Caches and supplies are vital components you should go out of your way to find as you explore the Zone in STALKER 2. Shortly after your first few missions in the Zone, you’ll discover a Journalist flash drive that shares various stash locations you can loot.
These stashes are scattered throughout the Zone, each with varying degrees of useful items you can add to your growing collection. Every item matters when you the need to survive is at stake. If you ever carry too much with you, placing them in your stash at any of the many bases around the Zone is also a good idea. You don’t want to weigh yourself down with these items, and there are lot of Journalist Stash locations to check out in STALKER 2.
Where to find all Journalist Stash locations in STALKER 2
The Journalist stashes are spread around the Zone, but thankfully, the flash drive gives you a direct route to each one as you play STALKER 2. The real trick might be finding it in an area where you’ll need to explore the exterior or interior of the building it’s hidden within. The items inside the stashes typically focus on critical items that you can help in that region. For example, one of the first ones you can find in the Lesser Zone contains a submachine gun known as the Viper Monolith with some ammunition.
Each cache also comes with a flash drive from the Journalist. The Journalist further details what’s been happening to them and more about their investigation regarding the people watching them with each flash drive you find. The more stashes you find, the more items you can bring back to your base, and you’ll receive new pieces to the growing puzzle surrounding this mysterious character.
The flash drives inside the stashes also indicate you discovered the correct one. If you still see the Journalist Stash icon appearing on your map, that means even though you’ve thoroughly scoured an area, it’s still hidden. You’ll want to check the roof, inside buildings, hidden behind objects, or even see if there’s an underground location you haven’t found nearby, such as a cave or a series of tunnels.
You also want to make sure you’re not trying to go after these locations immediately after getting them. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to reach many of these areas until you advance the larger main plot in STALKER 2. The story prevents you from reaching these outside regions until you go deeper into it. You’ll want to take your time with each area, checking out the various quests, hidden caches, and other bases you have available to you. Going into these areas unprepared is ill-advised.
Here’s a full breakdown of where you can find every Journalist Stash location in STALKER 2.
