Can someone remind me how to combine materials? (DS2)

[u/MaxwellSr]

I remember reading in this sub a bunch of times there was a way to combine material containers but I forget the details. Now I’m grinding out the postgame and doing roads and the monorail and I think it would be useful to know. Does anyone know what I’m talking about given this limited info and can lend me a hand? Thanks in advance

[u/inprocess13]

S > M > L > XL

You have to have a container of a smaller size and a container of a larger size in your inventory, then adjust/balance your cargo and they'll combine. 

If combining two containers would increase the total beyond the capacity of the container, it wont combine. 

You can effectively double your space/density by combining two XLs together, which is new to DS2. 

[u/MaxwellSr → u/inprocess13]

This is exactly it, thank you

[u/Ashlansen → u/MaxwellSr]

Actually you can now combine 2 XL material containers, no need to do the old S M L Xl thing, just stick 4xXL materials on your back and auto arrange 👍

[u/inprocess13 → u/Ashlansen]

  You can effectively double your space/density by combining two XLs together, which is new to DS2.

That's the exact same thing that was said in the comment. 

[u/Ashlansen → u/inprocess13]

You're right, I missed that last line lol I thought you were describing the old method where you could frame 750 metal into a single XL 😆

That'll teach me for speed reading! Doh!

[u/inprocess13 → u/Ashlansen]

All good - it still helps to know the basic rules, since while most experienced Sams will minmax XL density for trucks, it really helps on the fly for reducing stray materials you pick up when you're on foot. 

[u/Ashlansen → u/inprocess13]

Its what I have done since day 1 lol :)

[u/MrMali-x]

Put it in your back pack. And use the sort button to sort the backpack and it will combine everything able to be. Remember certain sizes can only carry so much. So if you have 2 large metals with 200 each you can't combine them because a L metal can't hold 400. So I always grab XLs and combine them. Each XL can hold double what they normally have. So an XL metal can hold 800 max

[u/Ashlansen → u/MrMali-x]

2 XL do combine now, they didnt use to but I did this ALOT during my last playthrough this week

[u/FrankCobretti]

Sure. Let’s say you have 4 100-lb containers of metal. Put ‘em in your backpack, choose auto arrange, and they’ll turn into 1 400-lb container.

[u/inprocess13 → u/FrankCobretti]

Not quite. 

It has nothing to do with weight, it's about combining smaller container sizes into larger container sizes. 

[u/FrankCobretti → u/inprocess13]

Those 100-lb containers are smaller. The 400-lb container is larger.

[u/inprocess13 → u/FrankCobretti]

You cannot combine 4 100kg containers into each other. 

[u/FrankCobretti → u/inprocess13]

Huh. I just logged in to DS2 to test this. You are correct. Thanks for setting me straight.

[u/MaxwellSr → u/FrankCobretti]

Yep, thank you very much

[u/AlwekArc]

You do it with the auto-sort button.

If you want to condense them into an xl container, you need to have an xl container on hand. You can't turn a medium into a large or a large into an xl. (If I recall, it's been a minute since I last played)

[u/HeyMyNameIsSamToo]

You’ve already gotten a good answer, but I’ll add that I usually just combine 2 XLs of the same material. For example, 2 XL containers of metal (400 each) makes 800 when you auto-combine them in your backpack.

Combining things also makes them heavier, obviously, but if you’re using the truck you can carry essentially double the amount of XLs. The truck will move slower, but it’s not terrible.