How to quick swap in Sons of the Forest

Whether you want to quickly equip your axe during an unexpected ambush or conveniently swap between tools while building, understanding how to quick swap is a crucial mechanic in Sons of the Forest. For those unfamiliar, quick swap refers to having specific items ready on hand for any given moment, similar to a hotbar in an RPG. Like its predecessor, Sons of the Forest is quite realistic in its approach to survival gameplay and favors using physical objects as its “HUD” for the player. Accordingly, those new to the Forest series might need guidance regarding how quick swap works in this new sequel.

Related: How to find a Shovel in Sons of the Forest

How to quick select in Sons of the Forest

The ability to quick swap your items is available from the very start of your journey in Sons of the Forest, right after your helicopter crashes into the ocean. Like most games, the I key is used to open your inventory in a very literal manner. More specifically, pressing I will have your character in Sons of the Forest open their belongings and lay out every item you are holding on the ground before you. If you look at the top of the screen, you will notice two boxes and a backpack. The backpack is the key to performing a quick swap in Sons of the Forest.

Quick swapping items in Sons of the Forest

First, move your cursor over the back backpack in the upper-right of the inventory screen in Sons of the Forest. Right-click to place the bag at the center of your inventory layout. Next, look around for items, tools, or objects that are not covered with gray lines. The lines indicate that those items cannot be quick swapped. In our case, we added our axe, grenades, and flares to the backpack, after which we pressed Esc to return to the first-person view. Finally, to quick swap in Sons of the Forest, hold the I key to hold out your backpack, allowing you to quickly grab whichever item you need straightaway. If you do not like using the I key for this action, you can change it in the Setting’s Controls.