What’s the most efficient way to loot bodies for valuables?

Looting bodies efficiently in Red Dead Redemption 2 is a key way to earn money and collect valuable items. To maximize your loot, you need to understand the game mechanics and adopt a systematic approach. Bodies often carry cash, jewelry, ammunition, and other valuables, but not all corpses are created equal. Prioritize looting enemies after gunfights, as they are more likely to carry useful items compared to random NPCs.\n\nFirst, always ensure the area is safe before looting. Enemies or lawmen can ambush you while you’re distracted. Use Dead Eye to scan the area for threats and clear out any remaining hostiles. Once the coast is clear, approach each body and press the designated button to loot. Arthur will automatically search the corpse, and any items found will be added to your inventory. Be thorough—some bodies may have hidden valuables like gold teeth or pocket watches.\n\nCertain locations are better for looting than others. Gang hideouts, such as Hanging Dog Ranch or Six Point Cabin, are hotspots for enemies who often carry valuable loot. After clearing these areas, take your time to search every body. Additionally, ambush sites along roads or in forests are great for finding loot, as bandits often carry stolen goods. For example, the area near Valentine or the roads leading to Rhodes are common ambush spots.\n\nTo optimize your looting, prioritize high-value items. Jewelry, such as rings and necklaces, can be sold to fences for a good profit. Gold teeth and pocket watches are also valuable. Ammunition and consumables like tonics or food are useful but less profitable. If your inventory is full, consider discarding low-value items to make room for more valuable loot. For example, drop common herbs or low-tier tonics to pick up a gold nugget or a rare piece of jewelry.\n\nOne common challenge is managing your inventory space. To avoid missing out on valuable loot, regularly visit a fence or general store to sell excess items. Fences, like the one in Emerald Ranch or Saint Denis, are particularly useful for selling stolen or illegal goods. Keep an eye on your satchel’s capacity and prioritize items that fetch the highest prices.\n\nAnother tip is to loot in stealth. If you’re sneaking through an enemy camp or avoiding a large fight, use stealth kills to take down enemies one by one. This allows you to loot their bodies without alerting others. For example, in the Lemoyne Raiders’ camps, stealthily eliminating guards and looting them can yield valuable items without triggering a full-scale battle.\n\nFinally, don’t forget to loot animals and other NPCs. While animals won’t carry cash, their pelts and carcasses can be sold for profit. Similarly, random NPCs in towns or on the road might carry small amounts of money or unique items. Always check the bodies of bounty hunters or lawmen, as they often carry better loot than regular enemies.\n\nIn summary, efficient looting in Red Dead Redemption 2 requires a combination of strategy, awareness, and prioritization. Focus on high-value items, clear dangerous areas before looting, and manage your inventory wisely. By following these steps, you can maximize your earnings and build a steady income stream throughout the game.