You've probably been there. You’re riding through the Heartlands, your saddlebags are heavy with gold bars and jewelry bags, and you’re wondering if Dutch really needs another ornate rug for his tent while you’re still sleeping on a moth-eaten bedroll. It feels like a scam. It's easy to look at the camp upgrades rdr2 list in Pearson’s ledger and think, "I'll just keep my money." But honestly? That’s a mistake that makes the game way harder than it needs to be.
Red Dead Redemption 2 isn't just a cowboy simulator; it’s a management game disguised as an epic western. If you ignore the camp, you’re basically playing on hard mode for no reason.
The Ledger is your bible here. You unlock it after doing a few chores for Strauss—specifically the "Money Lending and Other Sins" mission. Once that book is open, the game changes. You stop being a lone wolf and start being the backbone of a community. Or, at the very least, you get a fast travel map so you don't have to ride from Saint Denis to Valentine for the hundredth time.
📖 Related: Solving Crossword Master Puzzle 6 Without Losing Your Mind
The Absolute Essentials: What to Buy First
Don't just spend randomly. Some of these upgrades are fluff. Others are literal life-savers.
The most important thing on any camp upgrades rdr2 list is the Lodging section. Specifically, you want "First Things First." This upgrades Dutch’s tent. It sounds like a waste of money—and Dutch is definitely a narcissist for demanding it—but it's the gatekeeper. You can’t get the good stuff until Dutch is happy. Once his tent is fancy, you unlock the "Next in Line" upgrade for Arthur’s wagon.
Buy this immediately.
Why? Because it unlocks the Fast Travel map. In a world as massive as this, being able to jump from your bedside to Strawberry or Annesburg is a godsend. It saves real-world hours.
Next up: the Leather Working Tools. You’ll find these under Pearson’s section. They cost $225. It seems steep early on, but without them, Pearson can't craft the satchels. If you aren't upgrading your satchels, you're constantly leaving loot behind because your pockets are full. It's frustrating. It's avoidable. Get the tools, hunt some deer, and let Pearson do his thing.
Medical Supplies and Provisions: More Than Just Flavor
Most players ignore the Chicken Coop. It costs $175. That’s a lot of O’Driscoll bounties. But here’s the thing: it adds actual nutrition to the camp stew. Eating that stew boosts your Dead Eye core. If you’re struggling with those massive gunfights in Rhodes or the later chapters, a boosted Dead Eye core is the difference between a clean headshot and a "Game Over" screen.
Then there are the wagons.
- Strauss’s Meds: Upgrading this gives you better tonics. Eventually, you get Snake Oil and Potent Miracles.
- Pearson’s Grub: Higher tiers mean better canned goods and eventually fresh fruit.
- Arthur’s Ammo: This is where it gets interesting.
Upgrading the ammunition wagon isn't just about having more bullets. It’s about the type of bullets. Higher tiers give you Fire Arrows and Explosive Slugs. If you’ve ever tried to take down a legendary bear with standard repeater ammo, you know why this matters. It’s about power.
The Aesthetic Trap: Do You Really Need a Goat Rug?
Pearson has a whole separate menu for "Camp Decorations." This is where the camp upgrades rdr2 list gets a bit divisive. These require specific animal carcasses—perfect pelts, usually.
Does a buck skull on the camp entrance help you shoot better? No. Does a fox rug in your tent increase your health? Not at all.
However, there is a hidden mechanic here: Camp Morale. When the camp looks like a dump, the NPCs are grumpy. They bicker. They don't contribute as much to the tithe box. When you spruce the place up, the vibe shifts. Grimshaw stops yelling at you (mostly). People actually put money in the box, which helps you afford the functional upgrades. It’s a psychological loop. Plus, seeing a massive alligator skin hanging in camp just looks cool. It shows you’re the one doing the heavy lifting while Micah sits around picking his teeth.
The Logistics of the Tithe Box
You’ve got to be smart about how you fund this. Don't just dump all your cash into the box. The game doesn't give you change. If an upgrade costs $60 and you put in a $100 bill, that $40 is just... gone into the general fund.
💡 You might also like: Abiotic Factor: How to Kill Security Bots Without Losing Your Mind
The best way to handle the camp upgrades rdr2 list is to keep your valuables—watches, belt buckles, rings—and only donate them when you’re ready to buy a specific tier. Think of your satchel as a high-interest savings account that Dutch can't touch.
Why Fast Travel Changes the Narrative Flow
Some purists say you shouldn't use fast travel. They say you miss the random encounters. They aren't wrong.
But RDR2 is a long game. A very long game. By Chapter 3, the novelty of riding across the cinematic landscape can wear thin when you just want to turn in a bounty. The fast travel map located at Arthur's wagon is a one-way ticket. You can go from camp to any major town you've discovered. To get back, you still have to ride or take a stagecoach. It’s a balanced system. It respects your time without breaking the immersion of being a man on the run.
Practical Steps for Maximum Efficiency
If you’re starting a new playthrough or you’re stuck in Chapter 2, follow this order. It’s the most efficient way to break the game’s economy and make Arthur an absolute powerhouse:
🔗 Read more: How to Make a Cat in Infinite Craft Without Losing Your Mind
- Complete "Money Lending and Other Sins": You need that Ledger.
- Upgrade Dutch’s Lodging ($220): Do it and get it over with.
- Upgrade Arthur’s Lodging ($325): This unlocks the map. It's the single most important purchase in the game.
- Buy the Leather Working Tools ($225): This allows Pearson to craft the Legend of the East satchel (eventually).
- The Horse Station ($300): If you have multiple horses, this is vital. It lets you retrieve your stabled horses from camp and find your lost horse if you get separated.
- The Chicken Coop ($175): For the Dead Eye boost.
The rest? Get to them when you can. The boat (unlocked in Chapter 3) is nice for fishing, but it’s not going to save your life in a shootout. The camp horse blankets are purely cosmetic.
Focus on the utility first. The gang is falling apart, the Pinkertons are closing in, and Dutch is losing his mind. The least you can do is ensure you have a fast way to get out of town and a decent cup of coffee before the next robbery goes south.
Start by checking your current balance in the Ledger. If you have any gold bars from the Limpany sheriff's office or the Jack Hall Gang treasure maps, donate one. That $500 will cover almost all your essential lodging and tool upgrades in one shot. From there, your priority should be hunting for Pearson's satchel recipes. The "Legend of the East" satchel is the endgame goal—it increases your carrying capacity for almost every item to 99. You can't get there without the camp tools.