Arc Raiders base upgrades need a protected 73-Plank plan: 3 for Sheltered Retreat, 35 for Research Station I, and another 35 for Outpost level 3. Celeste can cover a small shortage for 3 Assorted Seeds per Plank. Regular raids and recycling should supply most of the rest; the ARC Raiders Items page is a separate item option, so keep upgrade stock ahead of optional spending.

Set a Plank reserve before spending

Keep the three progression costs separate from furniture plans. Sheltered Retreat needs 3 Planks, while Research Station I and Outpost level 3 each need 35.
 

Use	Planks	Priority
Sheltered Retreat, phase 2	3	Complete progression
Research Station I	35	Reserve before decorating
Outpost level 3	35	Keep a separate reserve
Hotel Chair	15	Optional
Diner Shelf	30	Optional
Alpine Wardrobe	30	Optional

A full stack holds 50 Planks and weighs 5 kg because each one weighs 0.1 kg. Their listed sell value is 100, but selling them while either 35-Plank upgrade is unfinished can delay progress. Treat 73 as the core reserve before spending on furniture.

Buy a small shortage, then loot nearby containers

Celeste is the direct option for a small gap; regular container searches are better suited to building the larger reserves. Three Planks cost 9 Assorted Seeds, and buying 35 would cost 105 Seeds, if that quantity is available.

Check stored Planks and note the amount required for your next project or upgrade.
In Speranza, open Celeste's Trader Inventory and select Planks.
Check the displayed quantity and Assorted Seeds cost before buying.
Purchase only the shortfall, then verify your Plank total in storage.
Open the relevant project or upgrade screen and contribute the materials there.

For example, 32 stored Planks leave a 3-Plank gap for Research Station I, which costs 9 Seeds rather than the 105 needed to buy all 35. Check the displayed stock instead of assuming Celeste has an unlimited quantity in one visit.

Search container clusters, not supposed guaranteed spawns

Residential and Commercial areas can supply Planks through wardrobes, kitchen cabinets, drawers, shop shelves, office desks, and stacking boxes. Old Town on Pendola Pass is a practical start because it combines both loot types, but no specific container guarantees Planks.

Choose nearby homes or shops with several searchable interiors.
Search cabinets, wardrobes, drawers, desks, and shelves as you move through each building once.
Check your total after the cluster and leave when you have enough for the next contribution or the route becomes risky.
Store collected materials in Speranza before returning to the project screen.

Old World is another listed area, and Planks are also listed on Dam Battlegrounds, Spaceport, Buried City, Blue Gate, Stella Montis, and Riven Tides. Pick a route that fits your arrival and extraction plan; there is no fixed Plank yield to count on per raid.

Finish Sheltered Retreat before building Research Station I

Sheltered Retreat requires more than its 3 Planks: its material stage also needs 5 Sheet Metal, 10 ARC Alloy, and 3 Advanced Electrical Components. Research Station I becomes available after the Outpost is unlocked and needs 35 Planks, 5 Battered Paperbacks, and 3 Mini Pumps.

Accept the Outpost project and bring a camera into the raid.
Photograph a farmland house around Ruined Homestead on Blue Gate.
Return to Speranza and inspect the project screen for the next stage.
Contribute all four material types, then complete the combat objectives: 800 damage to flying ARC enemies and 300 damage to Bullies.
Finish the project before attempting to build Research Station I.

The camera is required for the opening photo objective. Get one from Shani, craft it at the Workbench, or find one Topside before heading to the house. Save the five Battered Paperbacks for Research Station I; collecting its Planks alone does not unlock weapon amplification, which requires Research Station IV.

Recycle unwanted furniture carefully

Recycling an owned furniture item can return a useful batch of Planks, but learning a Design is not the same as owning the finished item. Inspect the selected item and its return before confirming.
 

Furniture item	Planks returned
Study Piano	50
Alpine Wardrobe	30
Diner Shelf	30
Restaurant Table	30
Faculty Dresser	25
Console Chest	20
Hotel Chair	15
Draped Debris G	5

Use surplus pieces first, and check the full crafting cost before making furniture only to dismantle it. A finished Winter Table returns 20 Planks, while Winter Table Design has a separate 40-Plank requirement; do not treat those entries as the same transaction. Before recycling, verify the selected item and its displayed return, and keep pieces that still suit your room.

After your next raid, return to Speranza, store the Planks, and check the active project screen before spending anything on furniture. Keep the 35-Plank Research Station reserve intact, and treat buy ARC Raiders Trinkets as a separate item option rather than part of the Plank plan.