10 best items to carry in Minecraft

There are a large number of items in Minecraft, with more constantly being added with updates. And while many of these items, like building blocks and other miscellaneous materials, aren't great to carry, there are other items, such as armor, torches, and more, that are almost always useful. However, it can be hard to determine which of these plentiful items are worth carrying around and which aren't.

Detailed below are 10 of the best items to always keep on hand while adventuring around, as well as what makes these items so useful.

Note: The entries are arranged in no particular order.

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10 of the best items to always have in Minecraft

1) Elytra

Using an elytra to fly through the Nether (Image via Mojang)

Minecraft's elytras are inarguably one of the most powerful items available for survival. They can be equipped in the chest slot and allow for prolonged gliding. However, since this item replaces the chestplate, it shouldn't be worn at all times. Instead, players should keep it in their inventory for when it is needed.

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2) Totems of undying

Totems of undying are incredibly handy items to have around (Image via Mojang)

Totems of undying, dropped by evokers, are the single most powerful item when it comes to staying alive. These items can reverse death while also giving players absorption and regeneration, though they are consumed in the process. Due to being used up, players must make sure to always carry two or three of them so that death can be staved off multiple times.

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3) Ender chest

A well-stocked ender chest (Image via Mojang)

Ender chests were the first major inventory overhaul item added to the game. This is a unique type of chest that shares its inventory, no matter which ender chest a player opens. This means players can place items into an ender chest and then always access them, no matter where they are in the world.

The only downside to ender chests is that they need to be broken with the silk touch Minecraft enchantment to drop in item form. A regular pickaxe without silk touch will cause the chest to break into obsidian.

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4) Shulker Boxes

A sorted shulker box (Image via Mojang)

Minecraft shulker boxes are similar to ender chests in that they also greatly increase the player's inventory. These items are dyeable chests that can contain their items when broken and picked up. While they're not able to be accessed from anywhere, like ender chests, they don't require silk touch to be picked up.

Additionally, since shulkers don't share an inventory, like ender chests, players can use as many of them as they can carry, exponentially increasing the size of the inventory.

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5) Bed

A player about to use a bed to sleep through the night (Image via Mojang)

The night hours of the game's overworld dimension are quite deadly. Hostile mobs such as zombies, skeletons, and creepers spawn in large numbers, which can quickly become overwhelming. Thankfully, beds can let players sleep through the night. Additionally, they can be used to set a spawn point, which is useful for making impromptu Minecraft survival bases while adventuring.

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6) Water Bucket

One of my few successful MLG water bucket attempts byu/iiEco-Ryan3166 inMinecraft

Water buckets are very handy to have around. They can be used to set up emergency Minecraft crop farms while out adventuring or nullify lethal fall damage with good timing. Two water buckets can even make an infinite water source, allowing players to build Nether portals anywhere they are, adding to their utility.

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7) Shields

Using a shield to avoid a creeper explosion (Image via Mojang)

While armor is useful for reducing damage, shields are even more powerful, as they can convert heart damage into durability damage. This does, however, mean that they tend to slowly but surely get destroyed. Thus, carrying around one or two extra shields at all times is highly recommended, especially for those who enjoy taking on dangerous Minecraft structures like trial chambers.

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8) Wood

Using a backup supply of wood to make a crafting table in a cave (Image via Mojang)

Nothing is more frustrating than having a mining or caving session come to an abrupt end due to a pickaxe breaking without having the materials needed to make a new one. This can be especially bad if the cave is confusing to navigate, as there's no easy way to simply mine out. Carrying around a stack of logs will give players plenty of wood for crafting tables and sticks to make new tools.

Wood isn't just useful for this, however, as it can also be utilized to make doors, chests, and boats, all of which can be pivotal while exploring new areas. Boats are also useful for trapping and transporting mobs, which is essential for making different farms.

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9) Torches

A cave lit up with torches (Image via Mojang)

As previously mentioned, the night, and darkness in general, can be quite dangerous. While beds are handy for skipping through the night, they won't do anything to sort out a dark cave. That's where torches come in. These are placeable items that light up a surrounding area, stopping hostile mobs from being able to spawn.

While it is possible to make torches on the fly using sticks and coal, carrying around a stack or two of backup torches is a prudent idea. Especially since coal no longer spawns in especially deep caves, thanks to changes in Minecraft's ore distribution.

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10) Flint and steel

A cow set on fire with a flint and steel (Image via Mojang)

A flint and steel is an extremely handy tool during emergencies. If a Minecraft mob, such as pigs, sheep, or cows, would normally drop raw food, they will instead drop cooked food if they die while on fire. This makes flint and steel useful for collecting emergency food while adventuring.

Additionally, these items can be used to light Nether portals, which is useful for not getting stuck in the dimension accidentally. These two uses make flint and steel more than worth their spot in the inventory.