You're crouched behind a rusted shipping crate, heart thumping against your ribs like a trapped bird. Your legs are blacked out. You've got a heavy bleed that’s painting the concrete red. In your backpack? A GPU, two Intels, and a physical Bitcoin you found in a jacket. You need a custom map tarkov extraction right now, or this twenty-minute adrenaline rush becomes a very expensive lesson in failure.
Customs is the gateway drug of Escape from Tarkov. It’s where the "Pocket Watch" quest sends every wide-eyed Timmy to die, and where level 60 Chads go to farm Reshala or hunt PMCs at Dorms. But knowing where the extracts are isn't the same as actually being able to use them. Honestly, the map is a bottleneck nightmare.
Most people think they know Customs because they’ve seen a JPEG on a second monitor. That’s a mistake. Understanding how the flow of the map dictates which custom map tarkov extraction is actually viable at any given second is the difference between a successful raid and a "Head, Eyes" screen from a scav you never saw.
The Reality of Getting Out of Customs
Tarkov doesn't care about your feelings. On Customs, the map is basically split into two halves by the river. If you spawn on the Big Red side (West), your extracts are on the ZB-side (East). If you spawn by the Boilers/Checkpoints, you're heading toward Crossroads. It sounds simple. It’s not.
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The problem is the "choke points." To get from one side to the other, you have to funnel through specific zones: the bridges, the gas station, or the wooded area behind the dorms. These are meat grinders.
The Reliable Classics: Crossroads and Trailer Park
If you spawned on the East side, these are your primary outs. They are always open. They are also terrifyingly open to sniper fire.
Crossroads is located at the far northwest corner. It’s a messy intersection of concrete walls and abandoned vehicles. You’ve got to stand in the middle of a literal road. If someone is camping the "Unknown Dead Body" or sitting on the roof of Big Red with a Vudu scope, you're a sitting duck.
Then there’s Trailer Park. It’s tucked away in the trees behind the parking lot. It feels safer because of the foliage, but don't get cocky. Many players wait near the bushes to catch people sprinting for the extract in the final three minutes of the raid. It happens more than you'd think. You're never safe until the screen goes black.
The ZB-Series: Getting Lucky with Green Smoke
If you’re heading East, you’re looking for the bunkers. ZB-1011 is your reliable backup. It’s always open for those who spawn West. It’s deep in the industrial zone, past the silos. It's a basement extract, which means one way in and one way out. If a "rat" is sitting at the bottom of those stairs with a Kedr, well, sucks for you.
ZB-1012 is different. It’s the one in the middle of the woods area, near the repair shop. You can only use it if the searchlight on top of the bunker is on. No light? No extract.
And then we have Old Gas Station. This is the most iconic custom map tarkov extraction because it’s a gamble. You look for the green flares. If that green smoke is billowing, you can run into the basement of the ruined gas station and vanish. But be careful. Reshala and his guards love to hang out here. You might walk in looking for an exit and find four guys in Altyns waiting to turn you into Swiss cheese.
The Pay-to-Win and Special Extracts
Sometimes, you don't want to run across the whole map. Sometimes, you have a little cash or a specific item. This is where the nuanced extracts come into play.
- Dorms V-Ex (The Car): This is located behind the three-story dorms building. It costs 5,000 Roubles (usually). You pay the driver, wait 60 seconds, and you're gone. It’s a godsend if you just finished a heavy firefight in Dorms and can’t move. But here’s the kicker: once it’s gone, it’s gone. And anyone on the map can see when the timer starts if they check their extracts. It’s basically a dinner bell for every sniper in a 200-meter radius.
- RUAF Roadblock: This one used to be buggy as hell years ago, but now it’s a staple. It’s on the riverbank. If the searchlight is on, it’s active. It provides a huge tactical advantage because it saves you from having to cross the bridge or the "land bridge" pipes where people love to snipe.
- Smuggler’s Boat: Look for the campfire by the river. If the fire is lit, the boat is there. It’s a tiny, exposed spot. You’re crouching by a wooden boat while anyone on the main bridge can potentially pop your head. It’s fast, though.
The Scav Factor
If you’re playing as a Scav, your custom map tarkov extraction options are way more generous. You get spots like Administration Gate, Factory Far Corner, and Railroad to Port.
Scavving on Customs is actually one of the best ways to learn the extraction points without the risk of losing a million-rouble kit. You can wander around, see which gates are open, and get a feel for the "look" of the extracts. Administration Gate, for instance, is just a nondescript door in a wall near the silos. Without the prompt, you'd never know it was an exit.
Tactical Advice for the Final Stretch
The biggest mistake players make with a custom map tarkov extraction is the "sprint of relief." You’ve survived the raid. You have the loot. You see the extraction zone. You shift-key toward it.
STOP.
The last 50 meters are the most dangerous. Extract camping is a legitimate (if frustrating) playstyle in Tarkov. People will sit in the bushes near ZB-1011 or on the rafters in the warehouse near the boilers just to take your hard-earned gear.
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Always approach an extract with your gun up. Clear the corners. If you’re at Old Gas, check behind the blue fence. If you’re at RUAF, look at the bushes across the road.
Knowing the Hidden Requirements
Some extracts aren't just "walk here and wait."
ZB-013 is the big one. It’s in the basement of the "Stronghold" or "Fort" (that big unfinished concrete building in the center of the map). To use it, someone has to turn on the power in the warehouse near the ZB-1011 area. And you need a Factory Emergency Exit Key. It’s a lot of work, but it’s often the safest way out because nobody expects it. Plus, the basement has a massive extract area, making it hard to grenade you out.
Managing Your Weight and Stamina
As of the current patch, weight matters more than ever. If you're "chunky" (overweight), your stamina regenerates slowly and you make a ton of noise.
If you are trying to reach a custom map tarkov extraction while heavy, don't just run until your bar is empty. If you run out of stamina in the middle of the road near the bridge, you're dead. Move from cover to cover. Sprint to a bush, crouch, let your stamina recover fully, then move to the next piece of cover.
It takes longer. It’s boring. But it’s how you actually extract.
Practical Steps for Your Next Customs Raid
Don't just head into a raid and hope for the best. Survival in Tarkov is about preparation.
- Bring a Map: If you don't have the map memorized, use a third-party map on a second screen or your phone. Use one that shows the "green smoke" and "searchlight" indicators so you know what to look for.
- Always Carry 5,000 Roubles: Keep it in your Secure Container (Alpha/Gamma/Epsilon). This ensures that if you're near Dorms and the car is there, you have a fast way out. It’s the best investment you can make.
- Check Your Extracts Immediately: As soon as you spawn, double-tap 'O'. Know your primary and secondary options. Have a Plan A and a Plan B. If Plan A involves crossing the construction site and you hear a war breaking out there, pivot to Plan B.
- Listen for the Power: On Customs, the power switch for ZB-013 makes a distinct sound. If you hear it, and you have the key, that's your golden ticket.
- Clear the Extract: Never just run in. Throw a flashbang if you're suspicious. Use your lean keys (Q and E) to peek the corners of the bunkers.
The custom map tarkov extraction system is designed to create tension. It forces players into the same small areas, ensuring that even a "quiet" raid can turn deadly in the final seconds. Treat every extraction point like a combat zone, because until that timer hits zero and your screen fades, it is.
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Stay frosty. Check your corners. And for heaven's sake, don't forget your surgery kit. You aren't walking to Crossroads on two broken legs without some painkillers and a lot of luck.