How to build a flag pole in DayZ

Flag poles in DayZ are incredibly handy items that—when combined with a flag—have several different uses, such as making for the perfect marker to make your base of operations stand out. Because of this, it is useful to know how to build a flag pole in the game. 

The flag pole is a craftable item, so you will need a certain amount of resources to make it, as well as specific tools. With this in mind, let’s take a look at how to go about building a flag pole in DayZ. 

What tools do you need to build a flag pole in DayZ?

Before you start collecting resources, you need to make sure that you have the necessary tools. Here is what you will need:

• A Hammer or a Hatchet: Necessary for the construction of the flag pole. A Hatchet is particularly useful here, as you can also use it to gather wood.
• A Pickaxe or Shovel: Also necessary for construction. A Pickaxe is handy, as you can also use it to gather the stone crafting components from rocks. 
• Sledgehammer: The Sledgehammer is used directly for the construction of the flag pole, and you can also use it to harvest stones from rocks. 

What resources do you need to build a flag pole in DayZ?

With your tools in hand, you can now get ready to start collecting resources to craft the flag pole and the Flag Pole Kit (the base building equipment needed to construct the flag pole). 

These are the resources that you will need along with those aforementioned tools:

• 1 Rope
• 1 Metal Wire
• 3 Small Wooden Sticks
• 10 Wooden Logs
• 60 Nails
• 32 Large Stones

How to craft the flag pole in DayZ

There are four steps when it comes to crafting the flag pole: Crafting the Flag Pole kit, building the base, crafting the support for the flag base, and building the pole. 

Flag pole kit

For the Flag Pole Kit, you will need to use the Rope and three Small Wooden Sticks (you might even have some leftover Sticks from making a Splint). Put them together and this will create a triangular frame. 

Flag pole base

With the frame successfully placed, you can then start to craft the base of the flag pole. You will need a wooden log and your Sledgehammer to do this. Place the log onto the base and use your Sledgehammer to lodge it into the ground to create a vertical pole. With this done, you will see that the wooden log now has the “Flag Pole” prompt next to it. If you need to dismantle the base, you can do so with the Sledgehammer. 

Flag pole support

You will need the 32 Stones, your Shovel or Pickaxe, and 6 of the Wooden Logs to craft the support for your flag pole. When you have your large stones—which can be mined by using the mining action on boulders with the Pickaxe or the Sledgehammer—take them to the flag pole and interact with it.  Use your Pickaxe or Shovel to attach the stones, and you will then have the chance to move them into the “Support” section, which will appear when you have interacted with the pole.

Moving the Stones and the six Logs over will stack them all together around the log and create a supportive base for your flag pole. 

Raising the flag pole

The last step is to complete the flag pole by crafting a longer pole and a hoisting mechanism so that you can raise your flag. This will require the rest of your resources: the Rope, Metal Wire, three Wooden Logs, and 60 Nails. Equip your Hatchet or your Hammer and you will see the prompt to build the flag pole. 

How to find flags in DayZ

Now that you have your flag pole, you are going to need a flag to hoist onto it. There are a few different places where you can find them, though they can be a bit tricky to spot as they are rare. You can’t craft them unless you find one on the map, either, making them a particularly irritating item to find. There are a few places where you will find them hidden away, though, including the following areas:

• ADA 4×4 Wreck
• Big Office
• City Hall
• General Store
• School
• Small Office
• Transit Bus Wreck. 

In terms of designs for the flags in DayZ, there are currently about 27 configurations available. There are also a few additional ones that pop up during certain events. 

When you have your flag in hand, all you need to do is take it over to the flag pole and you will see a prompt to attach it. You can then either raise it (it takes five actions to raise it completely) or lower it again if you so choose. If you leave your flag flying, it will automatically lower after 45 days. At this point, you will need to hoist the flag again if you want it to keep flying.

Why use a flag in DayZ?

Not only do they make for some cool aesthetics for your base of operations, but the flags in DayZ have some practical uses too. 

As well as marking out your area, the flag will save any item that is placed within a 60-meter radius. This means that you don’t have to worry about the issue of despawning for any item that you place within this radius. You can also cut up your flag if you want to and if you do, you can create three Armbands with it (the Armbands will be the same pattern that was on the flag). 

When you have hoisted your flag, you need to be wary as it can be stolen by other players. If this happens, the despawn protection of the items within the flag radius will be canceled, so make sure to keep your flag protected at all times to maintain this item-saving buff. 

In my opinion, the item-saving buff that the flag offers to anything within a 60-meter radius is definitely a perk worth doing a bit of resource gathering and crafting for.