy, Cursed Skull, Ritual Dagger and Bugle of Friendship.
The item is rolled when the box is opened, so two groups at the same box can walk away with different things. The Ancient Idol never comes from ancient luggage; it only exists in the Tomb.
How many there are and where
In the current 208-island pool, ancient luggage averages about 5.5 per island. Some islands have none, and the busiest day has 11. Region three holds the most:
| Region | Average on days that region appears |
|---|---|
| Mesa | 2.5 |
| Roots | 1.8 |
| Tropics | 1.2 |
| Alpine | 1.1 |
| Gloom | 1.0 |
| Caldera | 0.8 |
| Shore | 0.7 |
| The Citadel | 0.7 |
| The Kiln | 0.5 |
So a Roots and Mesa day usually gives you the most chances, and the final tower averages under one. Compare the other box types in the luggage types guide.
Planning around today’s map
- Read the region headers in the table. They show whether today’s ancient luggage comes early or late in the climb.
- Open the early ones early. A box on the Shore or in region two can be opened at full health, long before the hard climbing starts.
- Pair each box with healing. A box near a campfire is ideal: open it, light the fire, and the Injury is gone.
- Open the location in the 3D map and rotate the camera to check its height and approach. Open 3D map
Practical tips
- Let the healthiest player open it. The Injury lands on whoever opens the box, but the item can be handed to anyone.
- Value the Scout Effigy on high Ascents. It revives one scout with no Curse, which makes it the best revive on Ascent 7. See how to revive and the Ascents guide.
- Do not test the Scout Effigy. It is used up even if nobody is dead.
Common mistakes
- Opening it at low health or mid-climb. Open it on solid ground, not on a ledge with no stamina left.
- Mixing it up with explorer’s luggage. Ancient luggage is dark, chained and has a heart-shaped gem; the orange briefcase is explorer’s luggage.
- Waiting for a better box later. The final tower has the fewest ancient luggage. If you want a mystical item, take the ones in regions one to three.
Quick answers
Does every island have ancient luggage?
No. The average is about 5.5, some islands have none, and the busiest day has 11.
Can I get the Ancient Idol from ancient luggage?
No. The Idol is only found in the Mesa Tomb, which is open on 42 of the 103 Mesa days in the current pool.
Will we get the same item if we retry?
No. The box stays in the same place until the next reset, but its contents are rolled again every time.
